cyprus eu accession

8/12/2019 Cyprus EU Accession

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Cyprus EU Accession, May 2014

CYPRUS:THE ROAD TO EUROPEAN UNION ACCESSION

Executive Summary

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide a brief history of the ongoing

conflict in Cyprus and to examine Cyprus accession to the European Union (EU).

Tensions between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities arose shortly

after Cyprus achieved independence from Britain in 1960. Despite the bi-

communal structure envisaged by the constitution, Greek Cypriots assumed

primary control of the government with the ultimate intention of reunification with

Greece. Following a proposal by the then-president (a Greek Cypriot) to alter the

constitutional rights afforded to Turkish Cypriots, violence erupted in 1963. In

1964, the United Nations Security Council established the United NationsPeacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) to halt the fighting. However, violence

persisted between the two communities despite UNFICYPs presence.

After a decade of tension, the government was overthrown during a coup

dtat backed by the Greek military junta. Fearing a Greek attempt to seek

reunification with Cyprus, Turkish military forces assumed control over a third of

the island and refused to withdraw after the ceasefire agreement. Subsequently,

the United Nations Security Council expanded UNFICYPs mandate to enforce the

line of ceasefire, known as the Green Line, between the two communities. In the

following decade, northern Cyprus established a discrete government andeventually declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC);

however, only Turkey recognizes its independence.

After decades of internationally brokered talks between the two sides,

Cyprus applied for EU membership in 1990 and accession talks began in 1998.

The EU strongly encouraged the north and south to establish a reunification plan

prior to accession; however, a UN-proposed plan failed in 2003, and Greek

Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected a reunification referendum the following year.

As a result, Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 as a divided state. Although the EU

continues to support reunification, progress toward a solution remains slow. As

the TRNC lacks international recognition, only the Republic of Cyprus (i.e.,

southern Cyprus) enjoys the full benefits of EU membership. While the EU

provides aid to both northern and southern Cyprus, particularly for bi-communal

programs, substantial economic disparity exists between the two communities.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Statement of Purpose 1

Introduction 1

Historical Background

Modern History of Cyprus 1

International Intervention and Partition 3

Attempts at Reunification 5

Cyprus and the European Union 6

Current Status of the Republic of Cyprus and the TRNC 9

Conclusion 11


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1925.3 The British-installed government consisted of a high commissioner, a

legislative council, and six district officers.4 The legislative council exercised

limited power and often voted along Greek Cypriot or Turkish Cypriot ethnic

lines.5 At the local level, the British instituted a representational government

system in which Greek Cypriots enjoyed a greater measure of control due to their

larger population and favor with the British.6 The British eventually replaced the

high commissioner with a governor; however, political unrest led to the dissolution

of this system in 1931.7

Tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots increased steadily following

the Second World War. In 1950, the Greek Cypriot Orthodox Church held an

unofficial referendum for Greek Cypriots on the political union of Cyprus and

Greece (Enosis), for which they overwhelmingly voted in favor.8 In addition, with

the support of the Greek Orthodox Church, a group of Greek Cypriots founded the

National Organization of Cypriot Fighters, which carried out attacks during the1950s with the goal of destabilizing the existing government and unifying with

Greece.9 Refusing to be subject to Greek rule, Turkish Cypriots demanded

partition.10

In 1958, the escalation of inter-communal fighting led to the creation

of the Macmillan Plan, spearheaded by Britain, Greece, and Turkey.11

The Plan

called for a partnership between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities and

the United Kingdom, Greece, and Turkey; however, the Greek Cypriot political

leader Archbishop Makarios rejected the plan.12

After the United Nations (UN) General Assembly rejected Greek Cypriot

efforts to unify with Greece, the parties attempted to reach a mutually agreed upon

solution.13

In 1959, the Turkish and Greek prime ministers met in Zurich,

Switzerland and negotiated the creation of the Republic of Cyprus, known as the

Zurich Agreement.14

The following week, the prime ministers traveled to London,

joined by Archbishop Makarios on behalf of the Greek Cypriots and Dr. Fazil

3Timeline: Cyprus, BBC, available athttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1021835.stm.4Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW4 (1993).5Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW4 (1993).6Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW4 (1993).

7

Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW5 (1993).8Dale C. Tatum, WHO INFLUENCED WHOM?LESSONS FROM THE COLD WAR43 (2002).

9Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW6 (1993).10Athanasia Papangelopoulou, THE DIVISION OF CYPRUS AND PATHS TO ITS REUNIFICATION:AN ANALYSIS80

(2005).11Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW9 (1993).12Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW9 (1993).13Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW9 (1993).14Haralambos Athanasopulos, GREECE,TURKEY,AND THE AEGEAN SEA:ACASE STUDY IN INTERNATIONAL LAW18

(1957).


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Katchuk on behalf of the Turkish Cypriots, to finalize the terms of the agreement,

known as the London Agreement.15

Per the terms of the accord, Cyprus became an

independent state; however, Britain retained interests and rights over its military

bases on the island. The Agreement also provided that Britain, Greece, and Turkey

could intervene in order to protect the state of Cyprus.16

In July 1960, Cyprus held

its first elections as an independent republic and joined the UN and the Council of

Europe.17

Cyprus became a member of the British Commonwealth the following

year.18

The independence constitution provided that the president would be a Greek

Cypriot and the deputy president a Turkish Cypriot.19

In addition, the deputy

president was given veto power over government decisions.20

Tensions reemerged

in 1961 when President Makarios declared that the constitution conferred rights

beyond what is just to Turkish Cypriots and indicated that he would not observe

Turkish Cypriot vetoes over decisions of the Greek Cypriot majority, despiteconstitutional mandates.

21 Additionally, President Makarios and members of the

Greek Cypriot legislature rejected constitutional requirements to create separate

municipalities for Turkish Cypriots.22

Although the Supreme Constitutional Court

of Cyprus held that such action violated the constitution, President Makarios and

the Greek Cypriot Council of Ministers refused to abide by the decision.23

Furthermore, in 1963, President Makarios proposed a 13-point amendment plan

vastly limiting Turkish Cypriots constitutional protections under the Zurich and

London Agreements.24

International Intervention and Partition

Violence erupted shortly after President Makarios publicized his 13-point

plan. As a result of the violence, Turkey threatened military intervention, which

prompted Britain to deploy peacekeeping forces to oversee a ceasefire between the

15Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW10 (1993).16Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW10 (1993);

Timeline: Cyprus, BBC, available athttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1021835.stm.17

Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Cyprus and the Commonwealth, available athttp://www.mfa.gov.cy/mfa/mfa2006.nsf/All/A508C055CED55392C22571B1002137B7?OpenDocument.18Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW20 (1993).19Republic of Cyprus Government, available at

http://www.mfa.gov.cy/mfa/embassies/embassy_stockholm.nsf/ecsw10_en/ecsw10_en?OpenDocument&print.20Cyprus Country Profile, available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17219505.21Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW21 (1993).22Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW22 (1993).23Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW23 (1993).24Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW24-25 (1993).


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two communities.25

In January 1964, President Makarios announced his intention

to withdraw from the London Agreement in favor of a Greek Cypriot-controlled

government.26

Recognizing the rapidly deteriorating situation in Cyprus, the UN Security

Council unanimously passed a resolution to create the UN Peacekeeping Force in

Cyprus (UNFICYP).27

The UNFICYP arrived in Cyprus in March 1964. The

UNFICYPs initial mandate was a three-month deployment to prevent fighting

between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and to promote stability in Cyprus.28

However, as violence intensified, the Turkish Cypriots withdrew into fortified

enclaves and the UNFICYP began patrolling the buffer zone between the two

populations, known as the Green Line.29

Despite international intervention, the violence continued and the political

situation between the two communities steadily deteriorated. In 1964, Cyprusdenied re-entry to Rauf Denktash, a Turkish Cypriot leader and future president of

the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus.30

Three years later, unknown assailants

shot down a helicopter carrying President Makarios in a failed assassination

attempt.31

With backing from the military junta in Greece, the Cypriot National

Guard staged a coup dtat against President Makarios in 1974.32

Five days after

the start of the coup, Turkey invoked its right of intervention, launched a military

offensive, and assumed control of one-third of the northern part of the island.33

As

a result of the coup and subsequent retaliation by Turkey, about 200,000 ethnic

Greek Cypriots fled to the south.34

The Turkish military imposed a partition

between the two communities roughly along the UNFICYP-created Green Line.

After a month of intense fighting, resulting in approximately 6,000 Greek

Cypriot causalities and 3,500 Turkish casualties, the UN, Britain, Turkey, and

25Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW46 (1993).26Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW46 (1993).27Security Council Resolution 186, para. 4, U.N. Doc. S/RES/186 (Mar. 4, 1964). Zaim M. Necatigil, THE CYPRUS

QUESTION AND THE TURKISH POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW49 (1993).28

Security Council Resolution 186, para. 6, U.N. Doc. S/RES/186 (Mar. 4, 1964).29

Timeline: Cyprus, BBC NEWS, available athttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1021835.stm.30

Rauf Denktash, Obituaries, THE TELEGRAPH, Jan. 15, 2012, available at

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/politics-obituaries/9016548/Rauf-Denktash.html.3140 Years Ago Makarios Assassination Attempt, CYPRUSNEW REPORT, Mar. 16, 2010, available at

http://www.cyprusnewsreport.com/?q=node/772.32History, UNITEDNATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, available at

http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1349&tt=graphic&lang=l1.33Timeline: Cyprus, BBC, available athttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1021835.stm.34Political Obituaries, Rauf Denktash, available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/politics-

obituaries/9016548/Rauf-Denktash.html.


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Greece met in Geneva to negotiate a cessation of hostilities.35

On August 14,

1974, the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and a

resumption of negotiations.36

Although the initial terms did not immediately halt

the fighting, Turkey officially declared a ceasefire on August 16, 1974.37

Following the ceasefire, the Green Line, which stretches 180 kilometers across the

island, became the formal line of demarcation between the two communities.38

Currently, about 10,000 people live within the area encompassed by the Green

Zone; however, the population is split along ethnic lines with the exception of the

village of Pyla, which is inhabited by both the Greek and Turkish Cypriots.39

The

UNFICYP conducts surveillance and patrols the Green Line, where about 1,000

incidents, most of minor magnitude, occur annually.40

In 2003 the UNFICYP

opened up some crossing zones between the north and south to allow for

interactions. Three of these crossing points are found near the capital of Nicosia.41

Attempts at Reunification

Following the 1974 ceasefire, the UN maintained an active role in

attempting to resolve the situation in Cyprus. In 1975, Turkish Cypriots

established an independent administration (the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus)

led by Rauf Denktash, though Turkey retained its military presence.42

UN-

sponsored peace talks resumed in 1980, but the parties failed to reach a lasting

agreement.43

In 1983, Denktash suspended peace talks with southern Cyprus and

declared the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).44

However, the UN

Security Council deemed the declaration invalid and only Turkey has recognized

the TRNC as a separate government.45

35DICTIONARY OF BATTLES AND SIEGES:AGUIDE TO 8,500BATTLES FROM ANTIQUITY THROUGH THE TWENTY-

FIRST CENTURY, 557 (Tony Jagues, ed.) (2007), available athttp://books.google.com/books?id=Dh6jydKXikoC&pg=PA556#v=onepage&q&f=false.36Security Council Resolution 357, para. 6, U.N. Doc. S/RES/357 (Aug. 14, 1974).37Tripartite Conference & Geneva Declaration, UNITEDNATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, available at

http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1603&tt=graphic&lang=l1. 38The Buffer Zone, UNITEDNATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, available at

http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1592&tt=graphic&lang=l1.39

The Buffer Zone, UNITEDNATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, available at

http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1592&tt=graphic&lang=l1.40

The Buffer Zone, UNITEDNATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, available at

http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1592&tt=graphic&lang=l1.41The Buffer Zone, UNITEDNATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, available at

http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1592&tt=graphic&lang=l1.42Cyprus Profile - Overview, BBC NEWS, available athttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17219505.43Cyprus Profile - Overview, BBC NEWS, available athttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17219505.44Timeline: Cyprus, BBC, available athttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1021835.stm.45History, UNITEDNATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, available at

http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1349&tt=graphic&lang=l1 .


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Intermittent violence, taking the form of isolated protesters and clashes

between armed forces along the Green Line, occurred throughout the 1990s and

tensions between the two communities remained high, necessitating the continued

presence of UNFICYP.46

Following several failed attempts at peace talks during

this time, leaders of both communities agreed to restart face-to-face talks in 2001,

and two years later several crossing points along the Green Line reopened.47

Decades of negotiations culminated in the Annan Plan of 2003.48

The plan, crafted

by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, outlined a proposal for a federation

comprised of two constituent parts with a rotating presidency.49

The deadline for the Annan Plans implementation passed without a

resolution between the two parties.50

In April of 2004, the Republic of Cyprus and

the TRNC held identical referendums to consider a revised UN reunification plan,

which required approval from both sides.51 While 65% of voters in the north werein favor of the plan, seeing it as a way to end political and economic isolation, 75%

of voters in the south voted against it, primarily because the plan placed limits on

their right to return to property in the north.52

While the plan would have given

Turkish Cypriots the full right of return, only 20% of Greek Cypriots would have

been able to return to their homes in the north over a 25-year period.53

In May

2004, Cyprus joined the EU as a divided island.

Cyprus and the European Union

Economic cooperation between the EU and Cyprus dates back to the

Association Agreement of 1972 and subsequent protocols, which allowed Cyprus

46Cyprus Profile - Overview, BBC NEWS, available athttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17219505.47History, UNITEDNATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, available at

http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1349&tt=graphic&lang=l1 .48Security Council Resolution 1475, U.N. Doc. S/RES/1475 (Apr. 14, 2003).49Security Council Resolution 1475, U.N. Doc. S/RES/1475 (Apr. 14, 2003). Cyprus Profile, BBC, available at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17219505.50Timeline: Cyprus, BBC NEWS, available athttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1021835.stm.51

Timeline: Cyprus, BBC NEWS, available athttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1021835.stm.52

Cyprus Spurns Historic Chance,BBC News, Apr. 25, 2004, available athttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3656753.stm; Greek Cypriots Reject a UN Peace Plan, THENEW YORK TIMES,

(April 25, 2004), available athttp://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/world/greek-cypriots-reject-a-un-peace-

plan.html.53Rarid Mirbagheri, HISTORICAL DICTIONARY OF CYPRUS18 (2010), available athttp://books.google.com/books?id=f82Jn_H4VukC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=historical+dictionary+of+cyprus+2

0+percent&source=bl&ots=0XUIb4DUT_&sig=bUUhmIFEwPfhWGNDOUYOcWK-

YKg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cXR6U73VC-

LLsQS7xoHgCw&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=historical%20dictionary%20of%20cyprus%2020%20per

cent&f=false.


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to trade in the EU on a non-discriminatory basis.54

In 1990, Cyprus formally

applied for EU membership.55

In a 1993 opinion, the EU addressed Cyprus

application in light of the political situation, concluding that the result of Cypruss

accession to the Community would be increased security and prosperity and that it

would help bring the two communities on the island closer together.56

The

opinion ended with a recommendation to reevaluate the question in January 1995

in light of the positions adopted by the parties in the UN-sponsored peace talks.57

In 1994, peace talks again broke down due to a lack of political will on the

Turkish Cypriot side, according to the UN Secretary General.58

Shortly

thereafter, the EU decided that the next enlargement would include Cyprus,

regardless of a political solution.59

In coming to this decision, the EU recognized

that preconditioning accession on a solution to the Cyprus problem would

essentially give Turkey a right of veto, as the TRNC would in all likelihood

continue to stonewall the peace talks.60

Diplomatic pressure from Greece also played into the EUs decision.61

In a

meeting with officials from the US Embassy in Brussels, Chris Patten, the EUs

former external relations commissioner noted, some of the accession countries

were foisted on the EU as part of a larger bargain.62

He went on to say that

[Cyprus] probably should not have been admittedbut the Greeks insisted on

Cypriot admission at the price of agreeing to some of the northern European

candidates.63

Indeed, some have argued that the accession process should have

54Press Release Relations EU/Cyprus, EUROPEAN COMMISSION(Mar. 22, 2000), available at

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-00-16_en.htm?locale=en.55

Relations with Cyprus, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, available at

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/archives/enlargement_process/past_enlargements/eu10/cyprus_en.htm.56Commission Opinion on the Application by the Republic of Cyprus for Membership Extracts, EUROPEANCOMMISSION(June 30, 1993), available at

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/archives/enlargement_process/past_enlargements/eu10/cyprus_en.htm.57Commission Opinion on the Application by the Republic of Cyprus for Membership Extracts, EUROPEAN

COMMISSION(June 30, 1993), available at

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/archives/enlargement_process/past_enlargements/eu10/cyprus_en.htm.58Report on the Situation in Cyprus (recent political developments, COUNCIL OF EUROPE,para. 29 (Dec. 15, 1994),

available athttp://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/XrefViewHTML.asp?FileID=8211&Language=en.59

George Kyris, The European Union and the Cyprus Problem: A Story of Limited Impetus, 3 EASTERN JOURNAL OFEUROPEAN STUDIES87, 89 (June 2012).60George Kyris, The European Union and the Cyprus Problem: A Story of Limited Impetus, 3 EASTERN JOURNAL OF

EUROPEAN STUDIES87, 89 (June 2012).61George Kyris, The European Union and the Cyprus Problem: A Story of Limited Impetus, 3 EASTERN JOURNAL OFEUROPEAN STUDIES87, 89 (June 2012).62Cable reveals EUs hard feelings on Greek Cyprus accession, TODAYS ZAMAN(Dec. 3, 2010), available at

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-228589-cable-reveals-eus-hard-feelings-on-greek-cyprus-accession.html.63Cable reveals EUs hard feelings on Greek Cyprus accession, TODAYS ZAMAN(Dec. 3, 2010), available at

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-228589-cable-reveals-eus-hard-feelings-on-greek-cyprus-accession.html.


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Cyprus signed the Accession Treaty on April 16, 2003 and officially joined

the EU on May 1, 2004.72

While the entire island is considered part of the EU,

pursuant to Protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty, EU law is suspended in northern

Cyprus, meaning that the north is outside of the customs and fiscal territory of the

EU.73

Despite living in an unrecognized area outside of government control,

however, Turkish Cypriots (other than settlers from the Turkish mainland with

Turkish citizenship) still have access to Cypriot citizenship, and thus EU

citizenship.74

In practice, the Government of Cyprus regularly issues passports to

Turkish Cypriots, which gives them the status of EU citizens and allows them to

enjoy all personal rights as such.75

To address economic issues within the TRNC, the EU approved !259

million to develop a five-year program in northern Cyprus to promote

reconciliation and reunification.76

Since the program ended in 2011, the EU has

allocated !28 million annually to support the progress achieved since 2006.77 TheEU supports a resolution in Cyprus that would end the political and economic

isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community.78

Current Status of the Republic of Cyprus and the TRNC

Although the original Security Council resolution establishing the

UNFICYP envisaged a three-month objective, 2014 marks the missions 50-year

anniversary in Cyprus.79

To maintain the ceasefire and promote the normalization

of relations between the two communities, the UNFICYP still controls the Green

Line.80

In addition, it overseas ceasefire lines, provides a buffer zone, assists with

72Relations with Cyprus, EUROPEAN COMMISSIONavailable at

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/archives/enlargement_process/past_enlargements/eu10/cyprus_en.htm.73

Turkish Cypriot Community, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, available at

http://ec.europa.eu/cyprus/turkish_cypriots/index_en.htm.74Nikos Skoutaris, On Citizenship and Donkeys in Cyprus, CITIZENSHIP IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE, available athttp://www.citsee.eu/citsee-story/citizenship-and-donkeys-cyprus.75Turkish Cypriot Community, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, available at

http://ec.europa.eu/cyprus/turkish_cypriots/index_en.htm; Nikos Skoutaris, On Citizenship and Donkeys in Cyprus,

CITIZENSHIP IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE, available athttp://www.citsee.eu/citsee-story/citizenship-and-donkeys-cyprus.76

Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot Community, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, available athttp://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/tenders/aid-programme-tcc/index_en.htm.77Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot Community, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, available at

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/tenders/aid-programme-tcc/index_en.htm.78Turkish Cypriot Community, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, June 19, 2012, available at

http://ec.EUropa.EU/cyprus/turkish_cypriots/index_en.htm.79About UNFICYP, UNITEDNATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, available at

http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=778&tt=graphic&lang=l1. 80UNFICYP Background, UNITEDNATIONS, available at

http://www.un.or`g/en/peacekeeping/missions/unficyp/background.shtml.


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humanitarian activities, and supports the UN Secretary Generals Good Offices

Mission, which continues to encourage a comprehensive solution between the two

parties.81

In September 2008, representatives from the UN Security Council, Cyprus,

and northern Cyprus met to discuss the possibility of a unified, bi-zonal

federation.82

However, unification discussions stalled when the Turkish Cypriot

pro-independence candidate, Dervis Eroglu, defeated the pro-unity incumbent

Mehment Talat in the April 2010 presidential elections.83

Although Turkey has recognized the TRNC as an independent state, others

in the international community have not. As a result, the TRNC is limited to

making treaties and agreements with Turkey, which do not apply to the rest of

Cyprus.84

In addition, the TRNC has air travel only with Turkey, it is excluded

from international sports and trade, and receives the majority of its subsidies fromTurkey.

85 The presidents of Turkey and the TRNC have signed multiple Joint

Declarations that reaffirmed efforts between the two to develop relations in all

fields, such as international recognition, customs unions, support systems to

promote economic relations and bilateral investments, and national security

interests.86

Turkeys position on the Cyprus problem has complicated its own EU

aspirations, as a peaceful solution is seen as a precondition to Turkeys accession.87

Although the EU continues to support reunification, progress toward a

solution remains slow. Peace talks are currently on-going, and both the Greek

Cypriot President and the Turkish Cypriot leader have pledged their determination

81United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), UNITEDNATIONS, available at

http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unficyp/index.shtml.82Cyprus Profile - Overview, BBCNEWS,Mar. 1,2012, available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-EUrope-

17217956.83Cyprus Profile - Leaders, BBCNEWS,Mar. 1,2012, available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-EUrope-

17219245.84

Turkey Says it Could Annex Northern Cyprus, EURACTIV, June 25, 2012, available at

http://www.EUractiv.com/enlargement/turkey-annex-northern-cyprus-news-511280.85

Turkey Says it Could Annex Northern Cyprus, EURACTIV, June 25, 2012, available at

http://www.EUractiv.com/enlargement/turkey-annex-northern-cyprus-news-511280.86Turkey-TRNC Joint Declaration December 28, 1995, REPUBLIC OF TURKEY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

(2011), available at http://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkey-trnc-joint-declaration-december-28_-1995.en.mfa. Turkey-TRNCJoint Declaration July 20, 1999, REPUBLIC OF TURKEY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,(2011), available

athttp://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkey---trnc-joint-declaration--july-20_-1999.en.mfa.87European Court Says Turkey Must Pay Damages for Northern Cyprus Invasion. WALLSTREET JOURNAL,May 12,

2014, available at http://online.wsj.com/articles/european-court-says-turkey-must-pay-90-million-for-northern-

cyprus-invasion-1399903647.


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to find a solution to the crisis.88

However, in a recent interview, the Cyprus

Foreign Minister noted that there remains a significant distance between the two

sides on many issues.89

Conclusion

Cyprus path toward EU accession is unique in that a solution to the political

division between the north and south was not required prior to it joining the EU.

This was in part decided because, had reunification been a precondition, it would

have effectively given Turkey a veto to Cyprus accession. The EU also regarded

Cyprus accession to the EU as a means of increasing security and prosperity, and

of contributing to the reconciliation of the two communities. However, while the

EU provides aid to both northern and southern Cyprus, substantial economic

disparity continues to exist. In addition, a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem

has remained out of reach and UNFICYPs presence is still required. A new roundof peace talks began in February 2014, offering renewed hope for reunification.

88US vice president to visit Nicosia for Cyprus talks, DAILYNEWS, May 14, 2014, available at

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/us-vice-president-to-visit-nicosia-for-cyprus-

talks.aspx?pageID=238&nID=66370&NewsCatID=359.89Significant distance between the two sides,CYPRUS MAIL, May 1, 2014, available athttp://cyprus-

mail.com/2014/05/01/significant-distance-between-the-two-sides/.

cyprus eu accession

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