THE UNRESOLVED CYPRUS DISPUTE AT A GLANCE
HOW THE
DISPUTE STARTED IN CYPRUS?
HOW THE DISPUTE STARTED IN CYPRUS?
The Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960 as a constitutional
partnership state, based on the political equality of the two constituent
peoples of the island, the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. In 1964,
political disagreements led to communal violence, prompting the UN to establish
a peacekeeping force. A political separation along ethnic lines was also
introduced. Contrary to common belief, the Cyprus problem did not emerge with
Turkey’s military intervention in 1974, but in 1963 when the Turkish Cypriots
were ejected from the island’s government and faced attacks by Greek Cypriot
guerilla bands. The Greek Cypriots
openly sought to unite the island with Greece, a process they called Enosis,
but which was expressly forbidden by a treaty guaranteeing the independence of
the island. It was at this time that a
Green Line was drawn across Nicosia and the United Nations established its
presence on the island. As violence subsided,
Greek Cypriots nonetheless continued their drive for Enosis, forcing Turkish
Cypriots to live in ethnically homogenous enclaves. Efforts by Turkey to move
the international community to stop the slow ethnic cleansing and continued
crimes against Turkish Cypriots were futile. In 1974, after the bloody attempt
by the Greek military junta to annex the island to Greece caused an eruption of
violence against the Turkish Cypriots, Turkey militarily intervened. The
resulting separation of the two communities on the island halted the violence
and preserved the Turkish Cypriots from destruction. Turkey’s intervention was not only an urgent
moral imperative; but also, a legal obligation as stipulated by the 1960 Treaty
of Guarantee that established Cyprus as an independent state. Following the 1974
intervention the international community failed to acknowledge the rights of
the Turkish Cypriots while unjustly vested solely the Greek Cypriots with the
right to govern the island. This shocking result continues to reverberate today
and has made efforts to reunify the island exceptionally difficult.
Regrettably, rather than seeking a solution, the main focus of the Greek
Cypriots is to preserve this illegal and illegitimate advantageous position, as
demonstrated by their popular refusal to unify the island under a UN-brokered
peace plan. In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus unilaterally
declared independence. In 2004, the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot
communities voted in a referendum to decide whether to implement a
reunification plan negotiated under UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. While the
Turkish Cypriot community voted to implement the plan, the Greek Cypriot
community rejected it. The current negotiations process continues under the
terms set forth by the February 2014 Joint Statement. Major negotiation issues
include questions of political power-sharing, property and territory, security
guarantees and the use of energy resources in the Mediterranean Sea.
Turkish Influence in Cyprus
Since 1974, Turkey have been accused of ‘illegally occupying’ North
Cyprus. Ever since Turkey’s legal military intervention 47 years ago, Greek
Cypriot propaganda have pushed the narrative that North Cyprus is simply being
occupied by Turkish forces. This wasn’t true. North Cyprus is home to the
Turkish Cypriot people. Turkish Cypriots have lived in Cyprus for over 450
years. In 1960 Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality were granted.
North Cyprus has its own fully established government and fulfils all
the requirements of statehood. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has 27
representatives in 20 different countries as well as having a democratically
elected government that respects rule of law. The Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus has the following:
1.Defined and protected territory
2.A permanent population
3.Effective government that has jurisdiction over its territory
4.Capacity to conduct external relations
TURKISH CYPRIOT ISOLATION
Embargoes on the Turkish Cypriot people have lasted since the 4th March
1964, after the Greek Cypriots successfully usurped the bi-communal Republic of
Cyprus during the events of Blood Christmas. This has meant that for the last
57 years, Turkish Cypriots have remained isolated from the rest of the world.
These are the current embargoes: ban on direct travel, ban on sporting events,
ban on economic development and international aid, ban on direct communication,
ban on culture, ban on academia, ban on representation. These embargoes are a
result of pressure from Greek Cypriot administration, contradictory and poorly
worded UN resolutions and bully tactics from Greek Cypriot lobbying groups. For
the last 53 years, Turkish Cypriots have been negotiating with the Greek
Cypriots to reunify the Island and end inhumane isolation of the Turkish
Cypriot people. However, the Greek Cypriot administration refuse to accept any
solution that gives Turkish Cypriots the same equal rights as the Greek
Cypriots. The so-called ‘Republic of Cyprus’ will only accept a solution if
Turkish Cypriots are considered as a minority group with minority rights.
15 out of the last 17 official Cyprus solutions have been rejected by
the Greek Cypriot government or Greek Cypriot people. After 53 years of failed
Cyprus negotiations, all embargoes on the Turkish Cypriot people have remained,
despite them continuously voting in favor of unification and federal solutions.
As each decade goes by, the TRNC has grown weaker and their reliance on Turkey
for resources has grown stronger.
IN CONCLUSION:
Greek Cypriot government, alongside Greek Cypriot lobbying groups,
continue to push the narrative that North Cyprus is simply being occupied by
Turkey. However, they continue to implement harsh and inhumane embargoes on the
Turkish Cypriot people and they continue to reject every Cyprus solution that
is presented to them. By maintaining the embargoes, maintaining the status quo
in Cyprus, TRNC’s reliance on Turkey will continue to grow. Greek Cypriots
should remove all embargoes placed on the TRNC and allow the country to develop
as an independent state. They should accept a two-state solution in Cyprus and
full recognize the TRNC to prevent further Turkish influence or Turkish
annexation. The days of negotiating a federal or unified Cyprus are now over
after 53 years. The Greek Cypriots must now act drastically if they wish to
stop Turkey’s growing influence in North Cyprus. Turkey thinks that only a
negotiated settlement based on dialogue and diplomacy can be sustainable. As
regards the way ahead, Turkey acts with a vision of working on new ideas and
settlement models and believes that no time should be wasted with open-ended
negotiations without a specific goal, based on vague documents, as in the past.
There are two people, two democracies and two states on the Island.
Negotiations towards settlement of the Cyprus issue and desired goal should be
built on this reality. With this understanding, Turkey considers that it is
time to negotiate two-state settlement. According to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Turkey; as long as the status quo on the Island continues, the
Turkish Cypriots continue to suffer a grave injustice. While Turkey pursues a
result-oriented approach in the Cyprus issue for a lasting and sustainable
settlement on the Island, she also pursues an active foreign policy with a view
to lifting the inhuman isolation imposed on Turkish Cypriots by the
international community. The punishment of the Turkish Cypriot side, that
adopts a constructive and result-oriented stance towards a settlement, while
rewarding the Greek Cypriot side, who rejects a settlement, is incompatible
with the concept of justice.
ECENAZ DEĞİRMENCİ
SİBUL
MUĞLA SITKI KOÇMAN ÜNİVERSİTESİ
SOURCES:
https://youngturkishcypriots.org
https://www.mfa.gov.tr/the-cyprus-issue-overview.en.mfa
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