Skylap Construction | North Cyprus | Brief Political Background

Brief Political Background

In 2004, once more, the efforts of the UN for re-uniting the divided island of Cyprus has failed, since the Turkish Cypriots voted in favour and the Greek Cypriots voted against at the referendum whether to accept UN reunification plan in last-minute bid to achieve united European Union(EU) entry.

The peace process was on hold for two years, until the UN arranged a meeting between Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat on 3 July 2006. They agreed to a series of further bilateral talks on technical issues - such as water management and environmental protection - and on substantive political issues that will be key to any solution.

But political disagreements appear to have prevented the talks getting under way.

The EU, on the other hand, agreed in 2004 to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community, and to encourage its economic development. Soon afterwards, the European Commission put forward draft regulations on opening Turkish Cypriot ports and airports to direct trade, and providing 250m euros (£168m) of aid.

Some aid is now on the way to the north of the island, but the Cypriot government has so far blocked the regulation on direct trade, arguing that this would be tantamount to recognising the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The Finnish EU presidency in the second half of 2006 attempted to unblock the stalemate by proposing putting the Turkish Cypriot-controlled port of Famagusta under UN administration, and allowing it to trade directly with the EU.

Turkey was also involved in these talks, and since the EU’s goal was to to encourage Turkey to honour a commitment to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot vessels. Turkey made this commitment in 2005, and the European Union regards it as an unconditional obligation. Turkey, on the other hand, wants the EU to honour its commitments to the Turkish Cypriots in return. It says the EU made a commitment to facilitate direct trade with the Turkish Cypriot community. Most EU member states and the European Commission take the same view.

According to the experts, if Turkey does not open its ports, then Turkish EU membership talks will stall, and prospects for reuniting Cyprus will recede into the distance.

Today, the UN secretary has changed from Kofi Annan to Ban Ki Moon, but the aim still remains the same: To find a peaceful resolution to the “Cyprus Problem.” He helds talks with the presidents of the both sides quite often but so far, nothing has been achieved.