CYPRUS – BRIDGE OR BUNKER? / The Cyprus Problem and prospects for its resolution

Abstract

The Cyprus Problem is one of the few disputes world-wide to have remained unaffected by the end of the Cold War. The island is the site of the longest-lasting United Nations peacekeeping operation. UN troops were first sent to the island in March 1964, on a six-monthly mandate, which has been renewed on the same basis ever since. Writing in 1994, Anthony Parsons concluded his thoughts on Cyprus with the suggestion that it would be better to allow the status quo of de facto division of the island to continue: At present it looks as though the status quo will persist without violence and loss of life on the island but with periodic incantations from the United Nations designed to encourage the parties and their champions to appease international concern by making concessions which neither wholeheartedly supports. Maybe it would be better to leave well enough alone, however diplomatically untidy it is.1 Unfortunately, new elements in the situation since Sir Anthony wrote the violence on the Green Line, leading to four deaths in the summer of 1996, and the Greek Cypriot order for Russian surface-to-air missiles , have made the problem appear more dangerous, and have caused the redoubling of efforts to find a solution.

References

1. Denktaş, Rauf (1996), ‘Urgent Need to Rethink Cyprus’, Perceptions. December, pp. 5-16.
2. Doğramacı, Emel, Haney, William and Konig, Guray (eds.) (1997), Proceedings of the First International Conference on Cypriot Studies, Famagusta: Eastern Mediterranean University Press, (Papers by Bağcı, Denktaş, Sonyel).
3. Gobbi, Hugo (1993), Rethinking Cyprus, Tel Aviv: Aurora.
4. Halkbilimi (Turkish Cypriot folklore magazine), various issues. Nicosia: Ortam Gazetesi Tesisleri.
5. Parsons, Anthony (1995), From the Cold War to Hot Peace: UN Interventions 1947-94, London: Michael Joseph.
6. Theophanous, Andreas (1996), The Political Economy of a Federal Cyprus, Nicosia: Inter college.
7. United Nations Security Council document S/26026, July 1993, Report of the Secretary-General on his Mission of Good Offices in Cyprus.
8. Xydis, Stephen (1967), Cyprus: Conflict and Conciliation, 1954-1958, Columbus: Ohio State University Press.

9. Parsons, Anthony (1995), From Cold War to Hot Peace: UN interventions 1947-94. London; Michael Joseph, 1995, chapter 13 (“Cyprus”). The quotation is from pp. 178-79. Anthony Parsons worked at the British Embassy in Turkey in the 1950s, and was later Britain’s Ambassador to the United Nations and Special Advisor on Foreign Policy to Margaret Thatcher.
10. To give just two recent examples: “We want ... a Cyprus of inter-communal partnership, a bridge of friendship between Turkey and Greece”, Rauf R. Denkta_, opening address at the First International Congress on Cypriot Studies, Famagusta, 20-23 November 1996, Proceedings p. 22; “Our conviction is that Cyprus ... should be developed into a bridge for cooperation between European and Middle Eastern countries”, Kyriacos Christofi, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, at a conference, 28 March 1997 (Cyprus News Agency report).
11. Possibly Turkey’s interest was more of a reaction to Greece’s widening of the question of the future of the island by referring the matter to the United Nations. Xydis, Stephen (1967); Cyprus: Conflict and Conciliation, 1954-1958, Columbus: Ohio State University Press; Bağcı, Hüseyin, ‘The situation during the Cold War’, First International Congress on Cypriot Studies, Proceedings, p. 88.
12. Interestingly, the effect of conflict between Greece and Turkey in other areas tends not to have a significant effect on the island. The Imia-Kardak incident in early 1996 brought the two motherlands to the brink of war over a group of uninhabited rocks, but there was no noticeable increase in tension in Cyprus.
13. These people were probably mainly descendants of the Venetians, with some Greeks and a few Armenians and Maronites. See Erdengiz, Ahmet (1993), ‘Kıbrıs Türklerinin Kökeni ve Tarihi Süreç İçerisinde Kıbrıs Türk Toplumunun Oluşumu’ (‘An Historical Perspective on the Origin of the Turkish Cypriot Community’), Halkbilimi, No. 29, p. 19.
14. Bağışkan, Tuncer (1990), ‘Kıbrıs’ta Yağmurla İlgili İnanç ve Uygulamalar’ (‘Praying for Rain: Beliefs and Practices’), Halkbilimi, No. 19-20, pp. 20-41. Further examples are given in Mr. Bağışkan’s article ‘Karşılaştırma Yöntemiyle Kıbrıslı Türk ve Rumlarda Ortak İnanç ve Uygulamalar’ (‘An Analysis of Common and Differing Beliefs and Practices of the Cypriot Turks and Greeks’), Halkbilimi, Nos. 11, 12, 13 (1988).
15. See Yıkıcı, Özkan (1996), ‘Bazı Müzik Ezgilerinin Varyantları Üzerine’ (‘On Themes and Variations’), Halkbilimi, No. 41-42, p. 28.
16. These foods originated in the Arab world. Kolakas arrived in Cyprus from Egypt in the tenth century. ‘Kolokas Üzerine Kısa Bir Not’ (‘A Short Note on Kolokas’), Halkbilimi, No. 41-42 (1996), p. 11.
17. Gökçeoğlu, Mustafa (1990), ‘Kıbrıs Türk Atasözü ve Deyimlerinin Bazı Nitelikleri ve Yapıları’ (‘Turkish Cypriot Proverbs and Idioms: Nature and Structure’), Halkbilimi, No. 19-20, p. 43.
18. Sonyel, Salahi ‘Historical Causes of the Cyprus Problem’, in Doğramacı, Emel (et. al.) (1997), p. 33.
19. This point is argued for in Theophanous, Andreas (1996). He contrasts what he calls “strong” and “weak” federation, showing that there is a trade-off between the power of the federated states and the expected economic gains of federation.
20. UN Security Council document S/26026, para. 2.
21. The difference between the two relevant documents concerned traffic rights for Turkish Cypriot airlines at Nicosia Airport; how many might use it, and how many might be able to fly directly to places other than Turkey.
22. Gobbi, Hugo (1993). Gobbi served in Cyprus in a diplomatic capacity from 1980 to 1983.
23. Denktaş, Rauf (1996), pp. 5-16.
24. The solution advocated by some extreme Greek Cypriot nationalists, the union of the whole island with Greece, is no longer a viable option. The annexation of the whole island by Turkey is also excluded for he same reason.
25. By ‘Confederation’ we mean a form of government with strong provincial powers: central government may exercise only those powers specifically delegated to it by the provinces, who retain sovereignty in all other areas. This differs from ‘federation’, where residual powers generally remain with the central government.