An Evaluation of the Impact of the Cyprus Issue on Turkey-EU Relations

Abstract

Turkey has shown great interest in the EU since its creation. However, Turkey’s EU accession has become a long and challenging journey. In this journey, various problems and crises have tested the Turkey-EU relationship. The Cyprus Issue is one of them. This study focuses on the impact of the Cyprus Issue on Turkey’s EU accession. The study seeks to answer the research question by using primary and secondary sources, including articles, reports, and written and oral statements of government officials. This study pursues an answer to a question: to what extent is the Cyprus issue significant to Turkey’s accession negotiations with the EU? The study’s main conclusion is that the Cyprus Issue is a significant obstacle to Turkey’s EU accession. There are three main supporting reasons for this conclusion. Firstly, the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC) (the Republic of Cyprus) and Greece have used the Cyprus Issue as leverage, especially after the EU membership of GCASC in 2004, in the EU accession process of Turkey. Secondly, the EU has not adopted an objective position, although the EU has sometimes tried to find a balance position regarding the desires and demands of Turkey and GCASC-Greece. Finally, in addition to the existing problems in the Cyprus Issue, recent developments like the Eastern Mediterranean Crisis have made the Cyprus Issue a significant factor in the EU accession journey of Turkey.

Keywords

• Turkey
• European Union
• Cyprus Issue

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