Abstract
While concern for the resolution of the Cyprus problem has always been witnessed in the international arena, not all parties involved have necessarily been keen on helping to bring about a climate conducive to this effect. As a matter of fact, there exists a convincing argument1 that the internationalisation of the Cyprus problem has hindered rather than helped the settlement. It is well taken that the hesitancy of international parties in recognising the equality of the two communities on the island, and their reluctance to disown the Greek Cypriot government’s claim to be the sole representative of political sovereignty, are major obstacles to finding a realistic and lasting peaceful settlement, be that “a loosely centralised federal arrangement”2 or a confederation,3 or unintentionally, an ultimate partition. There is, however, a new phenomenon in the air, that time is running short. What is meant by ‘time’ is indexed to the accelerating European enlargement process and Turkey’s by no means yet certain full placement in it. The European Union’s extension to the Eastern Mediterranean has already stirred deep waters and is bound to have further seismic effects in a region noted for its international problems and high security risks. Against this background, some segments of public opinion pave the way dangerously towards seeing the Cyprus issue as a mere bargaining chip in determining the course of Turkey’s accession negotiations with the European Union. The major problem with this viewpoint is that it is myopically conjunctural, that is, obsessed with the immediate present, and thereby loses sight of the more structural, that is, long-term aspects of the issue in question. Just as one may win the battle and yet lose the war, as the saying goes, one may also do what seems to be the best from the perspective of the conjuncture, and yet pay a heavy price for it once history moves out of that particular conjuncture and we are once more faced with the long-term structural realities. The purpose here is to put back into the picture the long-term, structural characteristics of Cyprus within the Eastern Mediterranean matrix, and thereby to derive some policy implications for Turkey as well as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal Section | Articles |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | December 1, 2002 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2002 Volume: 7 Issue: 4 |