Tag: Northern Cyprus

Cyprus will not accept a bailout from international lenders if it involves privatisations and social welfare cuts, President Demetris Christofias said yesterday (3 October), with the indebted government that holds the rotating EU presidency set to propose alternative savings.

Hundreds of people from Northern Cyprus are expected today (27 June) to dress as ghosts to protest what they say is the indifference of the European Union to the division of their island and the hardships in the Turkish region.

The Cyprus EU presidency in the second half of 2012 will provide political leadership to the Union but “not in the traditional way”, officials say. Rather, it will be a “Brussels-based presidency”, with most of the country's officials operating from the European capital and focusing on EU affairs. Meanwhile, the island's long-standing reunification talks with Turkey will be dealt with on a separate track.

In recent months, many project Cyprus' upcoming EU presidency as a deadline (and catalyst) for the resolution of the Cyprus problem, the dispute between Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots over the fate of their island. But in reality, this is nothing but empty rhetoric and the EU remains powerless in resolving the dispute, writes George Kyris.

As UN-mediated talks on the reunification of Cyprus stagnate, representatives from both sides of the divided island accused each other of bad faith during separate visits to Brussels.

Egemen Bağış, Turkey's chief EU negotiator, sought yesterday (29 September) to unblock Ankara's accession bid by calling on European Union countries to call referenda on the country's EU membership. Turkey may also chose to consult its citizens, he said.

A row over cats has erupted between Cyprus and Turkey, adding a surprising new flavour to a long-standing stalemate between the communities of the divided island and its difficult relationship with Turkey, the divided EU country's biggest neighbour.

Ankara believes that stalled negotiations on Turkey's EU accession can be unblocked swiftly if the Cyprus talks make headway, the minister of European affairs and Turkey's chief EU negotiator, Egemen Bagiş, told EurActiv in an exclusive interview.

Cyprus said on 10 June it would press on with offshore oil exploration, despite strong objections from Turkey, and would open new fields for hydrocarbon research by early next year.

Turkish Cypriot hardliners swept to victory in parliamentary elections in northern Cyprus on Sunday (19 April). The result could hamper reunification talks with Greek Cypriots, which are essential for Turkey's EU membership ambitions.

The chances of finding a settlement to the Cyprus dispute have increased recently, argues writes Hugh Pope, project director of the International Crisis Group (ICG), in the autumn edition of Private View.

Talks held yesterday (13 October) between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders in the buffer zone of the divided island made good progress, with the two sides symbolically deciding to scrap annual military exercises that have frequently sparked tensions in the Aegean.

Turkey has a huge role to play in ensuring that the historic talks, launched earlier this month to reunite the divided island, are a success, Nicholas Emiliou, Cyprus’s chief diplomat to the EU, told EurActiv.

Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and the leader of the Turkish community Mehmet Ali Talat have made a significant breakthrough in negotiations aimed at reunifying the divided island, according to reports in international and local media.

After more than 30 years of division, Cypriot reunification hopes received a boost as Greek and Turkish leaders of the divided island agreed in their 21 March meeting to resume peace talks within three months.

Communist Party leader Dimitris Christofias won the crucial second round of presidential elections in Cyprus yesterday (24 February) and immediately reached out to the leader of the Turkish Cypriots in a bid to revive stalled talks to reunify the island.

The UN and EU should strongly encourage Greek and Turkish Cypriots to make "one more major effort" to reunify Cyprus in 2008, argues a new report from the International Crisis Group (ICG).

The blockage of political progress in Cyprus since 2004's rejected UN agreement aimed at reunifying the country only serves to freeze the island's unresolved status, argues Fred Halliday in a 28 August article for Open Democracy.

Commissioner Rehn has called for the lifting of trade restrictions on the Northern Cypriot community by the EU, while EP rapporteur Camiel Eurlings urged Turkey to recognise Cyprus.

Pro-EU candidate Mehmet Ali Talat has been elected president of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot community. He has vowed to reunite the island.

With the aim of facilitating the reunification of Cyprus, the Commission has proposed a 259 million euro package of aid and trade measures for the Turkish-held areas of the island.

Acknowledging the Turkish Cypriot 'yes' vote in the 24 April referendum, the EU is set to establish direct trade ties with the Northern part of Cyprus.

So the Greek Cypriots voted 75 per cent no, and the Turkish Cypriots 65 per cent yes in the referendum on the Annan Plan for re-unifying Cyprus. What next?

Greek Cypriot television has refused to carry interviews with Enlargement Commissioner Verheugen, thereby preventing him from explaining the UN peace plan to the population.