The European Union and the Cyprus Problem 1961–2003

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In a historic moment, the Republic of Cyprus - as represented only by the Greek Cypriots - signed its Accession Treaty with the European Union on 16 April 2003 to become a full member of the EU on 1 May 2004. This is a major turning point in the history of the Cyprus conflict in terms of its implications for the Cyprus question, that is, the division of the island since 1974. The Cyprus case deserves both scholarly attention and the focus of policy makers because it has the potential to destabilize the south-east Mediterranean, worsen the not so bright relations between Turkey and the EU and bring in the USA as a broker between the Turks, the Greeks, and the Europeans, all with serious potential to threaten stability in the NATO Alliance. As for the EU, it faces the enormous task of incorporating Cyprus as a full member. Two factors further complicate the Cyprus problem in the EU context - first its direct links with a candidate country - Turkey1 and second, its involvement in the vital interests of an EU member, Greece. There is now a vast amount of literature on the role and the impact of the EU on Cyprus, in which a number of scholars have argued that the EU and its enlargement process have become the most important factors in effecting a settlement over the island.2 One could also argue that major factors accounting for the division in the island were the Cold War politics and British interests in the island3 and that since the Cold War is over, the raison d'etre for the island's division is also over, thus there is increased international pressure for unification of the island. This is because during the Cold War, Cyprus played an important role in Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean balances of power. In addition, there are also studies on the EU's mediating role in Cyprus that explore the EU's external capabilities and enlargement as a conflict resolution tool.4 This article analyses the European Union and the Cyprus conflict from a historical perspective and claims that the EU was involved in the conflict through the following mechanisms: first, the Association Agreement signed with Cyprus in 1973, second the leverage of its two members the United Kingdom and Greece, and third, trade and financial aid packages and finally Cyprus's membership of the EU. The EC involvement in Cyprus dates back to 1962 when Greece and Turkey became Associate members of the EC and when Britain applied for membership. There was a change in the nature of its involvement when the United Kingdom became a member in 1973 and when Greece became a member in 1981. These two member states had vested interests in the island. The United Kingdom has been an important player in the Cyprus conflict as the colonial master of Cyprus, and since

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: