Cyprus: Matters of Recognition - Part 2

The Cyprus issue is certainly one of the most controversial of all issues arising from the act of recognition and is also a perfect example of how this process can generate international complications.

The origins of this controversy, which in the course of time has shifted from a violent to a more diplomatic pattern, lay in the historical conflict between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots inhabitants of the island of Cyprus.

Since the founding of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960, these two 'communities' have always preserved two different identities, especially in terms of territory, and the power-sharing agreement between the two collapsed as a result of a governmental failure. As a matter of fact, in 1974, a large-scale conflict began: at first, the Greek government established its own government on the island, which called for the union of Cyprus with Greece, while on the other hand Turkey perceived this action as a threat against the Turkish Cypriots and intervened militarily several times as a supporting power and as a form of 'protection'. Eventually, the Turkish army managed to take control of 36% of the island (in the north) through the use of violence and with the intention of dispersing the Greek Cypriots.

Almost ten years later, Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktaş declared the independence of the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' (TRNC), but a UN Security Council resolution labelled this declaration of independence illegitimate denying international consensus to the would-be new state. Only Turkey, generally considered to be the occupying power, recognised the TRNC. Since then, the situation has remained ambiguous and, despite the UN's efforts to reach an agreement that could make Cyprus a state with a 'single sovereignty and international personality [...] composed of two politically equal communities', no solution has yet been found: the Cyprus conflict is for this reason one of the longest-running UN missions in history.

Put simply, this conflict has led to a clear political division: the Greek Cypriot side is internationally considered as the 'guardian' of the Republic of Cyprus, while the Turkish Cypriots have been left in a more uncertain and undefined position.

As can be easily assumed, the Cyprus issue is extremely complicated and has many aspects reflected in different contexts. For instance, from an international perspective, one of the most contentious issues is Cyprus's joining the European Union: since Cyprus joined the EU as a de facto divided island, its entire territory is European but EU law is suspended in the northern area, where the Cypriot government does not exercise effective power.

Further issues may arise in relation to another specific EU policy. Usually, countries, before joining the EU, must end and resolve any disputes in order to fulfil all requirements for membership but in the case of Cyprus, this policy was not applied in the belief that accession negotiations would facilitate the island's reconciliation. Moreover, as a result of the Turkish/Greek Cypriot conflict, Turkey's accession negotiations with the EU were partly suspended because European assumptions based on territorial sovereignty, independence, integrity and unity were no longer respected in relation to the Cyprus issue.

This division also causes many problems in terms of economic and diplomatic relations and interactions as the northern part of Cyprus remains an illegitimate state. This means that it cannot interact with other members of the international scene with the exception of Turkey, which, being the only country to have recognised it, is also the one that has the most interaction with the TRNC in terms of international relations.

Reaching a comprehensive solution is still very difficult, in fact 'negotiations are deadlocked over security issues' and 'power sharing [...] leaving both sides in a state of insecurity and uncertainty', however, the recent improvement in relations between Greece and Turkey bodes well along with Turkey's application for EU membership which should provide an incentive for a final resolution of the conflict.

Translated by Flora Stanziola

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Sources:

• “The Situation in Cyprus”, United Nations Digital LIbrary, April 10, 1992, https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/141154/files/S_RES_750%281992%29-EN.pdf
• DE WAAL, T. (2018). UNCERTAIN GROUND: Engaging With Europe’s De Facto States and Breakaway Territories (pp. 49-60, Rep.). Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved June 4, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep26907.9
• Diez, Thomas (Ed.) The European Union and the Cyprus Conflict: Modern Conflict, Postmodern Union. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 2002.