Greek, Turkish Cypriots Reach Deal on Unifying Island
February 13, 2004
"We have achieved a resumption of talks under the auspices of the secretary-general," Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopoulos told Reuters.
The plan, pushed by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, calls for both sides of the island, divided since the Turkish invasion in 1974, to begin negotiating details of the unification on Feb. 19. Annan wanted both sides to reach a compromise before the Greek Cypriot side enters the European Union on May 1.
The UN Secretary General apparently gave both sides an ultimatum in the early morning hours Friday in New York City, telling them to either sign or reject his proposal.
Both sides say they still have a lot of work ahead of them.
"We expect long and tiring work ahead of us," Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal told reporters.
Working against the clock
The compromise came as time was running out to resolve the decades-old conflict, which began when Turkish troops invaded the north half of the island following a coup orchestrated by the Greek dictatorship in Athens.
The southern, Greek side of the island has enjoyed international recognition and flourished economically. The northern side is recognized only by Turkey and is populated mostly with Turkish soldiers. A buffer zone patrolled by UN soldiers separates the two sides.
Over the years, the deadlock has frustrated top diplomats from Europe and the United States. Most recently, Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash walked out of UN-backed talks a year ago.
But with the prospect of EU-entry in May, the current negotiations have taken on an added sense of urgency. If the two sides fail to reach a reunification agreement before May 1, then only the Greek Cypriot south will join the EU.
After tacitly supporting the Turkish Cypriot leader for years, Turkey is now urging Denktash to compromise, fearing failed talks could harm Turkey's chances of joining the EU down the road.
Annan pressures both sides into referendums
According to the UN plan, both sides will engage in intense talks guided by the UN until March 26th, at which time remaining differences will be left to Annan to resolve with the final plan submitted to both the Turkish and Greek Cypriots in separate referendums on April 21st.
According to the Reuters news agency, the negotiations partly stalled due to disagreements over the extent of EU involvement in the upcoming negotiations. The Greeks, it seems, would like EU experts from Brussels to participate, while the Turkish side is less enthusiastic about such a plan.