CIDOB Programmes - [05/08/2007]

The Cyprus impasse in the negotiations between the European Union and Turkey

Speaking in the Campana Hall the CIDOB, Stelios Stavridis, Head of the Euro-Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern Studies Unit at the Institute of International Economic Relations (IDOS) in Athens (Greece), claimed that the Cyprus problem is not the main issue for EU – Turkey negotiations, and that there are other bigger issues such as Turkey’s internal situation. Stavridis arrived at this conclusion after giving a brief historical summary of the conflict.

Stavridis was speaking at a debate workshop organised by the Europe and Mediterranean Programmes of the CIDOB Foundation, during which the researcher presented an article on the current situation in Cyprus and its effect on negotiations between the European Union and Turkey. This article is due to be published shortly in the form of Working Document No. 3 of the Europe Programme.

Stavridis also pointed out that since 2004, the general view in the Spanish press was that the rejection of the Annan Plan by the Greek Cypriot population was the main obstacle to a solution, though he added that such a view "forgets the massive and illegal presence of Turkish troops in the northern part of the island".

The author criticised the position of the EU, which, "instead of putting pressure on Turkey to withdraw its troops and to recognise the Republic of Cyprus (an EU member state), it has focused on technicalities such as the customs union and the conflict over ports and airports". Stavridis believes that "EU pressure on Turkey is diminishing, [and this is] a circumstance that affects the credibility of the EU's foreign policy actions".

During the course of the workshop, other subjects were discussed, including the way in which the task of finding a solution to the problem has been hampered by internal divisions in the heart of the EU, as well as by the conflicting interests of countries such as the United Kingdom (which has bases on the island), Germany, France and Italy.

The workshop also featured the participation of Andreas Kyriacou, Lecturer in Applied Economics at the University of Girona and the author of several studies on the Cyprus conflict. Kyriacou stressed that the situation on the island is gradually changing. "There is an increasing amount of mobility on both sides of the border, and this porosity is starting to change many people's views".

However, the Cypriot academic agreed with Stavridis that the Annan Plan represented a "poor offer" for the Greek Cypriot population, and that they had no other option but to reject it. Kyriacou claimed that if the plan had been approved, "a Spaniard would have had more rights in the north of the island than a Greek Cypriot".

The subsequent debate, which was based on the negotiations between Turkey and the EU, explored Turkey’s particular situation given the possibility of the country joining the European Union. One of the subjects under analysis in the debate was whether full membership represented the only option for Turkey, or whether the offer of a privileged association could also be considered. Another point under discussion was the various reasons that led Spain to support Turkey's candidacy, and the position of Spanish diplomacy with respect to the Cyprus question. Finally, an exchange of views took place on the role played by other actors such as Greece, Russia, the U.S. and the Orthodox Church.

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