Despite the failures of 2004, both Greek and Turkish Cypriots look to the EU to help bring together their divided island • View all articles in our EU voices series The electoral victory of the moderate Mustafa Akıncı was celebrated by Turkish Cypriots carrying the flags of the EU last year. Some Greek Cypriots joined in celebrating the new president, and for a moment, the atmosphere was similar to the Turkish Cypriot rallies for peace and the European Union in 2004. That was a historic time, on the eve of Cyprus joining the EU. The spirit of peace had never been stronger, since the island was divided by Turkey’s intervention (some would say invasion) in 1974, following a coup on the island engineered by Greece. The prospect of EU membership for the Greek Cypriot-led Republic of Cyprus injected an exceptional momentum to the peace talks. As was expected, the Turkish Cypriot side, whose state the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus remains non-recognised and isolated, was attracted by the benefits of membership. If the UN talks succeeded, the island would reunite before EU accession and the benefits could be spread more equitably. The economic prospects were an important incentive, but the EU’s influence went beyond that. The island’s European ambitions galvanised Turkish Cypriot civil society and leftwing parties, who were initially Eurosceptic, to support EU membership as well as reunification. Continue reading...
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