Thread: Analysis: Cyrpus

Cyprus 'spurns historic chance'

Cyprus has missed an historic opportunity to resolve 30 years of division, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has said.
Mr Annan was reacting to the Greek Cypriots' overwhelming rejection of a UN plan to reunite the island; Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the move.

The island will remain "divided and militarised" as it joins the European Union on 1 May, Mr Annan said.

The EU has signalled that it will seek ways to end the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriot state.

There are many factors that played a role in the Cyprus conflict, however, the United Nations and European Union needs to understand, the Greek Cypriots did not divide Cyprus. The country responsible of the division in Cyprus is Turkey.

The Turkish military forcibly invaded, divided and has illegally occupied north Cyprus since 1974. Because of these events, the international embargoes placed on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus should not end until Turkey ends its illegal military occupation.

The plan crafted by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan envisaged a loose federal structure for the island.

Many Greek Cypriots refugees who fled the Turkish assault would have been allowed to return and recover some of the land they lost.

But the Greek side was unhappy that the plan limited their right to return, while allowing tens of thousands of Turkish settlers introduced since 1974 to remain.

The United Nation plan to unite Cyprus was unfair to Greek Cypriots, who are victims of Turkish aggression

In 1974 Turkey launched an illegal invasion upon Cyprus under false pretense. Before and during Cyprus independence, the Turkish government supported a terrorist organization in the country that systematically used tactics to provoke ethnic conflict to use as propaganda, so events could be used as an excuse to illegally invade, divide, ethnically cleanse and occupy the country.

Since then, large numbers of Turkish settlers who live in the occupied area of northern Cyprus are not the rightful inhabitants of the country. The Turkish government has illegally imported Turkish citizens to colonize the land.

Any future United Nations plan to unite Cyprus must include resolutions to end Turkish military occupation and to allow Greek Cypriots to get their properties back.