Efforts to Break Down Barriers in Cyprus

Following a meeting between the new Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and President Mehmet Ali Talat from Northern Cyprus last week (21 March), the decision was made to work towards a reunion of the island. Another meeting will take place in 3 months.

"Last divided city"

A first step will be the removal of the buffer zone in Nicosia, which the Guardian has called “the last divided city in Europe.”

A UN team has searched the area for land mines and unexploded ammunition, and has found it to be clear.

The next step will be to stabilize buildings in the area which are threatening to collapse, and to restore them.

Shared working groups

The two leaders have agreed to form common working groups and technical committees.

The working groups will work on government and power sharing, EU topics, security and guarantees, land, property and economic issues.

The technical committees will work on crime and crime-related issues, economic and trade issues, cultural heritage, crisis management, humane issues, health and the environment.

General's visit untimely 

On 26 March, Turkish Chief of General Staff Yasar Büyükanit visited Northern Cyprus. The visit is said to have been pre-scheduled and to be unrelated to the talks between the two presidents.

Büyükanit emphasized that Turkish soldiers would remain on the island “until a fair and lasting peace has been achieved.”

He met with President Talat, Northern Cypriot Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer, Parliament Speaker Fatma Ekenoglu and the Turkish ambassador Türkekul Kurttekin, as well as former President Rauf Denktas.

The spokesperson for the Southern Cypriot government, Stefanos Stefanu, described the general’s visit as unhelpful: “Our government condemns the visit and expresses its protest and sadness at this visit.”

Background

Cyprus has been divided since the Turkish military, responding to a short-lived, Athens-inspired coup to unite the island with Greece invaded in 1974. Thousands of Greek-Cypriot refugees fled south as Nato's second largest standing army seized the island's northern third. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was proclaimed in 1983. In April 2004 Greek-Cypriots voted to reject a UN reunification plan. Turkish Cypriots approved the plan but a month later Cyprus joined the EU.  (TK/GG/AG)

* This article has used information from the Kıbris and Yenidüzen and the Guardian newspapers.