The Cyprus Issue (Overview)

The root cause of the Cyprus issue is the Greek Cypriots’ consistent refusal to treat the Turkish Cypriots, the co-owners of the Island, as equal partners on the basis of political equality. The Greek Cypriots do not want to share political power and wealth, including the Island’s natural resources, with the Turkish Cypriots.

The Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960 as a partnership state between the two peoples of the Island, through international treaties concluded between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, as well as the Guarantor Powers Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom.

This state of affairs has ceased to exist as such after the constitution of the 1960 partnership state was unilaterally destroyed, alongside its legitimacy, in 1963 by the Greek Cypriot side, through use of force and the ousting of Turkish Cypriots from partnership state organs and institutions as well as from their homes, in blatant disregard of all human rights norms. Since December 1963, when the division of the Island actually began, there has not been a joint authority or administration which is in law or in fact entitled to represent jointly the two peoples of Cyprus, namely the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots, and consequently Cyprus as a whole.

Matters went from bad to worse when a coup d’état carried out by the Greek junta in 1974 took place, aiming at annexing the Island to Greece. Consequently, Türkiye was left with no other option but to intervene in line with its rights and obligations stemming from the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee. Since then, Turkish forces have been the only factor preventing the repetition of earlier tragedies perpetrated on the Turkish Cypriots. Thus, the only occupation on the Island is the ongoing occupation of the partnership state established in 1960 by the Greek Cypriots.

The Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye support a just, lasting, sustainable and mutually acceptable settlement on the Island based on the realities on the ground. These realities are simple and evident. There are two peoples and two states on the Island of Cyprus. The Turkish Cypriots have had their own, fully functioning state since 1983, namely the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

After half a century of fruitless negotiations aiming towards a federal settlement, and in view of the fact that every single process has failed due to the Greek Cypriots’ intransigence, the Turkish Cypriots finally withdrew their support from the federal model (which had been proposed by them in the first place). They regard a two-state solution as the only viable settlement model, and the long history of the Cyprus negotiations validates their position.

For any new negotiation process to commence, therefore, the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, i.e. their sovereign equality and equal international status, should be reaffirmed. A minimal manifestation of these inherent rights would be the lifting of the unjust and inhumane isolation being imposed upon the Turkish Cypriot people for decades – by enabling direct flights, direct trade and direct contacts.

Following the reaffirmation of the Turkish Cypriots’ inherent rights, the two sides on the Island could start negotiating with equal status with the aim of reaching a settlement based on cooperation between their respective sovereign states. The recognition of the TRNC is thus vital to overcome the deadlock in the Cyprus issue. Such a settlement has the potential to contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in the Island of Cyprus as well as in the Eastern Mediterranean region as a whole.

The international community should therefore acknowledge the existence and the will of the Turkish Cypriot people, reflect on their views without prejudice and lift the unjust isolation imposed upon them, which would entail initiating direct flights and direct trade with the TRNC and initiating direct contacts with the Turkish Cypriot leadership.