The EU's role in the Cyprus conflict: A Turkish perspective

Abstract

This chapter analyses the limitation and potential role of the European Union (EU) in the Cyprus conflict from a Turkish (Turkey and Turkish Cypriot) perspective. The inclusion of the EU in the parameters of the United Nations (UN)-led Cyprus peace process was expected to contribute to long-lasting efforts of resolving the Cyprus problem. Rejection of the UN peace plan by the Greek Cypriots in 2004 and the accession of a divided Cyprus into the EU confounded these expectations. The experience of a Greek Cypriot-led Republic of Cyprus as an EU member state for over a decade has not produced a political solution to the conflict. Contrary to earlier expectations, some Turks argue that Cyprus’s accession to the EU without a solution, opened the way for considerations that partition could be an option for a lasting peace.