Turkey and the EU: question of Cyprus

The question of Cyprus is an international conflict that has occupied the agenda of the international community for decades. Turkey's membership negotiations with the European Union are significantly affected by the unsolved situation in Cyprus. This paper contends that the membership requirements set forth by the European Union with respect to the question of Cyprus are grounds for why Turkey should withdraw from its bid for European Union membership. Ethnic tensions rose on the island shortly after the British annexation of the island from Turkey, as gave the Greek Cypriots the opportunity to implement their long withstanding aim of uniting the island with mainland Greece. The tensions were settled in 1960, when a bi-communal republic was declared. The constitution on which the new republic was based rested on the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities. In 1963, when Greek Cypriot president Makarios proposed constitutional amendments that would reduce the status of the Turkish Cypriots to a minority, and was subsequently rejected by the Turkish Cypriots, the Turkish Cypriots were forced to vacate their governmental positions. This created a period of sporadic violence and crisis until 1974, when Turkey intervened. The Turkish military presence in northern Cyprus continues today, on the parliamentary permission granted by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared in 1983. This republic is only recognized by Turkey. Turkey should withdraw from European Union accession negotiations because the European Union's requirements with respect to Cyprus are illegal. This is due to the fact that Greek Cypriot membership of the European Union is illegal in itself Therefore, an illegal issue cannot be brought to the table for Ankara to accept. As the European Union granted membership to Athens and Nicosia, the impartiality of the European Union is compromised. Therefore, it is necessary for the question of Cyprus to be resolved under the United Nations framework, independent of Turkey's potential EU accession. This deadlock suggests that there will be crisis in the relations between Brussels and Ankara in late 2006. As Turkey's European Union negotiations will be postponed, the only way forward for the parties in Cyprus is to take unilateral steps as confidence building measures