The Cyprus Question
Cyprus is a beautiful holiday island and one of the most popular destinations in the Mediterranean.
Sadly, the island has now been divided on ethnic lines for 34 years. It was in 1974 that Turkey invaded and occupied the northern third of this former British colony. The Greek Republic of Cyprus in the south is the internationally recognised state and a member of the European Union; the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey. Nicosia is the last divided capital city in the world.
Of the 2.4 million tourists a year, most travel to the south. Because the north is not internationally recognised, flights there have to be through Turkey.
Many attempts at reunification have been made over the years, but a recent visit by a top UN official has held out the prospect of real progress. It was announced last week that the leaders of the two sides would meet on July 1st to try to push forward the peace process.
Experts from both sides have been discussing a range of reunification issues from power-sharing to complex property disputes (many Greek Cypriots say they lost their homes when they were driven out by the 1974 invasion).
There has been agreement on some measures, but it’s agreed that much still needs to be thrashed out.
by Andy Moreton
