THE CYPRUS ISSUE: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

References (2)

1. 1 The Eastern Question, as the Great Powers called it, was the nineteenth century concern for the fate of the Ottoman Empire. The Great Powers directly interested in the fate of the Ottoman Empire were Great Britain, France, Russia and Austria. Until 1878, Great Britain had pursued the policy of maintaining the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire. However, after the Crimean War of 1853-56, having realised the decline and the weakness of the Ottomans, England changed her traditional Ottoman policy radically, thereafter favouring partition of the Empire. The first step of this new policy was the occupation of Cyprus. 2 Between 1571-1878, the inhabitants of the island were Orthodox Christians. The Orthodox Greek Church had rights and powers over the Greek Cypriot people during Ottoman rule and the Church gradually increased its economic and social power on the island. 3 Pierre Oberling, The Road to Bellapais, New York, Columbia University Press, 1982, p.133. 4 On 31 August 1998, President Denktaş declared his confederation proposal for the solution of the Cyprus question. The US regarded this proposal as “considerable” but the Greek Cypriot administration immediately rejected it. 5 Michael Stephen, “Commentary on ‘Reconciliation in Cyprus: The Window of Opportunity,’ by Lord Wallace (January 2002)”, Mediterranean Programme Report, p.3. 6 M. Ergün Olgun, ‘Cyprus: Settlement and Membership’, Europe-Turkey Foundation and Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation, Conference-Debate, 3 June 2002, pp. 3, 14 and 15. 7 The Greek Cypriots enforce a cruel embargo upon Turkish Cypriot trade and communications. This embargo has forced some Turkish Cypriots to emigrate and reinforces distrust and enmity between the two peoples. 8 Nanette Neuwahl, ‘The European Union and Cyprus’, Perceptions, SeptemberNovember 2001,
2. Volume VI, Number 3, p. 89.