At first glance, understand the reasons for the sudden termination of the Cyprus negotiations difficult. This time the reason for the suspension lasted for 22 months of negotiations is not related to a disagreement of the parties concerning laid on the table of proposals on the establishment of “a United, Federal Cyprus”. The event that has led to the fact that the two leaders, Mustafa Akinci (Mustafa Akıncı) and Nicos Anastasiades (Nikos Anastasadis), up from the negotiating table, “the crisis associated with enosis (a movement for reunification with Greece in regions with a predominantly Greek-Christian population under the control of other States — approx. ed.)”, created by the Greek Cypriot side on an empty place.
In fact, the Cyprus issue is 60-70 years. The younger generation might not hear about the enosis. But those who watched this dispute from the very beginning, you know that enosis, which implies the accession of Cyprus to Greece, Cyprus, the Greeks adopted as their main goal, and started the fight in that direction.
Empty dream
In 1960-e years the former President, Archbishop Makarios (Makarios) in an interview, which I then had a chance to take him, said: “Enosis — something desirable but unrealizable”.
And in another interview with me, which took place after the military coup in Greece, he used this expression: “Enosis undesirable and impossible”…
In subsequent years, about enosis was not mentioned, and in the process of negotiations in different periods, in order to find a solution, this topic was not raised.
The explosion of this bomb now, many years later, at the stage when in dialogue and Akinci Anastasiadis, there has been some progress, caused great shock.
We should not be surprised that this bomb was detonated by the party ELAM, known for its fanatical nationalist ideology in the Greek part of the island. ELAM, which has only two of the 56 seats in the House of representatives of Greek Cyprus, the particular political maneuver, managed to push through a decision on the celebration of all Greek-Cypriot schools referendum on enosis, carried out in the 1950-ies.
It is noteworthy that the party Anastasiadis DIKO abstained in this vote. Moreover, the Greek Cypriot leader did not oppose this decision, in yesterday’s speech, he even noted that “the celebration of historical events” should be taken normal!
When talking about “merging”…
The Turkish side, of course, look differently at what is happening. Akinci, who participated in negotiations with truly good intentions and a compromise approach, in this situation, was forced to say that the dialogue with Anastasiades can not continue. So the negotiating process was interrupted.
This “break” or “end”? Of course, the UN is making efforts to overcome this crisis and to return to negotiations. Along with the fact that Anastasiadis looks prone to this, he is willing to accept a condition Akinci refusal associated with enosis solution.
Returns whether the parties to the negotiating table or the Turkish side will lose hope in the negotiations and will determine a new strategy is unknown to us.
But in conditions when applied so much effort to “reunify divided Cyprus”, the desire to again revive such a dead idea as “Union with Greece”, was a big mistake. Therefore, if the negotiations stop, the responsibility for this will lie with the Greek-Cypriot side.
