If you have been following the news recently, you'll know that Cyprus, which is one of the 10 states joining the EU on 1 May this year, has had a referendum about the reunification of the Greek South with the Turkish North. If Cypriots couldn't find a solution and rejected the UN's plan, then only Greek Cyprus (2/3 of the island) would be able to join the EU. 75% of the Greek Cypriots voted against reunification, while 66% of Turkish Cypriots voted in favour.
The problem with this situation is that Greek Cypriots are seen as blocking their Turkish compatriots (as only Turkey recognise the independence of the Northern state) from receiveing financial benefits and entering the free trade zone of the EU, eventhough Turkish Cypriots wanted to. In other words, the Greek part is being selfish and want to keep the development aid to themselves, which is why they are not doing any effort to achieve reunification.
In today's news, they say that EU officials have decided to release 260m Euro for Turkish Cyprus anyway and there are talks of freezing Greek Cyprus's membership to the EU until they have found a solution.
This case is very interesting as Northern Cyprus officially cannot join the EU without fusing its government with the Southern part, but the EU would not recognise it as an independent state anyway.
Source : BBC News : EU pledges aid for Turkish Cyprus
What I don't understand is what will be the international status of Turkish Cypriots. As the EU (and all the world except Turkey) consider Cyprus as a signle country, and since there are no borders between EU countries and all people are free to travel, live and work anywhere in the EU without visa or passport (since 1992), Cyprus's EU membership means that there couldn't possibly be a border between North and South, and that Northern Cypriots can de facto travel, live and work without visa or passport within the EU, as it is not recognised as another country by the EU. This is very confusing. Either they are "in" and there is no border (even with a separate government), or they are "out" and should be recognised as a separate state.
Your opinion ?
The problem with this situation is that Greek Cypriots are seen as blocking their Turkish compatriots (as only Turkey recognise the independence of the Northern state) from receiveing financial benefits and entering the free trade zone of the EU, eventhough Turkish Cypriots wanted to. In other words, the Greek part is being selfish and want to keep the development aid to themselves, which is why they are not doing any effort to achieve reunification.
In today's news, they say that EU officials have decided to release 260m Euro for Turkish Cyprus anyway and there are talks of freezing Greek Cyprus's membership to the EU until they have found a solution.
This case is very interesting as Northern Cyprus officially cannot join the EU without fusing its government with the Southern part, but the EU would not recognise it as an independent state anyway.
Mr Verheugen said the EU would work with the Turkish Cypriot authorities to boost the economy but this did not mean that the north would be recognised as a separate state.
"I strongly reject the idea that co-operation is recognition in the sense of international law," he said.
Source : BBC News : EU pledges aid for Turkish Cyprus
What I don't understand is what will be the international status of Turkish Cypriots. As the EU (and all the world except Turkey) consider Cyprus as a signle country, and since there are no borders between EU countries and all people are free to travel, live and work anywhere in the EU without visa or passport (since 1992), Cyprus's EU membership means that there couldn't possibly be a border between North and South, and that Northern Cypriots can de facto travel, live and work without visa or passport within the EU, as it is not recognised as another country by the EU. This is very confusing. Either they are "in" and there is no border (even with a separate government), or they are "out" and should be recognised as a separate state.
Your opinion ?