Key Actor Interests - 13
Key Actor Interests Greek Cypriots
T
he official Greek Cypriot position is reunification of the island through BBF that features a strong central government and the legal and territorial integrity of the island.44 The RoC and the Greek Cypriot community support a resolution that would provide for a single state and government for the entire island of Cyprus. The majority of the population opposes the current status quo. The Greek Cypriots primarily trust the RoC government to facilitate a fair peace agreement. They strongly distrust the United Kingdom and the Turkish Government as peace brokers.45
The BBF approach faces three significant challenges: apprehension over power-sharing agreements, concerns that political equality for Turkish Cypriots would hinder governance, and a fear of secession by Turkish Cypriots supported by Turkey. These challenges were demonstrated in the Annan Plan, which proposed a BBF structure with a parliamentary system and a presidential cross-voting arrangement. The proposed Senate structure allowed Turkish Cypriots veto power, which Greek Cypriots feared would impede joint decision-making. Greek Cypriots also feared that a strong central government would make Turkish Cypriots more politically powerful, eventually facilitating Turkish-backed de facto division of the island.46 The discovery of natural gas off the Cypriot coast has complicated negotiations for a peace settlement. The RoC rejects Turkish and Turkish Cypriot access to what Nicosia and the international community view as the sovereign natural resources of the RoC. Turkey’s commitment to protecting the interests of Turkish settlers in northern Cyprus creates an additional challenge for
Greek Cypriots. Nicosia worries that Turkish Cypriot fears about security are exaggerated to form the basis for eventual Turkish intervention. Indeed, the 2017 UN attempt to abolish the Turkish and Greek unilateral security guarantees failed definitively. Going forward, Greek Cypriots have acknowledged that the process of withdrawing Turkish troops, albeit incomplete, could be a starting point for a peace settlement.47
Turkish Cypriots The self-proclaimed TRNC is a territory in northern Cyprus recognized only by Turkey. Turkey offers the Turkish Cypriot minority military protection through a decades-long deployment of Turkish troops. Turkish Cypriots have long viewed Turkish soldiers on the island as their only protection against cultural and even physical extinction. Furthermore, the Turkish Cypriots are perpetually reliant on Turkey to sustain their economy given international embargoes against their ports. Ankara maintains substantial political, economic and territorial influence over the Turkish Cypriots. The self-proclaimed TRNC supports a resolution that would provide for two separate and internationally recognized states. They would strongly oppose a resolution that would provide for a single state and central government for all of Cyprus in any form that compromises political equality of Turkish Cypriots. Turkish Cypriots primarily trust the Turkish Government, given their political and economic dependence on Turkey, and their self-proclaimed TRNC leadership to reach a fair peace deal representing their interests. They strongly mistrust the Greek Government and RoC leadership in the peace process.48 The increased presence of Turkish settlers
