Window of opportunity has been missed

Sir,
The collapse of the EU project will have profound consequences for Cyprus. Turkey’s ruling AK party has very cleverly used the EU accession process to modernise the country’s… economy, legal system, relations with the military, etc. As full EU membership is not a possibility for Turkey it must be understood that the country is well prepared for life outside. The ruling AK party knows this and realistic concessions on Cyprus are hard to imagine.

Despite all efforts by the south, the economy in the north has improved dramatically over the past six months. The recent visit by US congressmen to the north and the south’s hopeless attempt at stopping it only underlines further this progress. Inevitably “real politics” will  prevail on Cyprus.

Continued efforts by the south to prevent freedom of movement on the island to EU citizens only further underlines this futility. The recent arrest of EU citizens entering the south from the north by boat is more evidence – nothing infuriates the EU more than this kind of behaviour.

Obviously the window of opportunity for a solution to the Cyprus problem under EU auspices has now closed. Turkey always held the key to a solution and without full membership of the EU now possible there are no reasons to think otherwise. After all, not one Turkish soldier has left the island. Meanwhile the south focuses on  property development while Turkish settlers take an ever growing stake in the economy of north Cyprus.

Regrettably the status quo on Cyprus remains and seems set fair for the foreseeable future.

Michael Blunden, Kings Langley, UK

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.