GREEK Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have little faith that there will be a Cyprus solution any time soon, a new survey released yesterday showed.
Some 68 per cent of Greek Cypriots and 65 per cent of Turkish Cypriots expressed a strong desire for a solution while 14 per cent of Greek Cypriots and 21 per cent of Turkish Cypriots expressed a low desire for a solution, and 17 per cent and 13 per cent respectively were ambivelant, said the September survey carried out on behalf of Interpeace, an international peace building organisation. The report is titled ‘Cyprus 2015: Research and Dialogue for a Sustainable Future’.
However 65 per cent of Turkish Cypriots don’t believe a solution is likely, while Greek Cypriots were divided almost 50:50
According to the results, people on both sides generally expect the two leaders to be setting benchmarks in order to achieve a mutually agreed settlement, and said they should be meeting as frequently as possible.
Disappointment over the fact that the peace process has been going on endlessly, has caused 55 per cent of Turkish Cypriots and 34 per cent of Greek Cypriots to not want a settlement.
If the end of the year is reached without significant progress, 58 per cent of Turkish Cypriots say moves to recognise the ‘TRNC’ should begin, their ‘isolation’ should be lifted, and the direct trade regulation implemented.
Over half of Turkish Cypriots also said the basis of the talks could be changed to negotiate partition through a territory/property for recognition deal, if a solution is not reached. Only 11 per cent of Greek Cypriots agreed. .
A consensual negotiated separation, which includes a property and territory settlement, and with both states as members of the EU would be acceptable or tolerable to 42 per cent of Greek Cypriots and 80 per cent of Turkish Cypriots.
If this was not on the cards, then most people in both communities would agree to declaring a temporary dead-end and assign responsibility for the talks’ failure the UN prepared recommendations for a new round.
The motivation for 95 per cent of Greek Cypriots for wanting a solution is to reduce the risk of armed conflict in the future. Only 49 per cent of Turkish Cypriots felt this way, although it was also their biggest motivation.
The majority in both communities also agreed that creating new businesses and jobs was in important motivator. The two communities may have agreed on security and economic benefits of a solution but huge gaps appeared in other areas.
While 99 per cent of Greek Cypriots said it was important that all refugees returned to their homes, only 57 per cent of Turkish Cypriots agreed. Also only 47 per cent of Greek Cypriots thought a solution was important to allow Turkish Cypriots to enjoy the benefits of being EU citizens, although 73 per cent of Greek Cypriots said a solution was important for putting relations with Turkey on a healthy footing.
The vast majority on both sides believe the other side would never accept the actual compromises and concessions needed for a fair and viable settlement, nor would they honour the agreement.
Over 50 per cent in each community also said they do not want to be governed under a power-sharing agreement, and think a solution might lead to a dysfunctional system of administration.
When it came to other reasons for not wanting a solution more Turkish Cypriots than Greek Cypriots think they might end up inheriting social problems, such as crime or corruption, from the other community, and the majority on both sides fear that conditions for renewed violence might be created. Only one third on each side believes they could lose their cultural or religious traditions however.
Like many previous surveys, Greek Cypriots – over 80 per cent – favour a unitary state over other alternatives. Federation is a distant second, but still acceptable to a majority. Similarly, close to the same number of Turkish Cypriots favour two separate states. A continuation of the status quo is seen as unacceptable by the majority of Greek Cypriots but seen as tolerable by Turkish Cypriots.
The survey was carried out by Symmetron Market Research for Greek Cypriots and KADEM Cyprus Social Research for Turkish Cypriots.
