The Times
“The overwhelming rejection by Greek Cypriots of the United Nations plan to reunify their island is a disaster. The chance of overcoming the division of the past 30 years has been lost, possibly for decades. A colossal amount of diplomatic effort has been wasted, international goodwill squandered and regional tensions exacerbated. Cyprus will enter the European Union in a week’s time on a sour note, its presence resented by those who do not want to import the island’s squabbles. Greek Cypriots, who for a generation had fought against the stonewalling of Rauf Denktas, the intransigent Turkish Cypriot leader, have handed him victory on a plate. Some of their complaints are justified… but their vote is woefully short-sighted. It has been brought about by accumulated resentments. An all-or-nothing mentality meant that any deal acceptable to Turkish Cypriots was automatically seen as prejudicial to Greek Cypriots. An irresponsible leadership in the south preferred to pander to popular emotion rather than counsel patience. And foolish prattling about the chance to renegotiate the deal, haggling with the UN like used car dealers, blinded the Greeks to the dangers of rejection. There will be no renegotiation soon.”
The Independent
“AS THE European Union prepares to welcome 10 new members on Saturday, there will be no challengers to Tassos Papadopoulos, the Greek Cypriot President, as Mr Unpopular. World leaders from Tony Blair and George Bush to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan have failed to budge Mr Papadopoulos one inch. Since 1998, when Cyprus began accession talks to the EU, there was a quid pro quo agreement with the Greek Cypriot government. The wealthier south would be welcomed if it signed up to the first “reasonable and internationally accepted” solution to the 30-year division of the island. Someone forgot to tell Mr Papadopoulos. In the 1950s, Mr Papadopoulos was an EOKA militant, waging a war of terror to secure independence from Britain. When independent Cyprus needed a new constitution they drafted him in, at 24, to help write it, appointing him interior minister.”
The Daily Telegraph
“The rejection by Greek Cypriots of the UN reunification plan was disappointing, mean-minded and wholly predictable. The moment the EU decided it would accept a unilateral application from Southern Cyprus, rather than insisting on an internal solution as a precondition for admission, it took away any incentive from the Greek side to compromise. From that day, the Greek Cypriot administration has lost all interest in reaching terms. In the circumstances, it is odd that the EU should complain of betrayal.
Greek Cypriots made the entirely rational calculation that they had nothing to lose by voting ‘no’. Logically, the EU should react to the vote by bringing Northern Cyprus back into the comity of nations, ending the trade embargo, restoring air links and offering de facto recognition. In practice, though, none of this is likely to happen as long as Greece can wield its veto. That, of course, has been the problem all along.”
The Irish Times
There has been widespread international criticism of the Greek Cypriot decision to reject United Nations proposals on reunifying the country in Saturday’s referendum – and rightly so. There will be resistance to reopening negotiations on terms favourable to the Greek Cypriots and a widespread readiness to relieve political and economic isolation of the Turkish north. Among the responses being canvassed are a change in the so-called line regulation which determines the status of the island’s division in international law. If it is replaced by a law which recognises the line as an external EU border it would be possible to ease trade embargoes on the Turkish Cypriots.”
The Herald (Scotland)
“The Greek Cypriot rejection of the UN plan to reunite the island is a reminder that no matter how bright a future is claimed for ‘new Europe’, old enmities are not easily erased. In this case, however, it is the rejectionists who will reap the rewards. As arranged, only the Greek Cypriot part of the island will join the EU on May 1. The welcome is unlikely to be warm. The new member will have a lot of explaining to do.”
Jerusalem Post
“The overwhelming rejection of the Annan Plan by the Greek Cypriot voters should not come as a surprise. The failure has wider ramifications. It means that well-intentioned plans for conflict resolution cannot be worked out by outside powers and rammed down the throat of recalcitrant parties, whether in Cyprus or Bosnia, Kosovo or Kashmir, or in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As for the Greek Cypriots, they should be careful not to translate their decision into triumphalism. Specifically, they should not view their successful accession to the EU as a licence for trying to bar negotiations with Turkey about future membership.”
