Athens/Nicosia - The European Union's chief official for
enlargement urged rival leaders on the divided Mediterranean island
of Cyprus Friday to seize the unique chance for peace this year.
'There is a unique chance this year to reunite Cyprus and to bring
an end this long-standing conflict on European soil,' Olli Rehn, the
European Union commissioner for enlargement, told journalists.
Speaking within a buffer zone that divides Cyprus' capital,
Nicosia, Rehn said the EU was prepared to do everything possible to
carry out a solution, adding 'this chance must be taken and not
missed.'
'Once the leaders agree on a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus
issue, the EU will then accommodate the terms of a settlement,' said
Rehn.
The eastern Mediterranean island has been split since 1974 into a
Greek Cypriot south and Turkish Cypriot-controlled north. Turkey
invaded the northern third of Cyprus in response to a short-lived
coup initiated by the military junta then ruling Greece.
Ankara still maintains more than 35,000 troops in the northern
part of the island and refuses to normalize ties with the
internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, a member of the
European Union.
The two divided communities launched a new round of reunification
talks in September 2008. But negotiations, which have been held on a
weekly basis, have been slow.
The two sides have agreed, in principle, to a settlement based on
a federation. But the Turkish Cypriots want a loose federation, while
the Greek Cypriots want a stronger central government and more
limited regional powers, which they say will prevent the island from
once again falling back into partition.
There is disagreement on whether a federation of two zones would
be able to permit free movement between the zones. There are also
concerns that such an arrangement might lead to consolidation of the
ethnic majorities in the north and the south.
The ongoing conflict in Cyprus also threatens Turkey's aspirations
for joining the EU. Ankara started EU entry talks in 2005, but
Turkey's support for the Turkish Cypriots has proved one of the main
stumbling blocks in negotiations.
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