Besides numerous comparisons with Kosovo, current situation in Crimea is compared and with the situation in northern Cyprus.
International community currently doesn’t wish to recognize the change of the border, thus Russia, as in case of Turkey in Cyprus, is the only country which verified the separation. Since similarities don’t stop there, our crew visited Cyprus in order to witness how current events reflect at one of the longest frozen conflicts of the last century.
Four decades later, the buffer zone, which divides Greek and Turkish part, is still there to prevent conflicts. However, out of the buffer zone, the time has done its work. Mehmet Harmanđi. is at the helm of the Social-Democratic Party and witnesses events which would be unimaginable to many, untill recently. Cyprus Turks and Greeks are discussing the unification a great deal.
“Due to Crimea all European and world powers want stability in this region, particularly due to the ongoing researches of oil and gas reserves. They are making pressure with regards to unification, what is also considered by us, in my opinion, as the solution of the problem. We can aspire to unification, and not division, since this island is too small for two states,” said Harmanđi.
He pointed out that each case has its character and that it depends on the relations of international powers and their interests. On the other hand, for a Canadian, Michel Bonnardeux, who came to Cyprus to work as the UN mission spokesperson, parallels don’t exist.
“It seems to me that it is about two different cases, because I believe that Crimea is annexed, what was not the case here. Turkey didn’t annex the northern part of Cyprus. It has its statehood and its institutions, even though they are not recognized anywhere in the world. The issue of ethnic composition is also important here,” said Bonnardeux.
And while all efforts are focused toward the negotiation table, north is still in the political and economic isolation. It still depends on Turkey today, without which it wouldn’t survive. It covers one-third of island’s territory, while GDP is smaller than the one in southern, Greek part.
Hence, once fierce rivals they reduced differences which existed between them. However, the main ones are still in place. Thus, there is still a border today which divides Cyprus, whereas removing borders and unification could be accelerated with the discovery of gas reserves under the sea.
The discovery has brought Turks and Greeks around the table, along with Americans and Brits. Thus, a story about long-term conflicts and disputes could be settled by putting all of the differences aside, and by focusing on interests what would mean a lot to both, development of the region and better life of common citizens.
