Cyprus and EU accession

Since 1974 the island of Cyprus has been divided into the Greek Republic of Cyprus, and what in 1983 was declared the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognised only by Turkey. On May 1st 2004 the Republic of Cyprus will become a member of the EU, and one of the largest remaining question marks over the next enlargement is whether the whole island can join. Though the Turkish Cypriot leader, Denktash, rejected the latest UN proposal for settlement of the Cyprus issue, demonstrations and opinion polls in Northern Cyprus suggest that the population is strongly in favour of a settlement and EU membership. In April 23 2003 the border between the two parts of the island was opened leading to visits between the two communities on a massive scale. In December elections are due in the North and the leader of the main opposition party has pledged to work for EU accession. The aim here is to show how tighter links of the EU with Cyprus and Turkey, improved relations between Greece and Turkey, and the recent contacts between the two communities have created a “window of opportunity” for agreement.