By Nicola Smith - 24th April 2004
A UN plan to reunify the divided island of Cyprus collapsed on Saturday when Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly voted 'no'.
Although Turkish Cypriots heavily backed the plan, the result means that only the Greek Cypriot south of the island will join the EU on May 1 when the Union expands to 25 members.
On a turnout of between 88 and 91 per cent, 76 per cent of Greek Cypriots threw out the plan, with only 24 per cent in favour of taking the chance to end the 30 year division of the island.
In the Turkish Cypriot north, 64.9 per cent of the people voted yes to the plan and 35.1 per cent no.
Irish leader, and current head of the Irish EU presidency, Bertie Ahern expressed Europe's “regret” at the result.
European foreign ministers will address the consequences of the no vote at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.
The European Commission said in a statement that “a unique opportunity to bring about a solution to the long-lasting Cyprus issue has been missed.”
Warmly congratulating the Turkish Cypriots, it said it was “ready to consider ways of further promoting economic development of the northern part of Cyprus.”
Washington, a strong advocate of Cypriot unity, said it was “disappointed” by the Greek Cypriot vote, describing it as a “setback.”
Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos, who had campaigned fiercely for a no vote, said the plan’s collapse did not mean Greek Cypriots were “turning their backs” on Turkish Cypriots.
“They have simply rejected this particular solution for many reasons, but mainly because they did not believe that this solution provides the necessary safeguards for its full implementation,” he said, reported by AP.
“The only real beneficiary of this plan would have been Turkey.”
The plan set out a federation of two politically equal Greek and Turkish states under a weak central government.
The Turkish area would have been reduced from 37 per cent to 29 per cent, with entire villages being uprooted to make way for the original Greek Cypriot owners to return.
The 40,000 Turkish and 6000 Greek troops currently stationed on the island were set to be gradually reduced to 6000 by 2011 and 1600 by 2018.
During the campaign the Greek Cypriots protested restrictions on how many people would be permitted to return to the north and the level of troops allowed to remain.
Far from despairing at Saturday’s result, Turkish Cypriot leaders seized the chance to appeal to the international community to lift economic sanctions imposed when Turkish forces occupied the northern territory of the island.
“Many people voted yes not because they liked the plan, but out of frustration with the international isolation,” Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, who also campaigned against the plan, said after the vote.
“It is time now for the world to allow us to trade and communicate as free people and to help us to repair our economy,” Denktash said, according to AFP.
The European Commission will lay out its views on an economic assistance plan at Monday’s foreign ministers meeting.
“It is absolutely out of the question to leave the Turkish community out in the cold. There will be a number of measures to get it out of economic isolation,” said an EU official.
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