Cyprus–Greece relations

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı was on front pages and TV screens last week with his continuing optimism. He was stressing that he believed it was still possible to resume the Cyprus talks and strike a deal by the end of April or May provided the Greek Cypriot side steps back from a law to mark the anniversary of the 1950 "enosis" (union with Greece) plebiscite.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was the destination on the fifth leg of the urban gatherings of daily Hürriyet and Turkish Travel Agencies Union (TÜRSAB), which have organized events regularly since last May. 

What is the number of settlers from mainland Turkey in the population of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)? Is the Turkish Cypriot community still the majority in their homeland, or has Northern Cyprus become flooded by settlers, making it a minority?

A Greek Cypriot decision to commemorate a plebiscite on union with Greece more than 60 years ago will have a negative impact on reunification talks on the Mediterranean island, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Wednesday.

Cyprus reunification talks were in disarray on Wednesday after reports the Turkish Cypriot side would not join this week's meeting because of the commemoration by Greek Cypriots of a plebiscite on union with Greece more than 60 years ago.

Resuming interrupted peace talks on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus is up to the Greek Cypriots, said the Turkish Cypriot leader, two days before a planned leaders' meeting. 

There is a proverb in Turkish, the direct translation of which might be "A bad development is sometimes better than a thousand words of good advice." The decision of the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives to commemorate the anniversary 1950 "enosis" (union with Greece) plebiscite at schools is one of those bad developments that could be described as "better now than tomorrow."

Even if Cyprus reunification talks went off track on Feb. 16 due to a Greek Cypriot parliament decision to commemorate "Enosis" in public schools, the Turkish Cypriot president said they support a bi-zonal and bi-community federal state and have never given up on the reunification talks. 

The United Nations, which has been the sole supporter of finding a peaceful solution to the more than 40-year-long conflict on Cyprus, is trying the revive the troublesome peace talks that came to a halt over a Greek Cypriot parliament decision to commemorate "Enosis" in public schools. 

A feud over Cyprus' troubled history on Thursday led to the abrupt halt of reunification talks between the ethnically split island's rival leaders, with confusion over who walked out on whom.

It's unclear what this means to the 21-month-long process that's made significant headway on a deal reunifying the small island as a federation.