Cyprus reunification referendum, 2004
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Template:Politics of Cyprus Template:TRNC Politics The two sectors of the divided island of Cyprus held a referendum on reunification on 24 April 2004. Voters in the Greek Republic of Cyprus (whose claim to sovereignty over the entire island is almost universally acknowledged) and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (a breakaway state created following the Greek coup d'état and Turkish invasion of 1974 and recognised solely by Turkey) were asked to choose between ratifying or rejecting a United Nations proposal for reunification called the Annan Plan.
| Contents |
Results
| Voting sectors | Yes | No | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern sector | 64.90% | 35.09% | 87% |
| Southern sector | 24.17% | 75.83% | 88% |
The participation in the referendum of post-1974 Northern Cypriot settlers from mainland Turkey was disputed by many Greek Cypriots, but this was not deemed a matter of relevance to the referendum.
Since the Greek Cypriots did not approve the plan and implementation of the plan was dependent on its approval by both communities, the Annan Plan became null and void. That meant that, while officially the whole of Cyprus entered the European Union on 1 May 2004, the de facto EU border runs along the Green Line, dividing the country between the Greek Cypriot-ruled and Turkish Cypriot-ruled areas. EU law is currently not applied in the Turkish Cypriot-ruled north. Had the plan been ratified by both sides, Cyprus would have entered the EU as the United Cyprus Republic.
Reasons for rejection
The main reason for the 75 percent "no" vote among Greek Cypriots in the referendum was the general perception that the Annan Plan was unbalanced and excessively pro-Turkish, and that it would not safeguard Greek Cypriot rights in the north.
Political leaders in both Greek-ruled Cyprus and Greece also influenced the Greek Cypriot vote by strongly opposing the plan. Tassos Papadopoulos, president of the Republic of Cyprus, spoke out against the plan in an emotional speech broadcast live on television. Two days before the referendums, Cyprus's biggest party, AKEL, decided to reject the Annan Plan because of its perceived bias. Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis decided to maintain a "neutral" position over the plan, but the Greek opposition leader George Papandreou (of the PASOK party) urged Cypriots to vote in favour, also because the plan had been promoted by his political party while it was still on power and Mr. Papandreou himself was the foreign minister of Greece during the last PASOK term. Mr. Papandreou even stated that the plan was layed out during his term and that both parts were ready for "a final common agreement" before his party lost the elections. Mr. Papandreou's involvement in conceiving and negotating crucial points of the plan has been a source of controversy in Greece, at least during the referendum days.
Many Greek Cypriots opposed the plan as it meant endorsing a confederal state with a weak central government and considerable local autonomy, rather than the status quo ante of Greek Cypriot majority rule over a minority Turkish population. The plan would have cemented the division of Cyprus into two political entities and safeguarded the presence of settlers from mainland Turkey, both of which were felt to be illegitimate and unfair outcomes. Any solution other than a return to the status quo ante was deemed unacceptable by many Greek Cypriots, and opinion polls conducted over the entire period of the negotiations from start to finish had always shown around 80% opposition to the proposals.
There were reservations over the fate of property or humanitarian disputes, which could no longer be brought before an International Court according to the plan, but would have to be settled by a third party set by the warrant forces. An embargo on weapon imports to the Greek Cypriot side, until the Turkish Cypriot side would be able to fully support itself also caused reservations among Greek Cypriots, in part because it did not apply to the Turkish forces.
On the Turkish Cypriot side, the plan was felt to be excessively pro-Greek, but most Turkish Cypriots were willing to accept it as a means of ending their prolonged international isolation and exclusion from the wider European economy. It was opposed by their leadership, with the Turkish Cypriot president Rauf Denktash actively advocating a no vote. However, his Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat favoured the plan's acceptance, while Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also supported it. Turkey saw a resolution of the Cyprus issue as being an essential first step to eventual Turkish membership of the EU as well as a way of defusing tensions with Greece.
The Grey Wolves (a Turkish right-wing nationalist group belonging to the MHP nationalist party) actively advocated a "no" vote. There were some limited riots caused by the Grey Wolves party activists against pro-ratification supporters during the pre-vote period. At least 50 such activists had arrived in northern Cyprus during the pre-voting period. However, the referendum itself passed off peacefully and was deemed free and fair.
Both sides also had reservations over the fate of property or humanitarian disputes, which could no longer be brought before an International Court according to the plan, but would have to be settled in Cyprus, within the EU.
Although the plan was published on 1 April 2004, it continued to be modified until only 24 hours before the referendum, enabling opponents to argue that people were being asked to vote on something they had not even seen and whose consequences could not be fully analysed.
Reaction
TRNC president Rauf Denktash responded to the referendum outcome by declaring that, with the Annan Plan rejected, his "no" campaign had reached its objective. He rejected calls for his immediate resignation, but announced the following month that he would not be standing for a fifth presidential term in 2005. His Greek Cypriot counterpart, Tassos Papadopoulos, emphasised that his people had rejected just the Annan plan and not all solutions to the Cyprus problem. "They are not turning their backs on their Turkish Cypriot compatriots," he said soon after the results were declared. "They have simply rejected this particular solution on offer."
There was varied reaction from Cyprus's Guarantor Powers, Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he believed the result spelled an end for Turkish Cypriot isolation, and that by rejecting the Annan Plan, "southern Cyprus (was) the loser". A spokesman for the Greek government stressed that efforts to reunite Cyprus should not be halted, pointing out that in the EU framework it is "in the interest of everyone to continue efforts to reconcile Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots".
The British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said, "We will respect the choice which Greek Cypriots have expressed today. But I hope that they will continue to reflect on whether this choice is the right one for them." The general international reaction to the result was similar to that of Britain: one of deep disappointment, particularly among those bodies that had worked on the Annan Plan and on EU accession arrangments.
- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan: A unique and historic chance to resolve the Cyprus problem has been missed.
- European Commission: The European Commission deeply regrets that the Greek Cypriot community did not approve the comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, but it respects the democratic decision of the people.
- US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher: We are disappointed that a majority of Greek Cypriots voted against the settlement plan. Failure of the referendum in the Greek Cypriot community is a setback to the hopes of those on the island who voted for the settlement and to the international community.
- European Commissioner for Enlargement Günter Verheugen: I feel cheated by the Greek Cypriot government... There is a shadow now over the accession of Cyprus. What we will seriously consider now is finding a way to end the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.
- UN Special Envoy Álvaro de Soto: This evening I'm biting my tongue.
Loukis Loukaides, the Cypriot judge on the European Court of Human Rights, has since called on Greek Cypriot political leaders to abandon the Annan Plan as a basis for negotiations, arguing that its basic philosophy violates fundamental human rights and the EU acquis communautaire.
See also
External link
- The Annan plan (http://www.cyprus-un-plan.org/): text and commentary from the UN
- No to the Annan Plan (http://www.oxi-no.org/): campaign against the Annan Plan
- Oxi sto Sxedio Anan (http://www.oxistosxedioanan.com/): campaign against the Annan Plan in Greek
- The UN Annan Plan Proposal For the settlement of the Cyprus question (http://unannanplan.agrino.org/): legal analysis of the Annan Plan
- BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3654919.stm): prior to the vote
- BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3656009.stm): results coverage
- UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391638&a=KArticle&aid=1082825534795): Press Release