The Turkish and Greek leaders of Cyprus are facing a final deadline today to either accept the United Nations plan for the reunification of Cyprus or allow Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, to implement the Cyprus dispute plan directly. The conflicting parties, along with the Prime Ministers of Turkey and Greece, are currently negotiating in Switzerland. According to the principles of the existing plan, the Turkish and Greek parts of Cyprus are to maintain their independence but operate as a single entity through a federal government coordinating the overall policies of Cyprus. Reports indicate that revisions made to the UN plan allow Turkish soldiers to remain indefinitely in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus and reduce the number of Greeks who previously lived in the Turkish-occupied area and now wish to return to their former residences. Reports suggest that the Greeks are not particularly pleased with these changes.
Deadline for Decision on Cyprus Issue Has Passed - 2004-03-31
The Turkish and Greek leaders of Cyprus face a deadline to accept a UN plan for reunification or let the UN Secretary-General take over the process. Negotiations are ongoing in Switzerland, with significant concerns from the Greek side regarding proposed changes that would allow Turkish troops to remain indefinitely.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The leaders of Turkish and Greek Cyprus faced a deadline to accept a UN plan for reunification or allow the UN to implement it directly. Negotiations in Switzerland revealed significant concerns from the Greek side regarding changes that would allow Turkish troops to remain indefinitely in the Turkish-occupied area.
- The UN plan proposes a federal government for Cyprus while maintaining independence for both Turkish and Greek parts.
- Revisions to the plan have raised concerns among Greek Cypriots about the indefinite presence of Turkish troops.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 into a Turkish-controlled north and a Greek-controlled south, following a Turkish invasion prompted by a Greek-led coup. The UN has been involved in peace efforts for decades.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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