Cyprus: Federation Under International Safeguards

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-1988

Department

Political Science, International Development, and International Affairs

School

Social Science and Global Studies

Abstract

Constitutional engineering to overcome ethnoregional cleavages is being put to a severe test on Cyprus, where Greek and Turkish communities haltingly endeavor to salvage a divided state Three years after independence in 1960, the attempt to govern through functional federalism ended in civil war. Intervention by Greece and Turkey in 1974 resulted in a de facto partitioning of the republic into two ethnically homogeneous areas. Under United Nations auspices, communal elites bargain for a consociational settlement, balancing national autonomy and individual rights. The solution requires international safeguards guaranteeing a new constitution and providing for "free cities" under a bicommunal administration. Failure of the international community to act will lead to a partitionist solution as manifested by a growing acceptance of Turkish Cypriot statehood. Copyright © 1988, CSF Associates.

Publication Title

Publius

Volume

18

Issue

2

First Page

75

Last Page

89

Link to Full Text

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