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Cyprus Milestones in the United Nations Settlement Process
In the immediate aftermath of the 1974 crisis, acting
Greek
Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides met with Rauf Denktas
in
September. These intercommunal talks were initially
limited to
humanitarian issues, such as the exchange of population
between the
two sides of the island. Later, at the urging of the
United States,
the two men, with Clerides the intercommunal negotiator in
a
restored Makarios government, resumed a substantive agenda
and met
in Vienna in January 1975. They both declared their
support for the
principle of an independent, nonaligned, and demilitarized
Cyprus.
Beyond these broad concepts, however, there were serious
differences over the form of government, the size of the
area to be
retained by Turkish Cypriots, the return of refugees and
compensation for property losses, and the timing of the
withdrawal
of Turkish troops.
By February 1976, the two sides, according to
statements, had
discussed territorial and constitutional issues and had
agreed to
exchange written proposals before May. Before the May
meeting,
however, difficulties arose within the Greek Cypriot camp.
Clerides
resigned as negotiator because of differences of view with
Makarios
and allegations that he was willing to accept a bizonal
federation,
an idea that Makarios opposed at the time.
Makarios appointed Tassos Papadopoulos, deputy
president of the
House of Representatives, to replace Clerides. Denktas,
who
declined to deal face to face with Papadopoulos because he
had been
an active member of the EOKA, appointed Ümit Süleyman Onan
to serve
as negotiator.
Data as of January 1991
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