Turks, Cypriots, and the Cyprus Problem: Hopes and Complications

Moves to resume the United Nations-led Cyprus peace talks in 2014 have given hope of an end to the island's long-lived division. Factors that shape the prospects for progress now include the February 2013 election of a new, prosettlement Cypriot government and the discovery of offshore natural gas reserves, the cooperative development of which could help build bridges among the stakeholders. While Turkey is entering a long electoral period in which Cyprus is a sensitive issue, it should consider more creative steps toward fostering a settlement. More broadly, each side needs to convince the other that it is serious about reaching a settlement, and the United States and United Kingdom should be more active in encouraging one. © 2014 by Mediterranean Affairs, Inc.