Back to Square One in Cyprus?

In April 2010 voters in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) elected a nationalist president over their current, left-of-center president who was committed to resolving the Cyprus conflict-an outcome that reflected the lack of enthusiasm among voters for the ongoing negotiation process.

The year 2010 marked a critical threshold. In 2011, Turkey would enter election season and the government would face pressure from nationalist forces for its Cyprus policies. Then, at the beginning of 2012, the Greek Cypriots would have their elections, usually not a good season for peace seeking.

It was high time for a paralyzed, ineffectual and unimaginative European Union and the equally lethargic United Nations to internationalize the negotiation process and bring all the relevant parties to a Dayton-style conference.

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