Searching for a Cyprus Settlement: Considering Options for Creating a Federation, a Confederation, or Two Independent States

Greek and Turkish Cypriote have had a poor record in managingtheir political differences. The bicommunal government establishedat independence in 1960 at the behest of Greece and Turkey proveda failure after three years. Its collapse triggered communalviolence. No Cypriot government has represented both communitiessince then, and the partition on the island has hardened. Considerablethird-party mediation, spanning a few decades, has failed tofind a compromise settlement. Neither a federation nor a confederationappears to have reasonable prospects of success in view of thedeep mistrust between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Moreover,it is doubtful whether European Union membership of Cyprus couldprovide a sufficient framework for resolving the island's enduringcommunal dispute. Consequently, the merits of a two-state solutiondeserve serious consideration.