As the island of Cyprus came into view, the school group on the plane chanted louder and louder. Excited by the sight of their homeland approaching, they burst into nationalistic Greek songs. Overwhelmed by these youth, my anxiety grew as I felt the five-hour flight from Paris had taken me to a very foreign region of the world. I tried to keep as calm as possible as the man sitting across the aisle from me began to shift in his seat and sigh loudly. As the singing continued, the man behind me copied the others' movements, while randomly blurting out angry words in Turkish. In retrospect, the mixed energy on the plane was a good representation of the underlying political tension bubbling under the surface of our destination.
Stepping into the warm night air as I debarked the plane, I forgot the anxiety of the previous hours. Customs went quickly, but my uneasy feeling returned as I waited for my luggage unsuccessfully. After minimal help from the service desk - and no guarantees - I set off to my conference on "conflict resolution in the Middle East," hoping that I'd begin to feel a bit more relaxed once I was on my way to the hotel. As I went to get into my cab, I was yet again subject to a shock. I had attempted sit in the driver's seat of the taxi. It turns out that in Cyprus, cars still drive on the left, an inheritance of the British. Although the British left Cyprus years ago, they left quite a legacy behind - and it is not all honey.
The influence the British had on Cyprus was actually one of my main reasons for attending the conference. Through the conference and with my own research, I hoped to explore whether failed conflict resolution, specifically the surprise result of the 2004 reunification referendum in Cyprus, could lead to further conflict.
If Cyprus president Tassos Papadopoulos pushes Greek-Cypriots to reject Turkey's accession, as he most likely will, the repercussions will be felt at home, while parts of Europe rejoice. Older members of the European Union, most notably France and Germany, have strong motivation for secretly supporting any country which wishes to veto Turkey. France and Germany have too much to lose by openly vetoing Turkey, but Cyprus is a small country that stands a lot to gain from improved relations with those two countries.
If Turkey were to enter the EU, it would increase the size of the European parliament, taking power away from other EU members. Many members of the EU have already expressed concerns that Turkey's accession would force open their borders and a flood of immigrants. If Turkey is accepted into the EU in 2013, it will be the country with by far the largest and youngest population of any EU member. Although Turkey could be a bridge between radical Islamists and the moderate type for which Turkey stands, its accession would also bring the EU into a difficult region.
It is easy to see why some EU members are not willing to support Turkey's accession in 2013, but if Cyprus is involved, there could be serious consequences. The United Nation's oversight of the implications of failed conflict resolution in Cyprus could lead to further conflict in Cyprus.
