The European Union and the enlargement : the case of Cyprus

Given the current unrest in the Middle East, this book evaluates the ability of the European Union through enlargement to prevent a potential conflict developing between key actors in the near-eastern Mediterranean region; namely Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. Cyprus and the Cyprus issue will become increasingly important in the next few years given the completion of accession negotiations, and the signing of the Accession Treaty in April 2003 between Cyprus and the European Union. Therefore the book seeks to illuminate the limitations and constraints on the EU policy towards Cyprus, but also the potential "positive impact" that the EU might have on the Cyprus issue and east Mediterranean regional stability in the short, medium and long term, through inclusion of both Cyprus and Turkey as enlargement candidates. The European Union and Enlargement is about the EU's 'power of attraction' - an exploration of the potential for EU impact on conflicts within Europe - and the implications for the EU to influence the 'order' beyond its borders. It investigates how the EU can influence conflicts through enlargement and the accession process, using conditionality and the 'carrot' and 'stick' approach for ensuring potential candidates fulfil strict conditions reflective of core European norms and values. The case study of Cyprus provides the empirical focus for the book, which combines a historical analysis for understanding the origins of the Cyprus issue and the involvement of the United Nations, with a contemporary investigation of the impact of the EU accession process on the key actors involved in resolving the dispute; the Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and Turkey. The book assesses the perception of the EU as 'one of the most successful models of conflict resolution the world has ever known.' The European Union and Enlargement is about the EU's 'power of attraction' - an exploration of the potential for EU impact on conflicts within Europe - and the implications for the EU to influence the 'order' beyond its borders. It provides both a theoretical and historical context in order to understand the EU's impact and combines this with empirical analysis of the perceptions of the Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and Turkey on the accession process and its effect on the Cyprus issue. It demonstrates the limits and the potential of the EU as a global actor through its power of attraction. Front Matter....Pages i-xv Understanding the European Union as a Global Actor....Pages 1-28 The Complexity of the Cyprus Case: The Historical Context....Pages 29-60 The European Union and Cyprus....Pages 61-95 The Power of Attraction: Greek and Turkish Cypriot Perceptions....Pages 96-123 The Power of Attraction: Perceptions from Turkey....Pages 124-151 The Power of Attraction and the United Nations Context....Pages 152-172 Conclusions....Pages 173-187 Postscript Elections in the North: 14 December 2003....Pages 188-190 Back Matter....Pages 191-228