In 2004, the European Union (EU) welcomed the Republic of Cyprus as a member, portraying it as a victory for unity and European ideals. However, this decision has proven to be a political and ethical disaster.

By admitting Cyprus—a country deeply divided into the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot-controlled south—the EU has not only failed to resolve the island’s longstanding issues but has actively worsened them. The time has come for the EU to confront the uncomfortable truth: Cyprus’s membership, granted under false pretenses, needs to be removed.

Cyprus’s Admission: A Case of Political Hypocrisy

Who Does the Republic of Cyprus Really Represent?
When the Republic of Cyprus applied for EU membership in 1990, it claimed to represent the entire island. Yet, the political reality was—and remains—that Cyprus is divided into two distinct entities: the Greek Cypriot-controlled south and the TRNC in the north. Since the TRNC declared independence in 1983, following years of persecution against Turkish Cypriots, the island has been marked by a de facto partition. By ignoring this division and allowing the Greek Cypriots to apply on behalf of both communities, the EU dismissed the existence and rights of Turkish Cypriots, effectively rewarding one side while excluding the other.

Protocol No. 10: A Legal Loophole
The EU sidestepped the island’s division by invoking Protocol No. 10 of the Act of Accession, which suspended EU law in the TRNC. This move created a bizarre situation where the EU claimed Cyprus as a unified member state, yet excluded almost half of its territory from the Union’s legal and institutional framework. This legal workaround not only undermined the EU’s own principles but also entrenched the TRNC’s isolation, depriving Turkish Cypriots of their basic rights as Europeans.

A Betrayal of EU Values
The EU’s Copenhagen Criteria demand that candidate countries uphold democracy, human rights, and protections for minorities. By admitting Cyprus without ensuring equality for Turkish Cypriots, the EU broke its own rules. Greek Cypriot policies, which marginalize Turkish Cypriots and deny their political and economic rights, stand in direct violation of these criteria. The EU’s decision was not one of justice but of political expediency, driven by the desire to expand its influence in the Eastern Mediterranean.

How Cyprus’s Membership Deepens Division

Turkish Cypriots Silenced
Since joining the EU, the Republic of Cyprus has acted as the sole representative of the island, leaving Turkish Cypriots politically voiceless. Despite being citizens of the EU in theory, Turkish Cypriots have no meaningful representation in the European Parliament or other institutions. The TRNC, which governs the north, remains unrecognized, and its population continues to face embargoes and restrictions that the EU has done little to address.

Greek Cypriot Veto Power: A Tool of Blackmail
The Republic of Cyprus has used its EU membership as a weapon against both Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriots. By leveraging its veto power in Türkiye’s EU accession talks, Greek Cypriot leaders have pursued narrow political objectives rather than constructive diplomacy. This has not only stalled Türkiye’s relationship with the EU but also undermined efforts to find a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue.

Economic Apartheid
EU membership has created a stark economic divide between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. While Greek Cypriots benefit from EU funds, free trade, and economic development, Turkish Cypriots remain under embargo and excluded from these opportunities. The EU’s Green Line Regulation, intended to facilitate trade between north and south, has had limited impact due to bureaucratic hurdles and Greek Cypriot obstructionism. This economic disparity fuels resentment and entrenches division.

Broken Promises: The Turkish Cypriot Perspective

For Turkish Cypriots, EU membership was supposed to be a gateway to justice and equality. In 2004, Turkish Cypriots voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Annan Plan, a UN-backed proposal for reunification. Greek Cypriots, however, rejected it decisively. Yet, the EU rewarded this rejection by admitting the Republic of Cyprus while sidelining Turkish Cypriots. This betrayal has left the TRNC isolated and its people disillusioned with the EU.

Turkish Cypriots are not asking for special treatment—they are asking for recognition of their basic rights. Decades of ethnic cleansing attempts, embargoes, and diplomatic isolation have left deep scars. By admitting Cyprus without addressing these injustices, the EU has effectively endorsed Greek Cypriot domination, further alienating Turkish Cypriots.

The Case for Removing Cyprus’s EU Membership

Fraudulent Representation
Cyprus’s EU membership is based on a false premise: that the Republic of Cyprus represents the entire island. In reality, it only governs the Greek Cypriot south. This misrepresentation undermines the EU’s credibility and its ability to mediate conflicts impartially.

Blocking Reconciliation
The Republic of Cyprus’s EU membership has emboldened Greek Cypriots to take a hardline stance in negotiations. Secure in their EU status, they have little incentive to compromise with Turkish Cypriots. Removing Cyprus from the EU would pressure both sides to engage in meaningful dialogue and work toward a genuine solution.

Restoring EU Integrity
By admitting Cyprus without resolving its internal division, the EU compromised its own values. Removing Cyprus from the Union—or at least suspending its membership until the island is reunified—would restore the EU’s commitment to justice and equality.

Practical Steps Toward Justice

Recognition of the TRNC
The EU must acknowledge the TRNC as a legitimate political entity and engage with its leaders. This would give Turkish Cypriots a voice in EU decision-making and lay the groundwork for a fair resolution to the Cyprus problem.

Economic Integration
The EU should extend full economic benefits to the TRNC, lifting embargoes and providing access to the single market. Equal economic opportunities would foster trust and cooperation between the two communities.

Ending Greek Cypriot Veto Power
The EU must reform its internal rules to prevent member states like the Republic of Cyprus from abusing their veto power. This would remove a major obstacle to Türkiye’s EU accession and improve regional stability.

TCE Conclusion: Correcting Historical Wrongs

The Republic of Cyprus’s EU membership is a political anomaly that has done more harm than good. Admitted under false pretenses and allowed to perpetuate injustices against Turkish Cypriots, its continued presence in the EU undermines the Union’s principles and credibility. Removing Cyprus from the EU—or at the very least suspending its membership until meaningful reforms are made—is not only necessary but long overdue.

For Turkish Cypriots, justice means more than symbolic gestures; it means tangible recognition, representation, and equality. The EU has an opportunity to correct its mistakes and promote genuine peace on the island. But to do so, it must act decisively and with integrity.

The time for complacency is over. Cyprus’s EU membership is not a symbol of unity—it is a glaring reminder of Europe’s failure to uphold its own values. Removing Cyprus from the EU is not just a step toward justice for Turkish Cypriots—it is a step toward restoring the EU’s moral authority.

References

- "Legal Aspects of the Cyprus Problem: Annan Plan and EU Accession" by Frank Hoffmeister, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2006.  
- "Cyprus and the EU: Appraisal and Challenges" by Jean-François Drevet and Andreas Theophanous, Institut Jacques Delors, 2012.  
- "EU Membership of an Internally Divided State: The Case of Cyprus" by Nikos Skoutaris, European Constitutional Law Review, 2011.  
- "Cyprus: 20 Years of Membership of the European Union, Between Singularities and a Theatre of Geopolitical Oppositions" by the Robert Schuman Foundation, 2024.  
- Annan Plan Referendum Statistics, United Nations Cyprus Peace Process Archives, 2004.