Last week the island nation of Cyprus elected a new president – an event that went unnoticed by most Americans. However this tiny nation of just 700,000 people could have a dramatic impact on the future of both Europe and the Middle East.
Dimitris Christofias won the office of president with 54 percent of the vote. He is the leader of Cyprus' communist party. He is also the first communist to run for president in Cyprus and now he is the only communist head of state in Europe. However it is not his political ideology that is making headlines. Moreover, news of the communist leader's victory is surprisingly optimistic. A Financial Times editorial quipped that: "A communist election victory on a quarrelsome east Mediterranean island is not normally taken to be a harbinger of good tidings." However Cyprus, it claims, is the exception.
Why is everyone so optimistic about Cyprus' new leadership? Because Dimitris Christofias won office by promising to put an end to the conflict that has divided the island for more than 30 years. Christofias says he plans to restart talks with Turkish leaders and eventually reunify the island. He told reporters: "The solution of the Cyprus problem is the main reason I made the decision to run for president. Solving the Cyprus problem will be the top priority of my government."
So far his victory has been met with enthusiasm. Some of Cyprus' political leaders have even publicly stated that they expect the problem to be solved by the end of the year. However given the realities of the situation, it is premature to celebrate. Decades of diplomatic efforts to heal the rift have failed and bringing and end to the stalemate will be no easy task. There are still major issues to be resolved, such as negotiating the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island. There are also territorial and constitutional issues to settle as well as the question of what to do about the refugees.
The outcome of the situation in Cyprus will no doubt have a significant impact on the future of the European Union. Primarily because it is one of the biggest issues in the controversy over Turkey's EU membership. Turkey has yet to recognize the island nation of Cyprus and the EU has repeatedly threatened to halt membership negotiations if the problem is not solved soon.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island. The northern third of the island is controlled by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds are inhabited by Greek Cypriots. A buffer zone between the two halves called the "Green Line" is patrolled by UN troops. Turkey maintains support of one half of the island while EU member Greece maintains support for the other half. In 1983 the Turkish-held area declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, but its sovereignty has only been recognized by Turkey. Cyprus was one of the 10 new states to join the EU in May of 2004. However the island remains divided, and EU laws and benefits apply only to the Greek Cypriot community.
Some say the future of Turkey's EU membership hinges on Cyprus. Turkey has long attempted to align itself with the western world. Turkey joined the United Nations in 1945 and NATO in 1952. In 1963 it signed an association agreement with the European Economic Community, and in 1987 it applied for full EEC membership. In 1999 Turkey was officially recognized as an EU candidate, but the predominately-Muslim nation still has a long way to go before it can become a member of the EU. Before Turkey can be admitted to the EU it must meet a long list of requirements. That includes more than 80,000-pages of rules and regulations on everything from air quality to the size and shape of bananas. A study by the politically powerful Turkish Industry and Business Association estimates the cost of reforming Turkey's huge agriculture sector alone would be about 76 billion dollars over the next decade. Even then, its acceptance into the European community is not assured. Experts say it could be 10 years or more before Turkey is granted membership.
The bumpy road to EU membership has many Turkish citizens questioning if the actual benefits are worth the trouble. In fact, in recent years many of Turkey's political and military leaders have suggested giving up the EU membership process in favor of building a deeper relationship with nations such as Russia, China, and even Iran. Trade between Turkey and Russia has more than tripled in last five years, and Russia is quickly becoming one of Turkey's most important allies.
The growing relationship between Russia and Turkey could be a sign that the Magog invasion, prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39, could be on our near horizon. It is during this famed battle that God will directly intercede to protect Israel from an apparent nuclear attack. To learn more about this topic, click on the links below.
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