17/04/2005 5:06:55 pm
Another EU Enlargement? Today, the Turkish Cypriots elect a new leader. Rauf Denktash, 81, is finally resigning after ruling the northern part of Cyprus since 1974. He has been a large obstacle to reunification of the island. Only the southern, Greek Cypriot, part of the island is an EU member. Cyprus has been divided since the Turkish invasion in 1974 to protect the Turks from ethnic cleansing. In recent years, reunification has been a priority on many agendas - for the EU, the UN and Turkey not least. But as a large majority of Turkish Cypriots voted yes in their referendum, the Greek Cypriots voted no. But that situation cannot hold for long. The border between the sides has been opened, a new leader in the north is elected - with reunification as the main aim - and now tourism is flooding into the northern part. And northern Cyprus is a beautiful place, which I have visited several times, with all the opportunities to have a very successful tourism enterprise and hence increase their prosperity. When will this small EU enlargement of some 200 000 people take place? Perhaps sooner than many expect.
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