Freedom in the World 1998 - Northern Cyprus

1998 Scores

Status: Partly Free
Freedom Rating: 3.0
Civil Liberties: 2
Political Rights: 4

Overview

The Cypriot Republic received independence from Britain in 1960. Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, violence flared between the island's Greek and Turkish communities. In July 1974, following an abortive coup attempt organized by Greece's military junta, Turkey invaded Cyprus, seized 37 percent of the territory, and expelled 200,000 Greek Cypriots from the north. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) declared its independence in 1982, but so far has only been recognized by Turkey, which maintains more than 35,000 troops in the territory and provides an estimated $200 million in annual assistance. Nevertheless, the North is less prosperous than the South; it suffers from constant shortages and high unemployment, and is almost totally reliant on the Cypriot Republic for a free, but insufficient, power supply that is responsible for frequent outages of 12 to 14 hours per day. A 1200-strong United Nations force controls the island's 103-mile demarcation line, which runs through Nicosia, the world's last divided capital.

The launch of European Union (EU) assession talks with the Cypriot Republic in late 1998 provided new urgency for a political settlement for the divided island. Turkish Cypriots have refused to participate in the talks, which Turkey strongly opposes. As the talks began, TRNC President Rauf Denktash vowed not to renew bi-communal settlement talks unless the talks were suspended. At the same time, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands warned that Cyprus should not be admitted to the EU without a political solution to the island's division. For its part, Greece vowed to block any expansion of EU membership if the Cypriot Republic is not admitted.

The Cypriot government's 1996 purchase of Russian-made air defense missiles has added to the pressure for a political solution. Greece opposed the purchase and has offered to deploy the S-300 missiles on its island of Crete, while Turkey has threatened a preemptive strike to prevent the missiles' use. Nevertheless, Greek Cypriot leaders have vowed to deploy the weaponry on their own territory in 1999.

While prospects for a settlement remained bleak on the political front, businessmen from Greece, Turkey, and the two Cypriot communities held talks in Turkey in late 1998. The meeting, which was designed to end mistrust in the region, followed a similar gathering in Brussels in 1997.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus can change their government democratically. The TRNC has a presidential-legislative system of government with elections held at least every five years. Turkish immigrants who settled in the North after the 1974 Turkish invasion have the right to vote in TRNC elections. The Greek and Maronite communities, with a combined population of approximately 1000 people, are disenfranchised in the North but maintain the right to vote in Cypriot Republic elections. Ankara has considerable influence over the TRNC's policies, and, after the EU rejected Turkey's membership application in 1997, Turkey and the TRNC responded by announcing plans to further integrate their economic and security policies. In 1998, they again vowed to achieve greater integration because, in their view, Greece and the Cypriot Republic are being integrated through the latter's anticipated accession to the EU.

The judiciary is independent, and trials are fair. Civilians deemed to have violated military zones are subject to trial in military courts, which provide due process rights. In 1995, the TRNC allowed for the first time an investigation into the whereabouts of five American citizens of Greek Cypriot descent who disappeared during the 1974 invasion. Ethnic violence in 1996 killed four unarmed Greek Cypriots in the UN-controlled buffer zone. Three of the victims were killed by Turkish troops; one was beaten to death by armed demonstrators.

The private press includes newspapers and periodicals that carry a range of viewpoints. Broadcast media are government-owned and offer some pluralistic views. Authorities control the content of Greek Cypriot textbooks, and many titles are rejected on the grounds that they "violate the feelings" of Turkish Cypriots.

Advocates for Greek Cypriots living in the Northern city of Karpassia claim these "enslaved" individuals are denied freedom of movement, speech, property and access to the Greek press. Outstanding property claims arising from the division and population exchange in 1974 remain an obstacle to peace and demilitarization on the island. Approximately 85 percent of the land in the north continues to be claimed by its original Greek Cypriot owners. In 1996, the European Court for Human Rights at Strasbourg held Turkey directly responsible for denying a Greek Cypriot refugee unconditional access to her property in the North since 1974. In 1998, the Court ruled that Turkey must pay the refugee approximately $574,000 in compensation. In these rulings, the Court recognized Ankara, not the TRNC, as having control of the North and treated the internationally recognized Cypriot Republic as the sole legitimate government on the island. According to the Financial Times, property fights are weak within the TRNC itself, and some residents accuse politically-connected persons of illegally appropriating land.

The majority Sunni Muslims, the minority Greek, and the Maronite Orthodox Christians worship freely. Restrictions exist on travel to and from the South. Trade unions are independent.