Most Greek Cypriots would prefer to live apart, poll says

Young islanders less open to reunification, elders more tolerant

Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou (r) yesterday held talks with his visiting Greek counterpart Dora Bakoyannis (l) regarding efforts to kick-start stalled talks to reunify Cyprus. Bakoyannis reiterated calls for Turkey to live up to its EU commitments.

By Charlie Charalambous - Agence France-Presse

NICOSIA - Most Greek Cypriots, especially the young, would prefer to remain isolated from their Turkish-Cypriot neighbors on the divided island, according to a poll published by state-run Cyprus television.

Asked whether they wanted to coexist with Turkish Cypriots, 48 percent of those questioned said they would rather live apart, while 45 percent preferred to live together.

The figures were starker when broken down into age categories.

The group most against Cypriots living together were those aged between 18 and 24 with a 63 percent disapproval rating, while two-thirds of those aged over 55 were in favor of living side by side.

The poll used a random sample of 1,200 people and was conducted between March 18-29, but it gave no margin of error.

“If these figures are indeed correct, then it is something which is very worrying indeed,” analyst Louis Igoumenides told yesterday’s Cyprus Mail newspaper.

“It is also something which clearly shows that the government of (President) Tassos Papadopoulos has failed to promote a vision of reunification,” he added.

The poll indicates Greek Cypriots have not drastically changed their opinion of Turkish Cypriots since the Turkish side eased travel restrictions across the UN-monitored Green Line to allow greater people movement in April 2003.

Some 61 percent of Greek Cypriots said their views of Turkish Cypriots had not changed, while 18 percent said they had a better opinion and 17 percent had a more negative attitude.

A UN reunification blueprint failed at a referendum on April 24, 2004, and peace talks have been shelved ever since. A divided Cyprus joined the European Union a week later.

Foreign Minister George Iacovou was confident that renewed peace talks would spark a new momentum and a “good solution” would gain the support of all age groups and strata of society.

“The results of the recent poll are down to the fact that a plan was produced that was far removed from the expectations of Greek Cypriots, especially the young,” Iacovou told reporters.

Papadopoulos led the island’s Greek-Cypriot majority in rejecting a reunification blueprint drawn up by UN chief Kofi Annan that was approved by Turkish-Cypriot voters.

The television poll indicated that 50 percent of those surveyed want any fresh peace initiative to be based on an entirely new plan.

And 66 percent of Greek Cypriots polled were against Turkey joining the European Union.

Both communities are under pressure to break the climate of deadlock so moves can be made to prepare the ground for renewed UN-sponsored peace talks.