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Introduces a paper about the role of the European Union (EU) in Turkish-Greek disputes. Reason for conducting such research; Oft-repeated argument that Europeanization processes in EU candidate and member states will lead to the resolution of territorial disputes among them in a win-win framework; Argument that both the EU as an institution and the EU accession process as a mechanism have fallen short of becoming conducive to the resolution of the Turkish-Greek disputes, particularly over Cyprus.

This paper analyzes the impact of Turkey's EU candidacy process on Turkish foreign policy towards Cyprus. In doing that it focuses on the impact of the EU's political conditionality on Turkey's Cyprus policy through the lenses of the Europeanization approach to foreign-policy change. The main argument of the paper is that even though Turkey's foreign-policy objective with regard to Cyprus has not substantially been transformed, the policy strategies, tools and opportunity structures of foreign-policy makers have considerably altered along Turkey's process of Europeanization. The paper, therefore, explores the policy change and continuity in terms of three major historical turning points in Turkey- EU relations in order to analyze the extent to which Turkey's Cyprus policy was influenced by the EU. These turning points are the post-Helsinki period (1999- 2002), the process of accession negotiations (2002-2006), and the post-December 2006, the European Commission's Regular Report on Turkey. In all these periods, the resolution of the Cyprus conflict remained a major foreign-policy challenge for Turkey-EU relations. However, it is evident that Turkey's policy responses to the EU's political conditionality concerning Cyprus have significantly been transformed through Turkey's process of Europeanization, which spans the period from 1999 to 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the so-called catalytic effects of the European Union's (EU) involvement in the Cyprus dispute between Turkey and Greece and to demonstrate that the promise of the EU has not been so high as some circles have expected it to be. Historical account that highlights the major turning points in the Cyprus policy of EU; Analysis of the major assumptions, on which the catalytic effects of the EU involvement are based.

Until quite recently, both the Cypriot people and the island's mainstream media were very supportive of the European Union (EU). This support was largely associated with conceiving the EU as security against a hostile neighbour (Turkey) as well as a space where both national and personal economic prosperity could be sought under favourable conditions. However, support levels have declined considerably in the last several years. The article addresses the way that the Cypriot public and the print media have dealt with the issue of the EU in recent years and especially amidst the severe and ongoing economic crisis. The 2013 bail-in agreement is here identified as a possible ‘game changer’ in the European debate in Cyprus. The variables examined include internal politics and EU decisions regarding Cyprus, focusing on the Eurogroup decisions in March 2013. Utilitarianism seems key to understanding Cypriot patterns of Euroscepticism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cyprus occupies an unenviable position among a group of intractable international conflicts which transcend their national borders and whose resolution has eluded third-party mediation. The Cyprus dispute has preoccupied theorists and practitioners of conflict resolution ever since the United Nations stationed its peacekeeping force on the island in 1964. Even attempts by the United Nations to revitalise the Cyprus talks following the 2004 referendum on the Annan plan have not yielded satisfactory results. For decades, the Cyprus problem has challenged conventional international analysis and defied traditional approaches to negotiation and peacemaking. This article grapples with the question of why this conflict has not been resolved despite endless negotiations. By extrapolating three seemingly distinct variables—Cypriotisation, Europeanisation and post-Kemalism—this article alludes to changes in the conflict's contextual parameters that are conducive to a political settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes Turkey's relationship with the European Union (EU) against the background of the latest Turkish parliamentary elections in June 2011. The main argument is that Turkey's European transformation at home and abroad will continue under the third term of the Justice and Development Party rule, yet Turkish rulers will increasingly find it difficult to put EU membership issue at the center of this process. At present, it appears that neither is the EU eager and flexible as to offer Turkey credible membership prospects nor is Turkey's ruling party maintaining the same degree of commitment to the EU as it had during its first term in government. Rather than the dynamics of the accession process, the growing need to find a solution to the decade-long Kurdish dispute in a liberal-democratic fashion as well as Turkey's ability to deal with the rising foreign and security policy challenges in the context of the Arab Spring will shape Turkey's European transformation in years ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the relationship between Europe and Turkey and examines the effect of Turkey's Europeanization on the politics and government of Cyprus. Details about Turkey's democratization and desire to enter the European Union (EU) are provided. Information about Turkish foreign policy, specifically its relations with Greece, is presented. The political and social environment of Cyprus, which consists of Greeks and Turks, is described. The need for Turkish foreign relations to be compatible with European foreign relations is also detailed.

Argues that the post-Helsinki period in the European Union (EU)-Turkey-Greece triangle has been giving mixed signals as to the credibility and promise of the EU to constructively contribute to the resolution of Turkish-Greek disputes. Some factors that seem promising for the future; Some other factors that continue to shed doubts on the ongoing positive climate and remind observers of Turkish-Greek relations of the painful cycles of conflict-cooperation seen in the past; Aegean Sea and Cyprus disputes.

Discusses issues that add further doubts to the promise of the European Union (EU) in contributing to Turkish-Greek cooperation in the post-Helsinki period. Claim that Turkey's cooperation with Greece seems to be dependent on the nature and quality of her relations with the EU; United States' view of Turkey and her relations with Greece and the EU from a strategic-security perspective; Suggestion that current Greek strategy towards Turkey should value Turkey's membership in the EU more than the resolution of the Aegean and Cyprus disputes in more pro-Greek ways; Latest developments in Iraq and Cyprus that have enhanced the position of Euro-skeptic circles in Turkey to the disadvantage of pro-EU circles.