9
April 2007 – The Blue Beret 3
Large majorities in bothcommunities are convinced thatday-to-day bicommunal contact isessential to pave the way for aunited Cyprus and there isapproval for those who reach outto the other community throughsuch contacts. This goodwillnotwithstanding, only a smallpercentage of Greek Cypriots andTurkish Cypriots interact with oneanother in a bicommunal contextdespite evidence that suchcontacts increase levels of trusttowards members of the othercommunity.
Even though both communitiesgeneral ly accept andacknowledge the merits andbenefits of inter-communalcontact, there is great sensitivityover the extent to which non-Cypriot intermediaries should getinvolved in faci l itating andpromoting such activities. While“assistance by the UN or others”is seen as potentially helpful, theoverall message from surveyrespondents is that non-Cypriotintermediaries should maintain adelicate balance by “assisting andfacilitating” while avoiding anyperception of “interfering andmeddling”.
Of various possible types ofinter-communal contact, themost acceptable to bothcommunities is environmentalcooperation by Greek Cypriot and
Turkish Cypriot non-governmental organisations(NGOs), and also, joint researchprojects by Greek Cypriot andTurkish Cypriot academicsworking together.
Both communities view thework of the Committee on MissingPersons (CMP) and the MineAction Centre (MAC) as makingsignificant contributions toconfidence-building measures.
Large majorities – 90% amongGreek Cypriots, 75% amongTurkish Cypriots – approve thework of the CMP. Among GreekCypriots, almost everyone (96%of those interviewed) is aware ofthe CMP’s recent exhumationactivities, while the awarenesslevel among Turkish Cypriots is66%. Almost all Greek Cypriotsand a strong majority of TurkishCypriots believe that theexhumation and identification ofremains is an essential processthat must be completed beforethe issue of Missing Persons canbe resolved.
On the demining front, bothcommunities acknowledge andappreciate the MAC’s mineclearance activities in the bufferzone and concur that minefieldsare a leftover from the past thatmust be removed. Not everyoneis aware of the Ottawa Treaty andits signatories’ obligation toremove anti-personnel mines but
most realize that removal ofminefields frees land for farminguse and helps pave the way forthe opening of further crossingpoints.
However, the confidence-boosting impact of crossingpoints is less evident. Only 10%of Greek Cypriots cross with anyregularity compared to 45% ofTurkish Cypriots. According to thesurvey, of those Greek Cypriotswho only crossed a few initialtimes following the opening of thecrossings, most report that theexperience had not enhancedtheir impression of their TurkishCypriot neighbours.
About 40% of Greek Cypriotsindicate they have never crossedto the north since the opening ofthe first crossing point in 2003.Some 50% say that after one ora few initial crossings, they nolonger do so. About 10% ofGreek Cypriots continue to crossthe checkpoints with anyfrequency.
Among Turkish Cypriots, about30% have never crossed. About25% have crossed once oroccasionally, but not any more.Some 45% of Turkish Cypriotsstill cross with greater or lesserfrequency.
Most Turkish Cypriots reporttheir opinions of Greek Cypriotsremained unchanged as a resultof crossing. Of those whoseopinions did change, most saythey came away with animproved view of Greek Cypriots.This was especially true amongTurkish Cypriots coming south towork, to visit friends, to shop orfor recreational purposes.
Inter-communal relationships canpave the way for improved levels oftrust between the Turkish Cypriotsand Greek Cypriots
primary sense of security from itsunilateral arrangements formilitary security, with the UNPeacekeeping Force seen in asecondary role. However, thesurvey response shows that theUN Peacekeeping Force is the onlymilitary force on the island thatsimultaneously enhances thesense of security of both GreekCypriots and Turkish Cypriots.The survey also shows that mostGreek Cypriots and TurkishCypriots are aware of the UN
buffer zone’s basic purpose and ofthe regulations and limitationsregarding its use. Largemajorities in both communitieswould like to see greater usemade of it for mutual benefitprojects that would enhancecontact between them. They alsofavour designating areas of thebuffer zone as environmentalparks and feel buffer zonelandowners should be grantedmore freedom in terms of landuse. However, a majority in both
communities holds that the UNshould do more to understandCypriot concerns and wouldwelcome closer contact betweenthe UN and the public. Examplesof how this could be done includeoutreach programmes to villagesand towns, in-depth research intoGreek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriotconcerns, an interactive websitepromoting inter-communal dia-logue or a publication dealingwith the peace process translatedinto Turkish and Greek.
2 April 2007 – The Blue Beret
Majorities in both communitiesconsider that the United Nationshas an important role to play inCyprus and that its presence onthe island is essential, accordingto the UNFICYP-commissionedsurvey.
At the same time, a majorityof Greek Cypriots believes thatthe UN is biased in favour ofTu rk i sh Cyp r i o t s wh i l e ,conversely, Turkish Cypriotsbelieve it is similarly biased infavour of Greek Cypriots. In bothcommunities, a majority viewsuggests that the UN needs tomake a stronger effort to reachout and understand the concernsof the wider Cypriot public.
Commissioned to evaluateUNFICYP’s effectiveness andongoing relevance after 43 yearson the island, the surveycomprised face-to-face, detailedinterviews with 1,000 GreekCypriots and 1,000 TurkishCypriots in their respectivelanguages.
An additional sample of 350was selected from among UNbuffer zone residents to helpdetermine attitudes to UNactivities in that area.
The poll was designed toascertain how Cypriots viewUNFICYP and the UN presence onthe island and to determine howfamiliar they are with the rangeand purpose of UN-supportedactivities in Cyprus. The data willbe used to help the UN presencebetter shape and direct suchactivities to more effectivelyassist Cypriots in the search for a
peaceful resolution of theirdifferences through a return tonormal conditions and an agreedcomprehensive settlement.
As to the specifics of the UNpresence in Cyprus, the surveyresults show the public to bemost aware of UNFICYP, theDemining Project (UNMAC),and the Committee on MissingPersons (CMP).
While majorities in bothcommunities are aware ofUNFICYP’s presence and role,Greek Cypriots are likely to bemore familiar with its activitiesthan Turkish Cypriots. A majorityin both communities viewUNFICYP’s presence on the islandas a positive. Both view asnegative any withdrawal scenarioinvolving UNFICYP’s departurebefore restoration of normalconditions and a settlement. Each community derives its
The UN in CyprusAn inter-communal publicopinion poll by UNFICYP
In January and February of2007, an island-wide poll,commissioned by UNFICYP, wasconducted with a sample ofTurkish Cypriots and GreekCypriots. In addition, a specialsample of Turkish Cypriots andGreek Cypriots, all residentwithin the UN buffer zone, wasselected for comparison with thegeneral population.
For purposes of this project,UNFICYP retained the servicesof a Greek Cypriot and aTurk ish Cypr io t expertconsultant, Alexandros Lordosand Erol Kaymak respectively,whose task it was to assist
with the preparation of thequestionnaire and interpretationof the results. In addition, twowell-established pollingcompanies, CYMAR MarketResearch and PrologueConsulting, were selectedthrough a tendering process tocarry out the fieldwork.
All three UNFICYP pillars –the UN Police, Civil Affairs,and Military – as well as theoffice of the Chief of Missioncontributed to the surveydesign. In addition toUNFICYP, other UN agenciescurrently operating in Cyprusparticipated in the survey –
specifically, the Committee onMissing Persons (CMP), theUNDP-PFF Mine Action Centre(UNMAC), the United NationsHigh Commission for Refugees(UNHCR), the United NationsDevelopment Programme-Action for Co-operation andTrust (UNDP-ACT), and theUnited Nations DevelopmentProgramme - Partnership for theFuture (UNDP-PFF).
UNFICYP decided to com-mission this project in orderto evaluate the effectivenessand ongoing relevance of itswork in Cyprus.
Cypriots reaffirmconfidence in UNpresence
To the question “How secure orinsecure do you feel living inCyprus today”, almost all TurkishCypriots respond that they feelsomewhat or very secure. Incontrast, over half of the GreekCypriots respond that they feelsomewhat or very insecure.
The main source of TurkishCypriot security is the presenceof the Turkish Army in Cyprus. Inaddition, a proportion of TurkishCypriots derives a sense ofsecurity from the fact thatbilateral relations betweenTurkey and Greece haveimproved in recent years. GreekCypriots derive a modicum ofsecurity from the presence of the
Greek Cypriot National Guardand from the fact that Cyprus isnow an EU member. However,neither of these two sources ofsecurity is perceived to be socredible as to offset theoverriding sense of threat thatderives from the presence of theTurkish Army. In pondering theprobability of different threatscenarios, most Greek Cypriotsconsider the notion that theTurkish Army may moveaggressively against them in thefuture to be a definite possibility.Turkish Cypriots, however,consider it very unlikely that theTurkish Army would take suchaggressive action against GreekCypriots in the future. Thesense of security which the two
communities derive from thep resence o f t he UNPeacekeeping Force is not asstrong as that which eachcommunity derives from its ownunilateral arrangements formilitary security. That said, theUN Peacekeeping Force is theonly military force in Cyprus thatsimultaneously enhances thesense of security both of GreekCypriots and of Turkish Cypriots.
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
April 2007 – The Blue Beret 5
Q1. “General attitudes toward the UN”
Q2. “How aware are you about each of the UN agencies that operate in Cyprus?”
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Perc
ent
of
case
sPe
rcen
t of ca
ses
Q3. “On the whole, how secure or insecure would you say you feel living in Cyprus today?”
Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriots
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Sense of Security
The UN is the impartialvoice of the international
community and represents the best
interests of Cyprus as awhole
The UN is conducting avery serious effort to
bring together the twocommunities in Cyprusand re-unite the island
The UN is a powerlessand and ineffectivebystander in Cyprus
The UN is not taking aninterest to understand
the true concerns of thepublic in Cyprus
The UN has a vital role toplay in Cyprus and its
presence here isabsolutely necessary
UNDP-ACT UNDP-PFF UNHCR UN Good Offices Demining UNFICYP CMP
Very Insecure
Somewhatinsecure
Somewhatsecure
Very Secure
Very Insecure
Somewhatinsecure
Somewhatsecure
Very Secure
Turkish CypriotsGreek Cypriots
April 2007 – The Blue Beret4
General Perceptions of the UNMajorities in both communitiesconsider that the UN has animportant role to play in Cyprusand that its presence here isessential. A majority concernthat seems to emerge, fromboth communities, is that theUN needs to make a strongereffort to reach out andunderstand the concerns of thewider Cypriot public.
As to the specifics of the UNpresence in Cyprus, the public is
most aware of the Committee forMissing Persons (CMP), UNFICYPand the de-mining project(UNMAC). The public is leastaware of the United Nations HighCommission for Refugees(UNHCR), the United NationsDevelopment Programme - Actionfor Cooperation and Trust(UNDP-ACT), and the UnitedNations Development Pro-gramme - Partnership for theFuture (UNDP-PFF).
The poll indicates that largemajorities in both communitiesare sceptical about prospects fora comprehensive settlement ofthe Cyprus problem in theforeseeable future. At the sametime, only small minorities withineach of the two communitiesseem to believe that “the currentstatus quo is the solution”.
While Greek Cypriots wouldideally choose a unitary statesolution and Turkish Cypriotsideally a two state solution, alarge majority in eachcommunity see a federalsolution as the second bestoption and would be prepared totolerate such a solution as acompromise option. Only 30% ofTurkish Cypriots and 35% ofGreek Cypriots would adamantlyoppose and reject any planpromoting a federal solution tothe Cyprus problem. MoreTurkish Cypriots than GreekCypriots consider a federal
settlement to be “satisfactory.Greek Cypriots tend to view suchan outcome as “tolerable”.
Levels of trust between thetwo communities remain verylow, with majorities in eachbelieving that, even if a compre-hensive settlement is achieved,the other community cannot betrusted to stick to the termsagreed. Indeed, when it comesto a preferred settlement, eachof the two communities seemsto misperceive the other’sintentions. While the majority ofGreek Cypriots indicate awillingness to tolerate a federalsolution as a “second best”outcome, Turkish Cypriotsbelieve that the majority ofGreek Cypriots would reject anyfederal solution outright.Despite the reality that themajority of Turkish Cypriotswould reject a unitary stateoutright, Greek Cypriots persistin the belief that most TurkishCypriots would consider aunitary state to be satisfactory.
When it comes to everydayinteraction on a personal andneighbourly level, the majorityof Greek Cypriots is predis-posed towards coexistence withTurkish Cypriots. In contrast,Turkish Cypriots are moredivided, albeit reflecting a moremoderate range of views than ayear ago, in indicating strongapproval or disapproval of co-existence with Greek Cypriots.
The process that led to theAnnan plan in 2004 is seen ascontroversial by the GreekCypriots and acceptable to the
Turkish Cypriots. On the otherhand, the public in bothcommunities accepts the“Gambari process” even thougha majority in each believes theUN’s handling of the processfavours the other side. In fact,approval or disapproval of theprocess is influenced by thesame factors in each community– faith in the UN’s impartialityand efficacy and the desire forcoexistence with the othercommunity and a settlement ofthe Cyprus problem. The surveyresponse also shows that thosewho counted themselves regularreaders of the island’s mainnewspapers tended to take amore disapproving view of theongoing process.
Federal solutionstill best hope forresolving theCyprus problem
The charts and texts thatf o l l ow were se l e c ted topresent a general overview ofthe results derived from theinterviews conducted this year.Drawn from sections includedin the survey, a number ofquestions were chosen withcorresponding data, toi l lustrate how Cypriotsgenerally view the UN’s workin Cyprus. The data alsoprovides insight into Cypriotopinion on a variety of topicsthat the mission intends totake into consideration whenimplementing future pro-grammes. The completepresentation of charts withcommentary is available inEnglish, Turkish and Greek onour website for easydownloading. SPSS raw datafiles can also be obtainedhere. (www.unficyp.org)
April 2007 – The Blue Beret 7
Q9. “How aware are you of the following facts regarding the buffer zone?”
Q10. “What do you think should be done about the buffer zone?”
Q8. “To what extent do you consider UNFICYP to be a positive or negative presence on the island?”
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Perc
ent
of
case
sPe
rcen
t of ca
ses
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriots
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
between them, secondly, thedesignation of certain parts ofthe buffer zone as environ-mental parks, and thirdly, morefreedom for owners to use theirland in the buffer zone as theysee fit.
Verynegative
Somewhatnegative
Neitherpositive nor
negative
Somewhatpostive
Verypositive
Verynegative
Somewhatnegative
Neitherpositive nor
negative
Somewhatpostive
Verypositive
Large parts of thebuffer zone have
become an environmental
preserve in whichrare animal andplant species
flourish.
There are villages inwhich people livewithin the bufferzone, which are
self-administered butsubject to certain UN
buffer zone restrictions.
UNFICYP's role inthe buffer zone isdictated by UN
Security Council decisions.
If a land owner desires to develop orfarm his land withinthe buffer zone, heneeds permissionboth from the UN
and from therelevent local
authorities of hiscommunity.
The buffer zone is policed in a special
manner, by UNPolice in
co-operation withpolice authorities
from bothcommunities.
For securityreasons, hunting isnot allowed in the
buffer zone.
The buffer zone isthe area separating
and keeping theopposing forces
apart.
Parts of the buffer zoneshould be utilised for projects
that will benefit bothcommunities and increase
contact between them.
The buffer zone should bemade smaller, by excluding
villages and other areaswhere people currently live,
so that these areas are under normal civilian
administration.
Opposing military forceswithin the old city of Nicosia
should pull back from theproximity of the buffer zone,
leaving security in the area tothe respective policing and
civil authorities.
Parts of the buffer zoneshould be designated as
environmental parks in orderto preserve the
natural heritage there.
The UN should be moreflexible and easy-going about
granting permissions for use of land in the
buffer zone.
Turkish CypriotsGreek Cypriots
6 April 2007 – The Blue Beret
Majorities in both communitiesare aware of the presence androle of UNFICYP in Cyprus,though Greek Cypriots are morelikely to be more aware ofUNFICYP than Turkish Cypriots.Furthermore, majorities in bothcommunities say they considerUNFICYP to be a positivepresence on the island, and
deem as negative any scenarioin which UNFICYP withdrawsprior to the restoration ofnormality.
Regarding the UN buffer zonespecifically, most Greek Cypriotsand Turkish Cypriots are awareof its basic purpose, and also ofthe regulations and limitationsregarding its use. It is apparentthat not everyone is aware ofthe fact that over the years, the
buffer zone has become anenvironmental preserve in whichrare animal and plant speciesflourish.
Regarding possibilities forfuture use of the buffer zone,large majorities of bothcommunities would favour,firstly, the utilisation of thebuffer zone for projects thatwould benefit both commu-nities and increase contact
UNFICYP
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Q4. “The fact that Turkey has troops stationed in Cyprus?”
Q6. “The fact that the UN has peacekeepers in Cyprus who patrol the buffer zone?”
Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriots
Q7. “The fact that Cyprus has joined the European Union?”
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Q5. “The fact that Greek Cypriot National Guard exists?”
Very Insecure
Somewhatinsecure
Indifferent Somewhatsecure
VerySecure
Very Insecure
Somewhatinsecure
Indifferent Somewhatsecure
VerySecure
Very Insecure
Somewhatinsecure
Indifferent Somewhatsecure
VerySecure
Very Insecure
Somewhatinsecure
Indifferent Somewhatsecure
VerySecure
Very Insecure
Somewhatinsecure
Indifferent Somewhatsecure
VerySecure
Very Insecure
Somewhatinsecure
Indifferent Somewhatsecure
VerySecure
Very Insecure
Somewhatinsecure
Indifferent Somewhatsecure
VerySecure
Very Insecure
Somewhatinsecure
Indifferent Somewhatsecure
VerySecure
Of the Greek Cypriots who havecrossed, a large proportiondeclared that they now have aworse opinion of Turkish Cypriotsas a result. This negative impactwas most prevalent among thosewho crossed once or a few timesin the past, in order to visit theirold home towns and to conduct a
religious pilgrimage. By contrast,the majority of Turkish Cypriotswho have crossed report thattheir opinion of Greek Cypriotshas not changed as a result. Ofthose who report a change inattitude, more say that they nowhave a better opinion as a resultof crossing than those who saytheir opinion has worsened as aresult. Specifically, TurkishCypriots who have crossed inorder to work, to visit friends, toenjoy the nightlife or to goshopping, tend to report that theyhave a better opinion of GreekCypriots as a result of crossing.
Since the checkpoints openedin 2003, about 40% of GreekCypriots declare that they havenever crossed, about 50% ofGreek Cypriots declare that theyhave crossed once or a few timesin the past but no longer, whileabout 10% of Greek Cypriots stillcross the checkpoints at a greateror lesser frequency.
By comparison, about 30% ofTurkish Cypriots have never
crossed, about 25% of TurkishCypriots have crossed once or afew times in the past but don’tcross any more, while about 45%of Turkish Cypriots still cross thecheckpoints at a greater or lesserfrequency. The conclusion drawnis that almost all Turkish Cypriotswho had the right and opportunityto cross actually went ahead anddid so.
The vast majority of GreekCypriots who have crossed choseto restrict themselves to a visit totheir pre-1974 home, oftencombining the trip with a religiouspilgrimage to an Orthodox churchor monastery. Very few of thosewho crossed have allowed totaking advantage of recreationaland commercial opportunities.
By contrast, the majority ofTurkish Cypriots who crossedhave done so primarily asvisitors seeking to takeadvantage of the newopportunities afforded them bythe opening of the checkpoints,with the most commonly cited
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Q15. “Do you believe that all the missing persons are dead,or that some of them are still alive somewhere?”
Q14. “Which of these two statements are you more inagreement with?”
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
April 2007 – The Blue Beret 9
Opening of theCrossings
In addition, the great majorityboth of Greek Cypriots and ofTurkish Cypriots approve of thework which the Committee forMissing Persons is engaged in.Specifically, about 90% ofGreek Cypriots and 75% ofTurkish Cypriots approve of therecent work of the Committeefor Missing Persons.
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
I believe that all aredead
I believe that someof them are still
alive
I believe that all aredead
I believe that someof them are still
alive
Exhumingand
identifyingremains is
an essentialprocess
Fate ofpersons
should beresolved byinvestigation
only
Not sure Exhumingand
identifyingremains is
an essentialprocess
Fate ofpersons
should beresolved byinvestigation
only
Not sure
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriots
Majorities in both communitiesare aware that deminingactivities are ongoing in thebuffer zone. Furthermore, major-ities of both communities agreethat minefields are a remnant ofthe past, and that they shouldnow be dismantled. Not everyoneis aware that the clearing and
disposing of anti-pe r sonne lmines is an internationalobligation in accordance withthe Ottawa Treaty. In contrast,most are aware that minefieldsneed to be dismantled beforefarmers can be allowed to usetheir land in the buffer zone, orbefore any further crossing pointscan be opened.
Among Turkish Cypriots, theprevalent belief is that all theMissing Persons are in fact
deceased. By contrast, one thirdof Greek Cypriots believes thatsome of the Missing Persons arestill alive somewhere.
Among Greek Cypriots,almost everyone (96% of thoseinterviewed) is aware that a
large number of exhumationshave taken place in recentmonths.
Among Turkish Cypriots,about two thirds of thoseinterviewed report that they wereaware of the recent exhumations.
8 April 2007 – The Blue Beret
Committee for Missing Persons
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Perc
ent
of
case
sPe
rcen
t of ca
ses
Q11. “How aware are you that demining is being conducted in the buffer zone by the UN?”
Q12. “Which of these statements are you more in agreement with?”
Demining
Q13. “To what extent do you consider the CMP to be a positive or negative effect on the island?”
Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriots80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Verynegative
Somewhatnegative
Indifferent Somewhatpositive
Verypositive
Verynegative
Somewhatnegative
Indifferent Somewhatpositive
Verypositive
Minefields areessential for securityand I believe they
should stay
Minefields are aremnant of the pastand I believe theyshould be removed
Not sure Minefields areessential for securityand I believe they
should stay
Minefields are aremnant of the pastand I believe theyshould be removed
Not sure
Not at all aware Somewhat aware Clearly aware Not at all aware Somewhat aware Clearly aware
Of the various possible types ofinter-communal contact, themost acceptable to bothcommunities is environmentalcooperation by Greek Cypriotand Turkish Cypriot NGOs, andalso cooperation involving GreekCypriot and Turkish Cypriotacademics working together oncommon research projects.
Even though bothcommunities generallyaccept and acknowledge themerits and benefits ofbicommunal contact, thereis great sensitivity over theextent to which non-Cypriotintermediaries should getinvolved in facilitating andpromoting such activities.While “assistance by the UNor others” is seen as
potentially helpful, the overallmessage is that non-Cypriotintermediaries should maintaina delicate balance by“assisting and facilitating”while avoiding any perceptionof “interfering and meddling”.
Large majorities in bothcommunities believe that inter-communal contact today isessential to pave the way for aunited Cyprus tomorrow
Similarly, a majority in bothcommunities rejects the notionthat “only people who areconfused about their nationalidentities take part in inter-communal activities”.
Despite majority goodwillin both communities to engagein inter-communal contact,only a small percentage ofGreek Cypriots and TurkishCypriots has actually come incontact with members of the
other community. In thosecases where there has beencontact with people of theother community, the resulton the whole has been anincrease in the level of trusttowards members of the othercommunity.
Inter-communalContact
Q19. “Inter-communal contact today is essential in paving the way for a united Cyprus tomorrow”
Perc
ent
of
case
sPe
rcen
t of ca
ses
Q20. “Any type of non-Cypriot involvement in the whole issue of inter-communal contact isan unacceptable meddling in our internal affairs”
Stronglydisagree
Somewhatdisagree
Neutral Somewhatagree
Stronglyagree
Stronglydisagree
Somewhatdisagree
Neutral Somewhatagree
Stronglyagree
Stronglydisagree
Somewhatdisagree
Neutral Somewhatagree
Stronglyagree
Stronglydisagree
Somewhatdisagree
Neutral Somewhatagree
Stronglyagree
60%
40%
20%
0%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriots
April 2007 – The Blue Beret 1110 April 2007 – The Blue Beret
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
reasons for crossing being,firstly, to enjoy the countrysideand, secondly, to go shopping.
That said, a large number ofTurkish Cypriots also crossedto visit their pre-1974 home,
to seek official documentation,to work, or to receive medicalcare.
Perc
ent
of
case
sPe
rcen
t of ca
ses
Q16. “Regarding the frequency of crossing to the other side, which of the following statementsbest reflects your own habits?”
Q18. “As a result of crossing the checkpoints, would you say that your opinion of people from theother side has changed?”
Q17. “Reasons for crossing”
Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriots
I go acrossfrequently
I crossoccasionallywhenever agood reason
arises
I used tocross a lot,but I rarelygo acrossnowadays
I have onlycrossed
once or afew times in
the past,but I don’t
crossanymore
I havenever
crossed
I go acrossfrequently
I crossoccasionallywhenever a
goodreasonarises
I used tocross a lot,but I rarelygo acrossnowadays
I have onlycrossed
once or afew times in
the past,but I don’t
crossanymore
I havenever
crossed
To discussissues
related tothe Cyprusproblem ina political
or civilsocietycontext
To use anairport orsea port
To enjoythe
nightlife
To work orconductbusiness
To receivemedicalattention
To visitfriends
To conducta religiouspilgrimage
To enjoythe
beachesand res-taurants
To see myold homeor town or
village
To seekofficial
documen-tation
To do myshopping
To enjoythe
country-side
I now havea muchworseopinion
I now havea somewhat
worseopinion
My opinionhasn’t
changed
I now havea somewhat
betteropinion
I now havea muchbetteropinion
I now havea muchworseopinion
I now havea somewhat
worseopinion
My opinionhasn’t
changed
I now havea somewhat
betteropinion
I now havea muchbetteropinion
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Turkish CypriotsGreek Cypriots
Unitary state solution Two state arrangement Bizonal, bicommunal federation
Q25. “Personal support for possible solution scenarios”
Q24. “When do you expect that the Cyprus problem will be solved?”
Greek Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots
Perc
ent
of
case
sPe
rcen
t of ca
ses
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
this spirit, and seen as acompromise option, largem a j o r i t i e s o f b o t hcommunities would at leastbe willing to tolerate a federalsolution. Only 28% of TurkishCypriots and 35% of GreekCypriots would under anycircumstances and regardlessof the specific plan, reject a
federal solution to the Cyprusproblem.
More Turkish Cypriots thanGreek Cypriots consider afederal settlement of the Cyprusproblem to be “satisfactory”.Greek Cypriots, in contrast, tendto view a federal settlement asmerely “tolerable”. However, ona level of personal relations, this
picture is reversed. More GreekCypriots than Turkish Cypriotsare likely to report “that theyhave much in common withmembers of the othercommunity”, and that “theywould be willing to accepteveryday and neighbourlycoexistence of the twocommunities”.
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Greek Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots
Within 2007 Over the nexttwo or three
years
Five years + When Turkeyenters the EU
When theGreek Cypriot
leadershipchanges
When theTurkishCypriot
leadershipchanges
The statusquo is thesolution
The problemwill not be
solved in theforeseeable
future
Otherresponse
Unacceptable Tolerable Satisfactory Unacceptable Tolerable Satisfactory Unacceptable Tolerable Satisfactory
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots
Large majorities from bothcommunities are currentlysceptical about the prospect of acomprehensive settlement inthe foreseeable future.
Nonetheless, only smallminorities from the two com-munities seem to believe that
“the current status quo is thesolution”.
As for the type of solutionpreferred, the Greek Cypriotswould ideally choose a unitarystate solution and the TurkishCypriots would ideally choose atwo state solution. However,neither of these frameworkswould be acceptable simultane-ously to the other community as
well – Greek Cypriots stronglyreject the notion of a two statesolution, while Turkish Cypriotsstrongly reject the notion of aunitary state solution.
A federal solution is seen assecond best by bothcommunities – second best to aunitary state for Greek Cypriots,and second best to a two statesolution for Turkish Cypriots. In
Prospects for a Settlement
April 2007 – The Blue Beret 1312 April 2007 – The Blue Beret
Q21. “Assistance from the UN or other external actors is important for the success of inter-communal events”
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Q22. “Degree to which contact with people in the other community has an impact on trust”
Q23. “Support for different types of inter-communal contact”
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
TurkishCypriotsGreek Cypriots
Stronglydisagree
Somewhatdisagree
Neutral Somewhatagree
Stronglyagree
Stronglydisagree
Somewhatdisagree
Neutral Somewhatagree
Stronglyagree
Very negative
Somewhatnegative
Somewhatpositive
Very positive
Very negative
Somewhatnegative
Somewhatpositive
Very positive
Businesspeople from
bothcommunities
cooperating injoint busines
ventures
Young peopleof both
communitiesmeeting todiscuss the
future of theisland
Professionalgroups of bothcommunities
such asengineers,lawyers,teachers,
meeting todiscuss issuesrelated to their
professions
Trade unionsfrom both
communitiestaking
commonaction
People of bothcommunitiesmeeting forpurposes of
recreation onsocial and
friendly level
Representativesof Greek
Cypriot andTurkish Cypriot
politicallparties
meeting witheach other toshare views
Academics ofboth
communitiescooperating on
commonresearch
projects andacademic
conferences
Journalistsfrom both
communitiessetting up a
commonforum to
discuss therole of themedia inCyprus inhelping to
bring the twocommunities
together
Former co-villagers of
bothcommunitiesmeeting witheach other attheir original
village
Environmentalaction groups
of bothcommunities
workingtogether for
commonprojects toprotect the
environment
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Turkish CypriotsGreek Cypriots
The process that led up to theAnnan plan in 2004 is seen ascontroversial by the GreekCypriots and acceptable by theTurkish Cypriots. In contrast,the “Gambari Process” that iscurrently underway is seen assimultaneously acceptable bothby the Greek Cypriot public andby the Turkish Cypriot public.
In relation to the current“Gambari Process”, a majorityof Greek Cypriots believesthat the UN is biased infavour of Turkish Cypriots,
while a majority of TurkishCypriots believes that the UNis biased in favour of GreekCypriots.
Similar factors influence thelevel of approval or disapprovalof the current UN process, bothamong Greek Cypriots andamong Turkish Cypriots. Faith inthe UN’s impartiality andefficacy translates into increasedsupport for the process, whilethe desire for coexistence withthe other community and asettlement of the Cyprusproblem also leads people toview the process favourably.
Large majorities of bothcommunities would welcomeinitiatives that would bring thepeace process in closer contactwith the public in Cyprus – suchas an outreach programme totowns and villages, or in-depthresearch into Greek Cypriot andTurkish Cypriot concerns, or aninteractive website throughwhich the people of Cypruswould be enabled to air theirconcerns and submit proposals,or a magazine – translated intoTurkish and Greek - which wouldprovide information related tothe peace process.
April 2007 – The Blue Beret 15
The Role of the UN
Beta 1. Factors which influence GreekCypriot support of the current UN process.
Beta 2. Factors which influence TurkishCypriot support of the current UN process.
Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriots
Sta
ndar
dis
hed
bet
a co
effici
ent
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Published monthly by the: PIOUnited Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, HQ UNFICYPPO Box 216421590 NicosiaCyprus
Tel: 2261-4550/4416/4408Fax: 2261-4461E-mail: [email protected]
Editorial TeamBrian KellyMiriam TaylorNetha KreouzosSSgt. Michal IvanAnne BurseyCapt. Tomáš Pavlík
Unit Press OfficersSector 1 Capt. Guillermo Larreyna
Sector 2 Capt. Gary Allen
Sector 4 Capt Miloš SegeňMFR Lt. William Percy
UNPOL Sgt. Gail McClure
UN Flt 1/Lt. Nestor MarelliFMPU Capt. Miroslav Svorník
The Blue Beret is UNFICYP’s in-housejournal. Views expressed are of theauthors concerned, and do not neces-sarilyconform with official policy.Articles of general interest (plus photoswith captions) are invited from all membersof the Force.Copyright of all material is vested in UNpublications, but may be reproduced withthe Editor’s permission.
THE BLUE BERET
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
.300
.250
.200
.150
.100
.050
.0
Stronglybiased infavour ofTurkishCypriots
Somewhatbiased infavour ofTurkishCypriots
Objectiveand
unbiased
Somewhatbiased infavour of
GreekCyprios
Stronglybiased infavour of
GreekCypriots
Stronglybiased infavour ofTurkishCypriots
Somewhatbiased infavour ofTurkishCypriots
Objectiveand
unbiased
Somewhatbiased infavour of
GreekCyprios
Stronglybiased infavour of
GreekCypriots
The UN isconducting a veryserious effort to
bring together thetwo communities inCyprus and re-unite
the island
The UN is theimpartial voice ofthe internationalcommunity and
represents the bestinterests of Cyprus
as a whole
We have much incommon with theTurkish Cypriots
The UN isconducting a veryserious effort to
bring together thetwo communities inCyprus and re-unite
the island
I would not mindhaving Greek
Cypriot neighbours
Turkish Cypriotpersonal opinion on
a bizonal,bicommunalfederation
Q31. “In your opinion, is the UN’s current effort objective, or biased in favour of one or theother side?”
14 April 2007 – The Blue Beret
Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriots
Poll IdentityGeneral population sample: 1,000 Turkish Cypriots and 1,000
Greek Cypriots
Booster sample: 100 Turkish Cypriots and 250 Greek Cypriots
residing within the UN buffer zone
Method of data collection: Face-to-face interviews with a structured
questionnaire at the home of respondents and in their native
language
Sampling process: Multi-stage random stratified sampling
Period of data collection: 26 January – 19 February 2007
Project coordination: Brian Kelly, UNFICYP Spokesperson and
Anne Bursey, UNFICYP Public Information Officer
Project consultants: Erol Kaymak and Alexandros Lordos
Field work responsibility: Prologue Consulting for Turkish Cypriots
and CYMAR Market Research for Greek Cypriots
Q26. Bizonal, bicommunal federation
Q28. “I would not mind having Turkish / Greek Cypriot neighbours.”
Q27. Unitary state
Perc
ent
of ca
ses
Perc
ent
of
case
sPe
rcen
t of ca
ses
Each of the two communitiesseems to misperceive theintentions of the other withregard to the type of settlementpreferred. In the Greek Cypriotcase, while the reality is that themajority of Greek Cypriots wouldbe willing to tolerate a federalsolution as a “second best”alternative, the Turkish Cypriots
believe that the majority ofGreek Cypriots would reject anyfederal solution outright. In theTurkish Cypriot case, while thereality is that the majority ofTurkish Cypriots would reject aunitary state solution outright,Greek Cypriots believe that themajority of Turkish Cypriotswould in fact consider a unitary
state solution to be satisfactory.As in previous years, the level oftrust between the two com-munities remains very low –majorities of both communitiesbel ieve that, even i f aComprehensive Settlement isachieved, the other communitycannot be trusted to stay loyal towhat has been agreed.
Q29. “The Turkish Cypriots cannot betrusted to adhere to an agreement we mightmake with them”
Q30. “The Greek Cypriots cannot be trustedto adhere to an agreement we might makewith them”
Stronglydisagree
Partlydisagree
Neutral Partlyagree
Stonglyagree
Stronglydisagree
Partlydisagree
Neutral Partlyagree
Stonglyagree
Stronglydisagree
Partlydisagree
Neutral Partlyagree
Stonglyagree
Stronglydisagree
Partlydisagree
Neutral Partlyagree
Stonglyagree
60%
40%
20%
0%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Unacceptable Tolerable Satisfactory Unacceptable Tolerable Satisfactory Unacceptable Tolerable Satisfactory Unacceptable Tolerable Satisfactory
Greek Cypriots: “I wouldnot mind having TurkishCypriot neighbours”
Turkish Cypriots: “I wouldnot mind having GreekCypriot neighbours”
Greek Cypriotpersonal support forthis option
Turkish Cypriot perception ofGreek Cypriotmajority view
Turkish Cypriotpersonal supportfor this option
Greek Cypriot perception ofTurkish Cypriotmajority view
General attitudes toward the
How aware are you about each of the UN agencies that operate in Cyprus?
On the whole, how secure or insecure would you say you feel living in Cyprus today?
To what extent do you consider UNFICYP to be a positive or negative presence on the island?e fact that Turkey has troops stationed in Cyprus
The fact that Greece has troops stationed in Cyprus
The fact that the UN has peacekeepers in Cyprus who patrol the buffer zoneThe fact that Cyprus has joined the European Union
What do you think should be done about the buffer zone?
How aware are you of the following facts regarding the buffer
How aware are you that demining is being conducted in the buffer zone by the UN?
nts are you more in agreement with?Which of these statements are you more in agreement with?
ch of these two statements are you more in agreement with?
Which of these two statements are you more in agreement wiWhich of these two statements are you more i
Do you believe that all the missing persons are dead, or that some of them are still alive somewhere?
Do you believe that all the
Inter-communal contact today is essent
type of non-Cypriot involvement in the whole issue of inter-communal contact is an unacceptable meddling in
Cyprus problem will be solved?
Personal support for possible solution scenarios
Support for different types of inter-communal contact
Bizonal, bicommunal Federation
Unitary State
Bizonal, bicommunal Federation
In your opinion, is the UN’s current effort objective, or biased in favour of one or the other side?
Factors which influence Turkish Cypriot support of the current UN process.
Factors which influence Turkish Cypriot support of the current UN process.
Factors which influence Turkish Cypriot suppo
Factors which influence Greek Cypriot support of the current UN process.
To what extent do you consider the CMP to be a positive or negative effect on
