Some Background on Cyprus

I haven’t explained much about the history of Cyprus or why it’s divided, but if you’re interested in a quick overview, the New York Times obituary of Rauf Denktash, the former leader of the Turkish Cypriots, is worth reading.

What is interesting to note is that Cyprus has a history of being occupied, and it wasn’t until 1960 that it achieved independence from Britain. Fast forward to now, when in one week, the leaders of both sides (north and south) are set to meet in New York for peace talks. They were in New York a few months ago as well (these talks have been going on for three years), but there doesn’t seem to be much promise for a solution. Two big issues related to these talks are the natural gas reserves found through off-shore drilling (and the money that will come from it) and Cyprus’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union, which begins July 2012.