Recent English-language Works on Cyprus (review)

Kypros Chrysostomides, The Republic of Cyprus: A Study in International Law. The Hague, Boston, London: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers/Kluwer. 2000. Pp. 619. $117.00.

Joseph S. Joseph, Cyprus: Ethnic Conflict and International Politics: From Independence to the Threshold of the European Union Third edition. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1999. Pp. 206. $19.95 (paper).

Brendan O'Malley and Ian Craig, The Cyprus Conspiracy: America, Espionage and the Turkish Invasion. London and New York: I. B. Tauris. 1999. Pp. 260. $29.95.

Ioannis Stefanidis, Isle of Discord: Nationalism, Imperialism and the Making of the Cyprus Problem. New York: New York University Press. 1999. Pp. 309. $45.00.

Despite its small size, Cyprus continues to provide extensive opportunities for new research, whether in politics, modern and classical history, economics, or other areas of study. The four books reviewed in this essay are the latest contributions in English on the domestic and international dimensions of the political problems confronting Cyprus and the international community.

The most relevant of the four books for the current diplomatic initiatives on Cyprus is The Republic of Cyprus: A Study in International Law by Dr. Kypros Chrysostomides, a prominent Cypriot attorney. The book is prefaced by the well-known London School of Economics professor Christopher Greenwood, Queens College. It is an expanded and updated version of a work originally published in Greek by Chrysostomides, To Kratos tis Kyprou Sto Diethnes Dikaio (Athens: Sakkoulas, 1994). This book is a unique study of the position of the Republic of Cyprus under international law.

One of the key conclusions of Chrysostomides's study is that the Republic of Cyprus has had a continuous existence as a state, and as the only state on the island since 1960, notwithstanding all the violations of international law to which it has been subjected. This is a most important conclusion in view of efforts by international mediators to restructure the Republic of Cyprus into a confederation of two independent states.

In 13 chapters, an epilogue, and a postscript, the book provides a historical overview of Cyprus and analyzes the 1960 constitution and the legal concepts surrounding the independent state established in 1960. The legal status of the British Sovereign Base areas (SBAs) is also analyzed. Furthermore, the author goes on to discuss the legal effects and arguments surrounding the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus and how European and other international institutions and courts in the European Union, in European countries, and in the United States have addressed legal aspects of the Cyprus problem.

Most valuable and relevant to the present situation is the author's analysis of federalism. He examines, on a comparative basis, the meaning of federation and confederation in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, the United States, the UAR, and Yugoslavia. The book concludes with issues relevant to the integration of Cyprus in the EU. A key issue remains whether Cyprus will be admitted as a single state, pending the settlement of its problems. In such case, the admission, upon settlement, would automatically apply to the occupied areas as well. But, if the admission of Cyprus involves only the areas controlled by the government of the Republic, then this would lead to the de jure recognition of the division of Cyprus. The author finds this to be unacceptable.

This most valuable book includes nearly one hundred pages of documents and an extensive bibliography. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the political and legal dimensions of the Cyprus problem. Most of all, it should be read by American, UN, and British diplomats involved in the current negotiations. The author should be congratulated for a truly outstanding work.

Brendan O'Malley, Editor of The Times Educational Supplement (London) and Ian Craig, Political Editor of The Manchester Evening News, provide a timely, provocative interpretation of the events surrounding the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus in The Cyprus Conspiracy: American, Espionage and the Turkish Invasion. Relying on extensive interviews and documentary evidence...