Has the EU’s Position toward the Cyprus Question Taken a Turn in the Wake of the Eastmed Natural Gas Discoveries?

Abstract

This thesis explores whether the European Union, as an institution and through its member states, has changed its discourse and attitude toward Cyprus in general and the Cyprus Question in particular following the discovery of Natural Gas in the Eastern Mediterranean. In order to do so, a selection of marking events prior to these discoveries have been explored so to get a sense of EU’s previous positions. These are the UN sponsored plan to unify the island, Turkey’s non-recognition of the Republic of Cyprus, and the economic crisis of 2012. When tackling the Gas discoveries, it is essential to understand what they constitute for EU in general and for its energy security specifically. The thesis then lays out the key events and EU actions and reactions handling the Cyprus issue in its various aspects. The thesis concludes that though the EU has hardened its defensive position in regard to Cypriot EEZ, its position and expression vis-à-vis the Cyprus dispute remains the same. Tactical choices and positions, following actions of other stakeholders in the region, notably Turkey, are what is driving EU policy in regard to Cyprus’ dispute for the time being.