United
Nation Peacekeeping Mission Force in Cyprus was set up by the Security Council
in 1964 after the fight as a result of some incidents that occurred between
Greek and Turkish Cypriots communities. These incidents caused many absences of
political settlements and produced the Cyprus Problem. According to UN
Peacekeeping Mission internet site, UNFICYP has remained on the island to
prevent additional violent incidents and to support and hopefully produce peace
agreements between two sides of Cyprus citizens. To fulfill these goals, the UN has
been trying to "maintain a buffer zone, undertake humanitarian activities
and support the good offices mission of Secretary-General." (UNFICYP
Background 2014) In this paper, I will give some background about the Cyprus issue
and the UN's peacekeeping mission's mandates, not only this, but also their
various progresses to reach more peaceful environment on the island. The paper
will also contain some failures of their mandates. The reader will be able to
reach some information about the UN Cyprus Peacekeeping Mission's mandates and
their relations with the six terms of Human Security principles. I will analyze
the mission's practices if they are successful to maintain some of these
principles.
To
understand the practices and the position of United Nation Peacekeeping Mission
in Cyprus, first we need to be aware of the history of Cyprus Island and the
political settlements in Cyprus. “The Republic of Cyprus became an independent
state on 16 August 1960 and became a member of the United Nations one month
later” (UNFICYP Background 2014). The main goal was maintaining peace and to
balance both Greek and Turkish Cypriot populations. Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and
the United Kingdom became parts of a treaty to reach basic peaceful settlements
on the island. It is interesting to come across with the United Kingdom during
this agreement when we do not have enough information about the history of the
island. In 1878, Ottoman Empire made an agreement with the United Kingdom that
called “Ayastefanos” and let the United Kingdom control the island by the price
of supporting the Empire against Russia’s treats. The United Kingdom was agreed
to pay some of the profits that was gained from the island after they took some
parts for their cost (Metu Edu 2014, 1). This issue seems very complex and need
some wider research and explanation, but to keep focus on the United Nation
Peacekeeping Mission, I just wanted to share this part.
In 1974,
because of some news that came from Cyprus about the security of Turkish
Cypriots and murdered civilians’ reports, Turkey invaded the island and they
became violent too. If some united forces were able to take
actions on time, they could have prevented Turkey’s militarist attack.
Thankfully, at least after the declaration of the independence of The Republic
of Cyprus, there are some organizations and their mandates such as United
Nation Peacekeeping Missions to keep the island more peaceful and improve Human
Security for both communities; Greek and Turkish Cypriots. UNFICYP started to
“supervise ceasefire lines, maintain a buffer zone, and undertake humanitarian
activities and support the good offices mission of the Secretary-General”
(UNFICYP Background, Mandate 2014).
UNFICYP declares its mission as “in the interest of preserving
international peace and security, to use its best efforts to prevent a
recurrence of fighting and, as necessary to contribute to maintenance and
restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions” (Establishment of
UNFICYP 2014). This was the first mandate of the Security Council and extended
regularly btween 1964 to 2014.
The UN
Peacekeeping Mission Force has been trying to increase Human Security on the
island. These missions are: The Primacy of human rights, Legitimate political
authority, A bottom-up approach, Effective multilateralism, Integrated regional
approach and Clear and transparent strategic direction (Human Security, 2008).
Before creating some links between UNFICYP and six principles of Human Security,
it is better to mention these specific principles. First of all, Human Security
"refers to the security of individuals and communities." This
specific security is related with "freedom from fear" and freedom
from want." Human Security range is wider and more qualitative than
security of stat but more realistic than Human Development (Human Security
2008:10). The Mission forces try to perform certain additional functions such as “maintenance of the ceasefire,
deployment of the Cyprus National Guard and the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot
forces, and ceasefire lines and buffer zones were established between the areas
controlled by opposing forces” (UNFICYP 2014). UNFICYP also maintains
surveillance by all possible ways to prevent new incidents. According to the mission
internet site, under the “Maintenance of Ceasefire and Military Status Quo”
title, we have learned that three percent of the island has been used as buffer
zones which are the most valuable agricultural lands of Cyprus. The Cypriots
needs to use these lands as safe zones to keep the territory peaceful, because
there is no official peace agreement between Greek and Turkish sides of the
island. This makes all population unclear and unstable about their today's and
tomorrow's peace. In addition, because of the same reason Cyprus communities
needs a third side to help them maintain Human Security in their territories
(UNFICYP Background 2014).
The Force
has been using various types of actions to investigate and act based on
specific situations on the island such as “troops, verbal and written protests,
and follow up-action to ensure that the violation has been rectified or will
not occur again” (UNFICYP Background 2014). The Force also tries to prevent
unauthorized entry or activities by civilians from the buffer zones. By the
help of the mission, we are able to learn that there has been decrease in
military violations which seems related with fifth principle of Human Security
which is related with integrated regional approach. We learn that this principle
is also related with “borders through refuges, transnational criminal networks”
including “regional dialogues and action between neighboring countries” (Human
Security 2008). Moreover, “UNFICYP’s
civilian police maintain close cooperation and liaison with the Cyprus police
and the Turkish Cyprus police on matters having intercommunion aspects”
(UNFIYCP Background 2014). This is also related with the fourth principle of
the Human Security principles which is Effective multilateralism. This principle
tries to maintain collective works “within the framework of international law,
alongside other international and regional agencies, individual states and
non-state actors” to create common rules and norms (Human Security 2008). By
the support of the mission, Cyprus has increased its crossing points between
two sides for visits in both directions. UN police was ensuring the safety of
the visitors. This task is related with maintaining the mandates of the mission
and also the first and the fifth Human Security principles. In addition to
these, the mission force creates and becomes a part of humanitarian activities
which are also related with the third principle of the human Security; a
bottom-up approach. The mission forces tries “to encourage normal civilian
activities in the buffer zones” (UNFICYP, Humanitarian Activities 1998).
Moreover,
there is very useful information in the United Nation Security Council Reports
that United Nation Peacekeeping Mission Forces in Cyprus publish regularly at
their official internet sites. I was able to read several of them to see the
improvements and failures from the beginning of the mission to the present
days. According to the mission’s 1998-2014 reports, they have been able to
improve the calmness on the island and “create distance between the soldiers
that deployed on each side of the buffer zones” (United Nation Security Council
Activity Report, 1998:8). Moreover, when people experience detentions because
of crossing the buffer zone, the mission forces were actively supporting the
families of the detainees and arranged some family visits in the place of
detention (UNSCA Report, 1998:16). In addition, they were able to arrange some
touristic and cultural visits to historical Monasteries and Mosques that takes
places on the other sides of Cyprus. The Mission forces became successful to
improve the lives of minorities who are politically belonging to other sides of
the island (UNSCA Report, 1998: 17-20). These are successful parts of the
mission mandates that are related with Human Security Principles such as
Integrated Regional Approach; principle five. Their “restoration and normal
conditions and humanitarian” mandate also gained some success, too. For
instance, the mission forces encouraged to renew expended and automated
telephone connection between both sides of the island. Cypriots was also
encouraged to use the buffer zones for peaceful purposes such as agricultural
work, but it seems like these parts of improvements are mostly symbolic (UNSCA
Report, 1998:18, 25).
According
to the mission's reports, there were “frequent minor incidents” and failures. In 1998, both sides continued major military construction even though the
mission protests and emphasize that this kinds of constructions increase the
tensions along the ceasefire lines (UNSCA Report, 1998:4). Unfortunately, we need to mention some of the
failures of the Mission which are related with Human Security principles. For
instance, there have been some over flight incidents from both sides and “live
firing ground attack exercises onto a range area” (UNSCA Report, 1998:5, 1998).
In the same year, we are able to learn that both sides continued to upgrade
their military capabilities. “It is estimated that there are over 30.000
Turkish forces and some 4.500 Turkish Cypriot troops on the island” (UNSCA
Report, 1998:6). The report mentions that the both sides continued the military
capabilities, but the report preferred to mention only the Turkish side’s
military statistics which seems problematic. In addition, it seems like Turkish
part’s continuous militaristic investment and soldier stocking is really high. This
information is not very transparent for Turkish people. I believe that, the
mission is not good at for the third; “a bottom-up approach” principle of Human Security. Their actions seem more official and political rather than encouraging
civil movements.
Moreover,
based on the mission reports, they are not working enough to reach civilians to
create more conditions for peace and stability. They are more interested in politic
faces or superficial protests. For instance, the mission’s activities about the
minefields and booby-trapped areas are too weak. They may not have enough power than to create some pressure on both sides of the island politically, but
if they could try to work more with civilians and try to create awareness of
the issue and their actual losses, this mission could be more successful
especially regarding the Human Security principles. For instance, surprisingly in
the mission’s regular reports, I have learned that there is a restriction
“remains that Greek Cypriots and Maronites cannot bequeath their property, even
to their next of kin, unless their heirs also live in the northern part of the
island. Otherwise, immovable property is expropriated by the Turkish Cypriots
authorities when the owner dies” (UNSCA Report, 1998:22). This seems
extraordinarily unacceptable practice. I think, if the Peacekeeping Mission was
able to organize some case studies or special project about this practice
especially by creating awareness about this policy, we may be able to change it
earlier. This is a sign of failure of the mission especially about the second,
third, fifth and sixth Human Security principles. In my opinion especially the
third; the bottom-up approach and the fifth one; integrated regional dialogue
principles are not very successful. I believe that if people that live in
Turkey were informed by the mission by the help of mass media, new generation
could create some movement against it, too. As a Turkish citizen, I was shocked
when I read this policy for the first time during my research for this paper.
Unfortunately, after all these years with the support of the mission force, the
conditions of the island seem not very pleasant. Not only the mission’s report,
but also the Special Adviser on Cyprus; Alvaro de Soto and the
Secretary-General Kofi Annan mentions in their speeches that they “have been
reached the end of the road and the mission and the mandates are mostly failed
to reach a peaceful point in Cyprus (Press Release 2013).
As I
finish, it seems like the mission has also some weakness that is related with
the sixth principle of Human Security that called “Clear and transparent
strategic direction.” The mission publishes some reports regularly, but their
missions and mandates are too broad. Based on their reports, it seems like they
are mostly reacting to the incidents rather than creating some peaceful ones
regularly. I am not trying to underestimate their efforts, because they have
also some success for improving Human Security in Cyprus as I mentioned before.
However, I think their main weakness is having distance from civilians in their
projects. Thankfully, the mission still has some mandates and goals to create
and “improve the public atmosphere for negotiations in 2014 report. However,
probably because of the continuous deadlock in Cyprus, all the mandates and
reports seems to become more superficial and general. I believe that if they
still insist to extend the mission after every six months, they need to avoid
becoming this much superficial or they need to abolish the mission. I suggest
this because generally if some organizations are interested in some issues
officially, the other organizations generally ignore them.
Ultimately,
United Nation Peacekeeping Mission Forces in Cyprus became operational on the
island after 1964. There is not enough information about the violent incidents
on the island when we check the UNFICYP reports. The report use only
superficial notions like incidents, hostilities, fighting etc. I believe that
to make these reports more functional for new generations of Cyprus’ Greek and
Turkish communities, this organization need to prepare more detailed reports
and suggestions which must be more than official jargons such as general
statements like welcoming, acknowledging, recalling, noting general things. At
the beginning the mission reports are more useful to understand the issues of
the island.
In
addition, I found that these UN reports about Cyprus are published in six
languages including English, French and Spanish, but none of these reports are
published in Greek or Turkish. This seems very problematic when we are aware of
the UN’s power and its opportunities. I believe that if the United Nation
Peacekeeping Mission forces really want to maintain their goals and improve the
Human Security on the island, first the organization need to publish these
reports in both sides' language and make these sources available for Cyprus
communities at least for the new generation Social Science students and
researchers. Moreover, the United Nation Security Council Reports that
Peacekeeping Mission Force publishes on their internet site seems like becoming
more superficial regularly from 1998 to 2014. We are more able to reach
detailed reports, news and solution requests at the mission’s early stages.
This can be as a result of both Cyprus sides' practices and weak cooperation,
but if the council insists to continue extending the mandate of the mission
regularly, to keep the mission meaningful and functionally to improve Human
Security on Cyprus Island, they need keep their motivation and efforts high.
Hopefully, in the future Cyprus can reach to more peaceful conditions by the
help of many civil and official forces including the United Nation Peacekeeping
Mission force.
Bibliography
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Apr, 2014.
Kaldor, M., Martin, M., Selchow, S.,
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United Nation Facts and Figures.
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UNFICYP. “Background,” 2014.
Apr, 2014.
United Nation. “United Nation
Peacekeeping Mission Forces in Cyprus Reports 1998-2014,”
Accessed:
Apr 13, 2014.
General Kofi Annan, “United Nation Peacekeeping Mission Forces in
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2014.
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