.
After reading the news, sometimes it seems that the world is falling apart. Nearly every region of the globe is fighting some sort of unsolvable battle. But believe it or not, there is a 40-year-old conflict out there that we can resolve. The historical accounts of the Cyprus issue are heavily contested between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. But the international community as a whole holds only one, definitive opinion: July 2014 marked the 40th anniversary for the commemoration of the illegal invasion and ongoing occupation of Cyprus by Turkey. But the truth is that many do not know anything about Cyprus as a nation, let alone the details of the conflict that it has dealt with for four decades. The e-book Perfectly Blue Waters Hiding Politically Explosive Gas, published in April 2015, serves as the perfect way to become acquainted with these issues. [caption id="attachment_6234" align="aligncenter" width="601"]Cyprus, editable vector map broken down by administrative districts, in color, all objects editable. Great for building sales and marketing territory maps, illustrations, web graphics and graphic design. Cyprus, editable vector map broken down by administrative districts, in color, all objects editable. Great for building sales and marketing territory maps, illustrations, web graphics and graphic design.[/caption]   With the rejection of the Annan plan in 2004 and the failed rounds of negotiations that followed, there was little hope that the Cyprus issue would find a solution. But in 2011, the discovery of hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ exclusive economic Zone brought new life to the issue. Armed with the proper incentives to move forward, the two Cypriot communities came together again in 2014 for another round of settlement talks. An estimated 50 to 60 trillion cubic feet of gas and 1.7 billion barrels of crude oil have been found in the waters off Cyprus’ southeastern coast. In addition to providing a domestic source of energy and revenue for Cyprus, these hydrocarbons could serve as a viable energy alternative for European consumers. Energy security has become imperative in the past few years, as Russia has repeatedly shown that it is not afraid to use its energy exports as political leverage. Positioned between Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, and Libya, the island of Cyprus is located in a region of tremendous international players. Because of its central location and proximity to a number of energy corridors in the region, Cyprus is poised to become a contributor to regional cooperation and stability. The discovery of hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ EEZ has motivated Cyprus to work towards reunification. While the time constraint that energy companies have placed on the negotiations has hastened the peace process, Cyprus is up for the challenge. While it is unclear whether or not this economic incentive will push both Cypriot communities to make the compromises necessary for a solution, a resolution to this issue would finally allow the region the opportunity for peace and prosperity. What we hope to do with Perfectly Blue Waters Hiding Politically Explosive Gas is to present our readers with both sides of the story—but to tell it through the lens of the international community. It is important to become acquainted with the history of the conflict not to make a decision about who is right and who is wrong, but to understand the context and to discern why this issue matters today. Forty-one years after the invasion, the issue finally has the economic catalyst it needs to put it back on decision-makers radars. However unfortunate it may be that we have to rely on the potential for economic profit to resolve a human rights issue, we need to take advantage of it. This e-book is your opportunity to engage with the issue in a comprehensive, but digestible, way. This is a pivotal time for Cyprus. The deeply troubled past and the consequences that remain has made Cyprus what it is today. But it is now time to discuss where Cyprus is going. Resolving the Cyprus Issue and reunifying the broken nation will pave the way for a new and ambitious Cypriot foreign policy agenda. With a resolution, we will have the opportunity to discuss Cyprus in a much more global context, not just as it relates to its own division. In no way does this e-book constitute the whole of the Cyprus issue. However, it does give the reader an intimate overview of the multi-faceted nature of the problem. Using global comparisons of divided nations, sharing exclusive pictures from the Northern Occupied Area as it is today, and presenting up-to-date information directly from the people at negotiating table, this e-book is your chance to engage. Drown out discouraging world-news with a more positive outlook—one that can be found under Perfectly Blue Waters. This article was originally published in the G7 Summit Special print edition of Diplomatic Courier in June 2015. Republished with permission. To read the author’s ebook on Cyprus, visit http://cyprus.strikingly.com.

The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.

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A 40-Year-Old Conflict We Can Actually Solve

Highly detailed fragments of the planet Earth with exaggerated relief translucent ocean illuminated by the morning sun. Cyprus Syria and Turkey. Elements of this image furnished by NASA|Cyprus, editable vector map broken down by administrative districts, in color, all objects editable. Great for building sales and marketing territory maps, illustrations, web graphics and graphic design.
July 31, 2015

After reading the news, sometimes it seems that the world is falling apart. Nearly every region of the globe is fighting some sort of unsolvable battle. But believe it or not, there is a 40-year-old conflict out there that we can resolve. The historical accounts of the Cyprus issue are heavily contested between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. But the international community as a whole holds only one, definitive opinion: July 2014 marked the 40th anniversary for the commemoration of the illegal invasion and ongoing occupation of Cyprus by Turkey. But the truth is that many do not know anything about Cyprus as a nation, let alone the details of the conflict that it has dealt with for four decades. The e-book Perfectly Blue Waters Hiding Politically Explosive Gas, published in April 2015, serves as the perfect way to become acquainted with these issues. [caption id="attachment_6234" align="aligncenter" width="601"]Cyprus, editable vector map broken down by administrative districts, in color, all objects editable. Great for building sales and marketing territory maps, illustrations, web graphics and graphic design. Cyprus, editable vector map broken down by administrative districts, in color, all objects editable. Great for building sales and marketing territory maps, illustrations, web graphics and graphic design.[/caption]   With the rejection of the Annan plan in 2004 and the failed rounds of negotiations that followed, there was little hope that the Cyprus issue would find a solution. But in 2011, the discovery of hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ exclusive economic Zone brought new life to the issue. Armed with the proper incentives to move forward, the two Cypriot communities came together again in 2014 for another round of settlement talks. An estimated 50 to 60 trillion cubic feet of gas and 1.7 billion barrels of crude oil have been found in the waters off Cyprus’ southeastern coast. In addition to providing a domestic source of energy and revenue for Cyprus, these hydrocarbons could serve as a viable energy alternative for European consumers. Energy security has become imperative in the past few years, as Russia has repeatedly shown that it is not afraid to use its energy exports as political leverage. Positioned between Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, and Libya, the island of Cyprus is located in a region of tremendous international players. Because of its central location and proximity to a number of energy corridors in the region, Cyprus is poised to become a contributor to regional cooperation and stability. The discovery of hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ EEZ has motivated Cyprus to work towards reunification. While the time constraint that energy companies have placed on the negotiations has hastened the peace process, Cyprus is up for the challenge. While it is unclear whether or not this economic incentive will push both Cypriot communities to make the compromises necessary for a solution, a resolution to this issue would finally allow the region the opportunity for peace and prosperity. What we hope to do with Perfectly Blue Waters Hiding Politically Explosive Gas is to present our readers with both sides of the story—but to tell it through the lens of the international community. It is important to become acquainted with the history of the conflict not to make a decision about who is right and who is wrong, but to understand the context and to discern why this issue matters today. Forty-one years after the invasion, the issue finally has the economic catalyst it needs to put it back on decision-makers radars. However unfortunate it may be that we have to rely on the potential for economic profit to resolve a human rights issue, we need to take advantage of it. This e-book is your opportunity to engage with the issue in a comprehensive, but digestible, way. This is a pivotal time for Cyprus. The deeply troubled past and the consequences that remain has made Cyprus what it is today. But it is now time to discuss where Cyprus is going. Resolving the Cyprus Issue and reunifying the broken nation will pave the way for a new and ambitious Cypriot foreign policy agenda. With a resolution, we will have the opportunity to discuss Cyprus in a much more global context, not just as it relates to its own division. In no way does this e-book constitute the whole of the Cyprus issue. However, it does give the reader an intimate overview of the multi-faceted nature of the problem. Using global comparisons of divided nations, sharing exclusive pictures from the Northern Occupied Area as it is today, and presenting up-to-date information directly from the people at negotiating table, this e-book is your chance to engage. Drown out discouraging world-news with a more positive outlook—one that can be found under Perfectly Blue Waters. This article was originally published in the G7 Summit Special print edition of Diplomatic Courier in June 2015. Republished with permission. To read the author’s ebook on Cyprus, visit http://cyprus.strikingly.com.

The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.