Cyprus was granted independence by Britain after a long colonial rule from 1878-1960 on the basis of a tripartite agreement signed by Turkey, Greece and Britain in Zurich and London. The Agreement clearly stipulated that both the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots would co-exist on an equal partnership basis.

History bears ample testimony to the fact that the first President of Cyprus Archbishop Makarios III violated the Agreement by expelling the Turkish Cypriots from the government in 1963. Since then Greek-Turkish fighting marked the history of Cyprus with bloody clashes taking place particularly in 1965 and 1974. In the name of Enosis (union) with Greece which picked up momentum in 1974 and found expression through a bloody coup led by some Greek colonels under the leadership of Nico Sampson, the Greek Cypriots unleashed a reign of terror and the Cypriot Turks faced annihilation. In order to protect the helpless Cypriot Muslims from extinction, the brotherly armed forces of Turkey had to act sharply by expelling the Greek Cypriot infiltrators from the Muslim dominated areas of Cyprus. The Blue Line or Attila Line running across the island then acted as the line of division to separate the Greek Cypriots from Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus was founded on February 13, 1975 which was latter renamed as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (hereafter TRNC). But much earlier than that the UN peacekeeping forces had actually started to oversee the developments in the island from 1964 and since then the good offices of UN have been time and again offered for the peaceful solution of the problem.

The latest grand opportunity was placed on a golden platter by none other than the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. His historic 'Annan Plan' envisaged a 'United Republic of Cyprus' to solve the issue once for all. But alas! When the referendum was held on this Plan on April 24 the Greek Cypriots committed a Himalayan blander by rejecting it and in doing so, created as analysts put it "a peculiar situation."

The Cyprus problem has now assumed even more alarming proportions. With only the Greek Cypriots' administration joining the EU on May 1, 2004 the interests of over three million Muslim Cypriots in TRNC have been most brazenly betrayed and blindly overlooked. It now devolves upon the UNO and the OIC to play yeoman's role by urging upon the countries to recognise the sovereignty and integrity of TRNC, ensure that the democratic structure functioning over there persists undisturbed and more importantly the economic sanctions imposed on the innocent Turkish Cypriots be lifted without undue delay. For the TRNC is only recognised by Turkey and has hardly any assistance from other countries in its economic development. To be more precise, the Cypriot Muslims have their back pitted against the wall. No doubt, the international community has an important role to play in such a humanitarian case.

Mohammad Tawfiqul Haider is Associate Professor, Islamic History and Culture, Dhaka University.