Nicosia, Cyprus
The island of Cyprus may soon merge its Greek and Turkish halves into one functioning country. Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash agreed this week to discuss reuniting the island. Cyprus, a former British colony, was one nation until 1974, when Greek Cypriots mounted a coup designed to make the island part of Greece. Turkey sent in troops, and the country split apart. Some 50,000 Turkish Cypriots demonstrated this week in support of a U.N. plan that calls for a single, federal government with a Greek state and a Turkish state, asking Denktash to drop his longstanding opposition to a merger. Membership in the European Union is at stake: The Greek part of Cyprus will join the union next year, with or without the Turkish Cypriots.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.