Great powers, counter secession and non-recognition: Britain and the 1983 unilateral declaration of independence of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”

Ker-Lindsay, James (2017) Great powers, counter secession and non-recognition: Britain and the 1983 unilateral declaration of independence of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”. Diplomacy and Statecraft, 28 (3). pp. 431-453. ISSN 0959-2296

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Abstract

The role of great powers in processes of secession and recognition has attracted increasing attention from scholars in recent years. This article examines how Britain rallied international opposition to the November 1983 unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (“TRNC”). As is shown, the British Government tried hard to prevent the UDI. Once it occurred, Britain led efforts to condemn the move. This resulted in UN Security Council Resolution 541, which declared the “TRNC” to be illegal and called on states not to recognise it. As well as exploring the diplomacy behind the counter-secession efforts, the article also answers a long-standing question as to whether any countries aside from Turkey ever recognised the TRNC. It also challenges the widely-held view amongst Greek Cypriots that Britain invariably supports the Turkish Cypriots on the Cyprus Problem.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/fdps20
Additional Information:	© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group
Divisions:	European Institute
Subjects:	J Political Science > JZ International relations
Date Deposited:	15 Dec 2016 16:37
Last Modified:	06 Apr 2024 00:33
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/68642

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