Voting ‘yes’ is rewarded after a fashion

Cyprus remains divided and only the Greek government will be represented in the EU, though it was the Turks who voted in favour of unification, as they had promised.

Even the EU has decided that it was unfair. So, after lambasting the Greeks and expressing sorrow, as our own Jack Straw did, they decided to give the Turkish Northern Cypriots some money. £172 million to be precise. This will supposedly go on designated projects to help the economic development in Turkish Cyprus.

The best way the economy could develop would be for all the restrictions to be lifted and for the international community to recognize Northern Cyprus. But it is not clear whether that will happen.

No, it will have to be specially designated projects and, of course, the inevitable EU office that will now open in Nicosia, bringing in foreign officials and their hangers on and distorting the local economy through their much higher salaries and spending power. One wonders how much of the £172 million will be spent on that.