Editing Cyprus (section)

===21st century===
[[File:Close to the buffer zone - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Street in the divided capital of Nicosia]]
Attempts to resolve the Cyprus dispute have continued. In 2004, the [[Annan Plan]], drafted by then UN Secretary General [[Kofi Annan]], was put to a [[Cypriot Annan Plan referendums, 2004|referendum]] in both Cypriot administrations. 65% of Turkish Cypriots voted in support of the plan and 74% Greek Cypriots voted against the plan, saying that it disproportionately favoured Turkish Cypriots and gave unreasonable influence over the nation to Turkey.<ref>{{cite book |last=Palley |first=Claire |title=An International Relations Debacle: The UN Secretary-general's Mission of Good Offices in Cyprus 1999–2004 |publisher=Hart Publishing |date=18 May 2005 |page=224 |isbn=978-1-84113-578-6}}</ref> In total, 66.7% of the voters [[Cypriot Annan Plan referendum, 2004|rejected the Annan Plan]].

On 1 May 2004 Cyprus joined the [[European Union]], together with nine other countries.<ref>Stephanos Constantinides & Joseph Joseph, 'Cyprus and the European Union: Beyond Accession', ''Études helléniques/Hellenic Studies'' 11&nbsp;(2), Autumn 2003</ref> Cyprus was accepted into the EU as a whole, although the EU legislation is suspended in Northern Cyprus until a final settlement of the Cyprus problem.

Efforts have been made to enhance freedom of movement between the two sides. In April 2003, Northern Cyprus unilaterally eased checkpoint restrictions, permitting Cypriots to cross between the two sides for the first time in 30 years.<ref>{{cite news |url-status=live |title=Emotion as Cyprus border opens |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2969089.stm |access-date=3 May 2016 |work=BBC News |date=23 April 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065858/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2969089.stm |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> In March 2008, a wall that had stood for decades at the boundary between the Republic of Cyprus and the [[United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus|UN buffer zone]] was demolished.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6433045.stm |title=Greek Cypriots dismantle barrier |work=BBC News |access-date=7 March 2008 |date=9 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307041606/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6433045.stm |archive-date=7 March 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> The wall had cut across [[Ledra Street]] in the heart of Nicosia and was seen as a strong symbol of the island's 32-year division. On 3 April 2008, Ledra Street was reopened in the presence of Greek and Turkish Cypriot officials.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/03/europe/EU-GEN-Cyprus-Ledra-Street.php Ledra Street crossing opens in Cyprus] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615132540/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/03/europe/EU-GEN-Cyprus-Ledra-Street.php |date=15 June 2008}}. [[Associated Press]] article published on [[International Herald Tribune]] Website, 3 April 2008</ref> The two sides relaunched reunification talks in 2015,<ref>{{cite news |last=Hadjicostis |first=Menelaos |date=11 May 2015 |title=UN envoy says Cyprus reunification talks to resume May 15 |url=https://apnews.com/b80d6a4b9c50403589f4582f7ebcf0d6 |work=Associated Press News |access-date=24 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524115638/http://www.apnewsarchive.com/2015/UN-envoy-says-divided-Cyprus-rival-leaders-to-restart-stalled-reunification-talks-May-15/id-b80d6a4b9c50403589f4582f7ebcf0d6 |archive-date=24 May 2015 | url-status=live }}</ref> but these collapsed in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Helena |title=Cyprus reunification talks collapse amid angry scenes |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/07/cyprus-reunification-talks-collapse-amid-angry-scenes |website=The Guardian |access-date=1 March 2021 |date=7 July 2017 |archive-date=7 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707144641/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/07/cyprus-reunification-talks-collapse-amid-angry-scenes |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[European Union]] warned in February 2019 that Cyprus was selling [[Passports of the European Union|EU passports]] to [[Russian oligarch]]s, and thus would allow [[organized crime|organised crime]] syndicates to infiltrate the EU.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/cyprus-golden-passports-bring-russians-eu-190202172320680.html |title=Cyprus 'golden passports' bring Russians into the EU |work=Al Jazeera |access-date=4 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204165732/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/cyprus-golden-passports-bring-russians-eu-190202172320680.html |archive-date=4 February 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, leaked documents revealed a wider range of former and current officials from Afghanistan, China, Dubai, Lebanon, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Vietnam who bought a Cypriot citizenship prior to a change of the law in July 2019.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/08/exclusive-cyprus-sold-passports-politically-exposed-persons-200823204320183.html |title=Exclusive: Cyprus sold passports to 'politically exposed persons' |work=Al Jazeera |access-date=24 August 2020 |archive-date=24 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824100832/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/08/exclusive-cyprus-sold-passports-politically-exposed-persons-200823204320183.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rakopoulos |first1=Theodoros |last2=Fischer |first2=Leandros |title=In Cyprus, the Golden Passports Scheme Shows Us How Capitalism and Corruption Go Hand in Hand |journal=Jacobin |date=10 November 2020 |url=https://jacobinmag.com/2020/11/cyprus-golden-passports-citizenship-corruption |access-date=13 November 2020 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112225241/https://jacobinmag.com/2020/11/cyprus-golden-passports-citizenship-corruption |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 2020 Cyprus and Turkey have been [[Cyprus–Turkey maritime zones dispute|engaged in a dispute]] over the extent of their [[exclusive economic zone]]s, ostensibly sparked by oil and gas exploration in the area.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cyprus: EU 'appeasement' of Turkey in exploration row will go nowhere |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-turkey-eu-cyprus-idUSKCN25D1FZ |work=Reuters |date=17 August 2020 |access-date=13 September 2020 |archive-date=17 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817150821/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-turkey-eu-cyprus-idUSKCN25D1FZ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In November 2023, the [[Cyprus Confidential]] data leak published by the [[International Consortium of Investigative Journalists]] showed the country's financial network entertaining strong links with Russian oligarchs and high-up figures in the Kremlin, supporting the regime of [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cyprus Confidential – ICIJ |url=https://www.icij.org/investigations/cyprus-confidential/ |website=icij.org |access-date=14 November 2023 |date=14 November 2023 |archive-date=24 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224150800/https://www.icij.org/investigations/cyprus-confidential/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2024, on the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus, Turkish President Erdoğan rejected a United Nations-endorsed plan for a federal government and supported the idea of having two separate states within Cyprus. Greek Cypriots immediately rejected Erdoğan's two-state proposal, calling it a "non-starter".<ref>{{cite web |title= Erdoğan dashes hopes for resumption of Cyprus talks on invasion's 50th anniversary |url= https://www.politico.eu/article/turkish-president-erdogan-dashes-hopes-resumption-cyprus-talks-invasion-50th-anniversary/ |work=Politico |access-date=21 July 2024 |date=20 July 2024 }}</ref>