1992 - 27 April Council of Europe Rapporteur Alfons Cuco’s report on the demographic structure of the Cypriot communities verifies the extensive colonisation of the occupied area by illegal settlers from Turkey. 1996 - 18 December The European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe– following an application against Turkey, lodged by a Greek Cypriot, Titina Loizidou, for violating her right of access to her property in the Turkish occupied town of Kyrenia–rules that Turkey is accountable for the violation of human rights in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus. 1998 - 31 March Accession negotiations start between Cyprus and EU. 1999 - 11 December The Helsinki European Council Presidency conclusions stress that the prior solution to the Cyprus problem is not a precondition for Cyprus’ accession to the EU. 2001 - 10 May European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe finds Turkey guilty of gross human rights violations in the areas of the Republic it has been occupying since 1974. 2002 - 11 November UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan submits plan for comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. 2002 - 13 December The European Council decides in Copenhagen to admit Cyprus as a member of the European Union on 1 May 2004. 2003 - 16 April Cyprus signs the EU Treaty of Accession in Athens. 2003 - 23 April Turkish occupation regime announces partial lifting of restrictions it imposed since 1974 on the movement of persons across the UN ceasefire line. 2004 - 24 April Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities vote on Annan Plan V: 75.83 percent of Greek Cypriots vote“No”to the plan while 24.17 percent vote “Yes”; 64.91 percent of Turkish Cypriots vote in favour of the plan while 35.09 percent vote against; Annan Plan fails and is rendered null and void. The Cyprus Question| A brief Introduction 53
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