This paper focuses on the efforts of the international community for the solution of the Cyprus problem starting from the 1950s to the present. Using the Cyprus problem as a case study, the paper explores the interaction between the international and constitutional dimensions of the problem. More specifically, it seeks to answer the question as to how and to what extent the international balance of power influenced Greek Cypriots’ effort in settling the conflict. By using the theory of patron-client relations, the paper presents the limits and dilemmas that weak states face in implementing foreign policy, especially when they confront regional powers who exert important geopolitical influence on the subsystem they belong to.

The Republic of Cyprus that came into being with the London-Zurich Agreements in 1960 is a byproduct of many opposing forces: a colonial conflict between the people of Cyprus and the Colonial power; Constitutional Talks during the 1950s with Britain, which was accompanied by the reflection on many international parameters that unavoidably had an impact on the Constitution of Cyprus. Moreover, the political history of Cyprus was shaped by the internal conflict between the two communities that reside on the island, the Greek Cypriots (82% of the population) and the Turkish Cypriots (18% of the population), a conflict that unavoidably was reflected in the Greco-Turkish relations.

In this paper, we analyze the interaction between the international and constitutional dimensions of the Cyprus problem starting from the colonial times to the present. A federal solution is being discussed by the two communities—Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. An attempt is also made to highlight the dilemmas and challenges that small and weak states face in their struggle for survival in an anarchic world, where there is no government that can ensure their security.1 In our opinion, the Cyprus problem is a unique paradigm in international politics, because Turkey has a very important geopolitical position. As we show in this paper, this reality has influenced and impacted the efforts to solve the problem.

International Relations Journal, Great Powers, Weak States, The Case of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots, Constitution of Cyprus.