ABSTRACT
The development of the disputes outlined in this study owes much to the long history of grievance and mistrust between the Greek and Turkish nations. In the post-Second World War period, Greece and Turkey's rival claims in Cyprus and the Aegean were instrumental in nullifying the rapprochement of the previous quarter century, ushering in a period of estrangement and conflict. The Greek-Turkish reconciliation ushered in by Venizelos and Ataturk, which The Economist praised generously, was indeed of historic significance. Contacts between Greek and Turkish performers and intellectuals have become commonplace, and businessmen in both countries have been exploring avenues for increasing bilateral trade links. Since the 1950s, Cyprus has been the major issue driving a wedge between Greece and Turkey. In addition to external guarantees, Greece and Turkey could lend their weight to the efforts of the United Nations who have long encouraged the adoption of confidence-building measures on the island.
