Opinion
By Kyriacos Jacovides*
Nearly half a century since the term "Bizonal Bicommunal Federation" entered the political discourse in Cyprus, no political party or government has ever explained to the public what this term truly means. What does a federation entail—let alone a bizonal, bicommunal one? What are its positives, if any, and its negatives? What are its advantages and problems? Instead, parties and successive governments have limited themselves to parroting that a Bizonal Bicommunal Federation will reunite Cyprus and its people. They've repeated it so often that they seem to believe it themselves.
To put an end to the myth that the BBF will reunite our homeland and its people, I’ll attempt to explain in simple terms what this concept means and how it would work in practice:
"Bizonal" refers to the existence of two geographical regions, states, or cantons—call them what you will. "Bicommunal" means that in one region, the majority will be Greek Cypriots, and in the other, Turkish Cypriots. In essence, this setup ensures that the two communities live separately, side by side. Thus, the claim that a BBF reunites Cyprus and its people is a myth that falls apart under scrutiny.
Each state would have its own executive, legislative, and judicial branches—its own president or governor, ministers, MPs, and judges—essentially functioning like an independent state for its geographical area. It would also manage its own local taxation, police force, fire department, land registry, and even transport services. In short, each state would operate like a country, barring diplomacy and military functions, although it might create a "gendarmerie."
With such powers, it would be easy for one state to make decisions against the residents of the other. Here’s an example: In the early 1980s, New York State faced economic challenges. To avoid raising taxes on New Yorkers just before elections, the state imposed taxes on the total income of non-resident couples, even if only one spouse worked in New York. This sparked a significant crisis with neighboring states, lasting weeks and involving exchanges of letters and threats of retaliation. Now, imagine a similar scenario in Cyprus. It's likely that gunfire would precede any letters of complaint.
Meanwhile, the central federal government would handle external security, the economy, foreign relations, airspace management, the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the continental shelf, immigration, and customs. However, its involvement in the internal affairs of the two states would be negligible at best.
If our political leaders truly believe that a BBF will reunite Cyprus and its people, then two possibilities arise: either they have no idea what a BBF is and how it functions, or they are deliberately lying.
Political parties—except those that explicitly or implicitly reject the BBF—hide behind the high-level agreements reached 45 years ago and UN resolutions, arguing that we cannot deviate from these commitments. They seem unmoved by the fact that Turkey publicly advocates for a two-state solution.
These leaders also ignore the transformative global events that have rendered the BBF concept unworkable. The BBF of Czechoslovakia dissolved into two separate states. Similarly, the multi-zonal, multi-ethnic federations of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union disintegrated.
We must acknowledge that when distinct population groups with shared linguistic, ethnic, or religious traits are concentrated in specific geographical areas, their differences are highlighted. Ultimately, this leads to demands for separate governance to reflect their separate living arrangements.
Another major failing of successive Cypriot governments is that none have presented a comprehensive solution characterized by "out-of-the-box" proposals. There are ideas that could address Turkish Cypriot concerns while genuinely uniting Cyprus and its people. However, this requires moving away from the BBF myth and the advice of "constitutional experts," particularly those from Britain.
*Kyriacos Jakovidis is a Political Scientist and Journalist.
