The Cyprus guarantees problem

Probably excluding the academic-turned Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and a minority of like-minded other politicians from all ideologies, particularly conservatives, Greece appears to have washed its hands of Cyprus. How could Greece continue playing an important role after the July 15, 1974, coup it engineered that opened the doors of the island to Turkey's intervention? Yet, before any important decision, whoever is in the seat of president of the Greek Cypriot state, visiting the land of the Acropolis and obtaining - if not full support - half-hearted consent from the top of the political scene in Athens has been the most popular sport since Makarios' times.

Still, up until the most recent times, Greece was never a vociferous player in the Cyprus peacemaking game.

 Meeting and discussing a "national perspective" with the Greek Cypriot leadership and defending that position on all platforms was generally the interest of the entire political leadership in Greece. Naturally, the ingredients Athens was putting into such talks and who played what role regarding the development of a "national Cyprus strategy" were issues shaped by the time element, as well as the personality and political power of the person occupying the seat of premier in Athens. For example, in 2004, just before the vote in Cyprus on the so-called Annan Peace Plan, a government changed in Athens - as well as in Greek Cyprus.

 The new Greek government led by a premier unwilling to take any responsibility just did not have the courage to support the plan despite strong support for the plan from the preceding government. What was the role of the vanished enthusiasm in Athens in Greek Cypriot's overwhelmingly "Oxi" (No) in the simultaneous referenda in 2004 on the plan?
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