ABC plan (also known as the
Nimetz initiative) was a proposed settlement of the
Cyprus dispute
The Cyprus problem, also known as the Cyprus conflict, Cyprus issue, Cyprus dispute, or Cyprus question, is an ongoing dispute between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot community in the north of the island of Cyprus, where troops of t ...
, presented by the USA but co-authored by Britain and Canada as well, hence the abbreviation ABC (American-British-Canadian). The settlement was proposed in 1979. It projected a loose federation between the Greek and Turkish community of Cyprus and it was based on previous agreements between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, and UN resolutions. It was rejected by all sides.
The plan
The plan consisted of twelve points, according to Eleftherios Michael most important were:
*The creation of a Bicommunal Bizonal Federation,
*
Bicameral legislature
Bicameralism is a type of legislature that is divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single ...
,
*Withdrawal of all foreign troops,
*
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( or ; ) are so called ethnic Turks originating from Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots are mainly Sunni Muslims. Following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, about 30,000 Turkish settlers were given land onc ...
to give back to
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots (, ) are the ethnic Greeks, Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest Ethnolinguistic group, ethnolinguistic community. According to the 2023 census, 719,252 respondents recorded their ethnicity as Greek, forming al ...
substantial amount of land.
The central federal government would be in charge of Foreign Affairs, Defence, finance and economy, ports, customs controls and immigration.
Reception and aftermath
Newly elected Greek Cypriot president
Spyros Kyprianou
Spyros Achilleos Kyprianou (; 28 October 1932 – 12 March 2002) was a Cypriot barrister and politician, who served as President of Cyprus from 1977 to 1988. He also served as President of the Cypriot House of Representatives from 1976 to 19 ...
was fast to reject the plan, Turkey followed. Even so, the Nimetz initiative was utilized by other UN general secretaries as a base to new plans.
See also
*
Annan Plan
The Annan Plan (), also known as the Cyprus reunification plan, was a United Nations proposal to resolve the Cyprus dispute. The different parts of the proposal were based on the argumentation put forward by each party (Turkish Cypriots and Gree ...
References
Sources
*
* {{cite book, last=Michael, first=Eleftherios A. , title=Peacemaking Strategies in Cyprus: In Search of Lasting Peace, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZYHWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA299, date=4 September 2015, publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing, isbn=978-1-4438-8194-4
Cyprus peace process
Political history of Cyprus
1970s in Cyprus