22nd anniversary of the 2004 Cyprus referendum

On April 24, 2004, a referendum took place regarding the United Nations plan for the settlement of the Cyprus dispute, authored by Kofi Annan. Greek Cypriots rejected the plan with a 76% majority, while 65% of Turkish Cypriots voted in favor. Major political parties, such as EDEK and DIKO, recently marked the 22nd anniversary of this vote by reiterating their support for the decision, citing the preservation of the Republic of Cyprus and the danger of creating a confederation. Conversely, other perspectives argue that a 'yes' vote would have allowed approximately 80,000 refugees to return to their homes under Greek Cypriot administration and facilitated the return of areas such as Varosha and Morphou. Twenty-two years later, the goal of a negotiated settlement remains unresolved. While some parties view the rejection as a historic success for the state, critics contend that the expected improvement to the plan never materialized, leaving the issue in a long-standing stalemate.