Case 295 - U.S. and British Mediation Efforts During the 1974 Crisis Over Cyprus

Yilmaz, Omur and Deborah J. Gerner

This case study assesses the failure of a poorly coordinated U.S.-British mediation effort regarding Cyprus during the summer of 1974, which changed the future of the island and the balance of power in the region for the three decades that followed. The study enables students to infer how particular mediation tactics might have affected the attitudes of the negotiating parties, and compare this attempt with others involving different actors and strategies. It also reveals the interaction of the international system, global and regional politics, and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and British Foreign Secretary James Callaghan’s respective approaches. It is most appropriate for senior undergraduate or graduate courses on mediation/conflict resolution, U.S. foreign policy, or comparative foreign policy analysis.