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The unification of the mobile network in Cyprus has encountered significant legal obstacles, leading to a delay in the implementation of the confidence-building measure between the island’s two communities.

According to local news sources, the Republic of Cyprus legally forbids cooperation with non-regulated entities, such as mobile operators in the Turkish-occupied areas of the island. 

Companies operating in the Government-controlled areas of Cyprus are regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Electronic Communications.

“This is not a matter of the Technical Committee anymore," a Committee source has reportedly stated, noting that this obstacle requires a governmental solution. The Technical Committee is not expected to discuss the issue further under the given circumstances. The matter will thus be put before President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci for further consideration.

The integration of the island’s telephony network was first announced in June of this year by the two Chambers of Commerce and Industry, along with plans to integrate the electricity grids of the communities. These were among the confidence building measures the two leaders agreed on last May, following the resumption of settlement talks.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. UN-led talks, aiming to reunite the island under a federal roof, resumed last May.