Cyprus will add its star to the European Union flag next May. But barring a last-minute breakthrough, EU membership will only apply to the Greek community. Resolving the crisis which has divided the island into the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish occupied area has proved elusive. But even at this late hour, some believe there is still time to conclude a deal.

"I want a solution [to the Cyprus problem] before we join the EU," Cyprus president Tassos Papadopoulos said. Papadopoulos said UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan's peace plan for Cyprus could still work if Turkey and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash reconsidered. Annan's plan, presented earlier this year, proposed a measure of autonomy for the two communities within a loose federation. The Greek community accepted it as a basis for further talks but Denktash rejected it.

In April, Denktash lifted the ban on travel between the two sides of the island. At first just one crossing point was opened, people had to go on foot and Greek-Cypriots were not permitted to spend the night in the Turkish area. Today nine crossing points operate almost around the clock. Half the Greek community is estimated to have made the trip north and traffic jams are a regular weekend feature at the main Nicosia checkpoint.

When the first groups ventured across, pessimists warned of trouble. They said refugees from the 1974 conflict would be knocking on the doors of their old homes and looking for trouble. But very few such incidents have been reported. On the whole, Greek visitors are welcomed in the Turkish area where they inject much-needed hard currency into the economy.

In cafés around the harbor in Kyrenia, some menus no longer list items in Turkish lire which make the price of an espresso look like lottery winnings. Cyprus pounds are in demand.

Not everyone thinks opening up was a good idea. Many Greek-Cypriot refugees from the area invaded by Turkey in 1974 refuse to make the trip because it means showing a passport. "Why would I show my passport to get into my own country?"

The question was asked by Pavlos, a government clerk in Nicosia whose parents became refugees when the island split. The lady at the car rental counter in Larnaca airport has another reason. "My people didn't come from the north and it doesn't hold any real attraction for me, but mainly I don't want to go because I don't want to give the Turks any money," she says.

There's something else a lot of Greek-Cypriots might find offensive. After showing their passports and paying for compulsory car insurance, visitors to the north then drive under an arch bearing the inscription, "How happy to say I'm a Turk."

A visit across the dividing line points up the stark economic differences between the two sides. Turkish Cyprus is quiet and far less developed than the Greek-speaking south which, economically, feels like an island in the sun on steroids. The Turkish military presence in the north is not immediately obvious. Sightseers looking for the St. Hilarion castle above Kyrenia will find signs warning: "No photography – military area" in several languages. Some things are the same on both sides; Kyrenia and its adjacent hotel strip boast the same ratio of sunburned Scandinavians to loutish English youths as Paphos or Ayia Napa.

Back on the Greek side of the line, many people believe their impending accession to Europe might succeed where the Annan plan failed. Erato Kozakou- Marcoullis was until recently Cyprus' ambassador in Washington. She describes Cypriot foreign policy as focused on two issues, primarily seeking an end to the Turkish occupation and secondly working toward the accession to the EU.

"We are near to fulfilling the second step and will soon be a fully fledged member of Europe," says Kozakou-Marcoullis, "and the closer we get toward membership, the more interest there is, especially in the Turkish-Cypriot community, in a solution to the problem." According to this theory, the prospect of losing out on the benefits of EU membership is causing Turkish-Cypriots to agitate against Denktash. "This is why we have seen some remarkable things in the last few months," she says, referring to the opening of crossing points.

There have also been demonstrations on the Turkish side of Nicosia calling for the implementation of a solution and membership of Europe. In December the Turkish-Cypriot community goes to the polls. Some of the groups opposed to Denktash are campaigning on a platform that is pro-unification and pro-Europe.

Another factor that might generate impetus toward a solution is Turkey's own ambition to be part of Europe. Ankara hopes the EU will take a decision in this regard at a summit in December 2004. The decision is unlikely to be favorable if the Cyprus issue remains unresolved.