There are two peoples in Cyprus who jealously guard their distinct political, ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identities and separate existence. They are political equals, each with its established equal status, including its separate right of self-determination. The UK government, in 1956 and 1958, recognised the two peoples separate right of self-determination before independence was granted to the partnership Republic. The political equality of the two parties was enshrined in the Constitution of the partnership Republic, where legitimacy ensued from the joint will of the two parties expressed through their separately elected representatives. As an equal party and as a subject of international law, the Turkish Cypriot party, together with the Greek Cypriot party, was a signatory to all the international treaties of 1960, which created the partnership Republic.