Cyprus: a never ending partition?
'My generation is dropping down the blame game. We have seen what not to do', says 28-year-old Turkish Cypriot Berk Tansel. 'We have to think of ourselves as part of the whole that we are, whether we like it or not. », echoes Christiana Eftychiou, 22 years old, and a Greek Cypriot. Their friendship grew from a shared commitment to reunification.
Cyprus is divided since 1974, when a Greek-backed coup triggered a Turkish military intervention.
This led to a split between the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot-controlled Republic of Cyprus, and the self-declared 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' recognized only by Turkey.
While the Republic of Cyprus is part of the European Union, EU law does not apply in the breakaway northern entity, which remains under Turkish military presence.
Berk and Christiana routinely cross the checkpoints separating the two communities.
'I grew up in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus, and experienced what it means to be a European citizen, but technically not live in the EU where EU acquis is enforced », says Berk.
'Your rights are suspended, there's corruption.
And this place being a legal internationally black hole, it pushes the mafia, human trafficking, sex trafficking.'
The 'only way out' insists Berk, 'is the agreed UN framework, a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, where the EU acquis is applied all across the island.'
Christiana has more faith in grassroots action than formal politics.
'We need to change the narrative. We have narratives shaping the identity of Greek and Turkish Cypriots, in our education, our everyday life. There's a construction of the 'other person' that you never really get to meet'. A sociology student, she advocates for 'more common spaces, more exposure to whatever we deem as 'the other', so that it is not a threat anymore. This is not being encouraged, on a larger scale.' sighs Christiana. 'If we carry on the way we do, with the idea of a Federation taking a big part in political discourse, but no practical action towards that, nothing will happen.', she warns.
Chances of reopening official reunification talks, stalled since 2017, are thin, according to Hubert Faustmann, a professor at the University of Nicosia, and director of the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation's Cyprus Office.
'The Turkish Cypriot and Turkish position has shifted. They insist on the recognition of equal sovereignty, or even of the separatist Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, as a prerequisite for talks. The Greek Cypriot side and the international community will never accept this.'
As for the European Union's role, the analyst is skeptical.
'Given that the Greek Cypriot-dominated Republic of Cyprus has joined the EU, Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots reject an active role of the European Union.' he explains, while acknowledging the Cyprus problem is 'a European problem.' 'There's a part of European territory, legally speaking, that's occupied by Turkey.
There's an unresolved dispute pitching the European Union against Turkey, with many EU states having no interest in a confrontation with Turkey.
While the Greek policy is to use EU membership against Turkey to get concessions in the Cyprus question.', says Faustmann, before concluding:
'This is a stable conflict. It's very much conflict management rather than conflict resolution. I fear the status quo is here for years to come, with this island slowly drifting into permanent partition.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
6 hours ago
- France 24
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity". But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Asked if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan. 'Critical' "I think there are different approaches," she said. "We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the US approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she said. At the same time, she highlighted that "85 percent of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said. "But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she said. Bogdan-Martin, who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue. "The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all". As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind -- and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left behind. 'Huge gap' The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be shared. Without a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide. "We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out. "We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space. "We have a huge gap," she said. "We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence." The 59-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations". But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve". Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term. "There is a lot to do." © 2025 AFP
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
Trump, EU chief seek deal in transatlantic tariffs standoff
The clock is ticking with Trump vowing to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariffs unless they hammer out a pact with Washington by August 1 -- with the EU facing an across-the-board levy of 30 percent. Von der Leyen's European Commission, negotiating on behalf of the EU's 27 countries, has been pushing hard for a deal to salvage a trading relationship worth an annual 1.6 trillion euros ($1.9 trillion) in goods and services. Brussels has coordinated closely with European capitals, whose diplomats are expected to meet swiftly to give their blessing to any deal struck at leader level -- if indeed Trump and von der Leyen see eye to eye. Sunday's sit-down will take place at 4:30 pm local time (1530 GMT) in Turnberry, on Scotland's southwestern coast -- where Trump owns a luxury golf resort. The 79-year-old said on arrival Friday he hoped to strike "the biggest deal of them all" with the EU. Referring to von der Leyen simply as "Ursula", Trump praised her as "a highly respected woman" -- a far cry from his erstwhile hostility in accusing the EU of existing to "screw" the United States. "I think we have a good 50-50 chance" of a deal, said the president -- citing sticking points on "maybe 20 different things". The European Commission said Thursday it believed a deal was "in reach". 15-percent According to European diplomats, the agreement on the table involves a baseline 15-percent levy on EU exports to the United States -- the same level secured by Japan -- with carve-outs for critical sectors including aircraft, lumber and spirits excluding wine. The EU would also commit to ramp up purchases of US liquefied natural gas, as one of a series of investment pledges. The European side was also hoping for a compromise on steel that could allow a certain quota to enter the United States, with amounts beyond that taxed at 50 percent. Hit by multiple waves of tariffs since Trump reclaimed the White House, the EU is currently subject to a 25-percent levy on cars, 50 percent on steel and aluminium, and an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent, which Washington threatens to hike to 30 percent in a no-deal scenario. The EU has focused on getting a deal with Washington to avoid sweeping tariffs from further harming its sluggish economy, with retaliation held out as a last resort. Should talks fail, EU states have greenlit counter tariffs on $109 billion (93 billion euros) of US goods including aircraft and cars -- to take effect in stages from August 7 -- and Brussels is also drawing up a list of US services to potentially target. Beyond that, countries like France say Brussels should not be afraid to deploy a so-called trade "bazooka" to restrict access to its market and public contracts -- but that would mark a major escalation with Washington. Dealmaker credentials Trump has embarked since returning to power on a campaign to reshape US trade with the world. But polls at home suggest the American public is unconvinced by his strategy, with a recent Gallup survey showing his approval rating at 37 percent -- down 10 points from January. Having promised "90 deals in 90 days," Trump's administration has so far unveiled five, including with Britain, Japan and the Philippines. In addition to bolstering his dealmaker credentials, a headline agreement with the EU could bring a welcome distraction from the scandal around Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy financier accused of sex trafficking who died in prison in 2019 before facing trial. In his heyday, Epstein was friends with Trump and others in the New York jet-set, but the president is now facing backlash from his own MAGA supporters demanding access to the case files.
Euronews
17 hours ago
- Euronews
Orban vows to veto EU budget over frozen EU funds
The Hungarian government will not vote on the EU budget until Budapest receives its frozen EU funds, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a speech at the Bálványos Free University on Saturday. According to Orban, the adoption of the EU's record-breaking budget requires unanimity. "And until we get our backlog of money, there will be no new European budget. We will bring it home, and we will not make any concessions on our sovereignty," he said. Approximately €9.5 billion in COVID-19 recovery funding and €8.4 billion in cohesion funds make up the frozen funds by Brussels over persisting concerns about Hungary's democratic backsliding. Brussels and Budapest over the years have been at loggerheads on a range of issues, most recently that of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the situation has been made worse by the financial issue. Orbán accuses the European Commission of "financial blackmail" and meddling in domestic matters due to its reasons for freezing the funds. Hungary previously unblocked about €10.2 billion of the frozen funds following the adoption of legislation aimed at reducing political meddling in its courts and strengthening judicial independence. However, a complaint was filed by the European Parliament against the EU Commission for its controversial decision to release the €10.2 billion ahead of a crucial summit. Some €18 billion remains frozen, with no signs or indication of progress, but in front of the large audience, Orban vowed to get the EU funds. Orban claims Trump helped avoid World War III The Commission's landmark €2 trillion long-term budget for 2028–2034 emphasises defence and economic competitiveness. For it to pass, it requires unanimous agreement among member states and must also be backed by Parliament, by a majority of its component members. In his speech in Tusványos on Saturday, Viktor Orbán said that the election of US President Donald Trump has helped the world to avoid a third world war for the time being, but the chances of its outbreak are still increasing. Orbán gave a speech with a sinister tone, touching on a variety of topics that included the war in Ukraine and the Fidesz party. The Hungarian PM blasted the EU for backing Ukraine and accused the EU leaders of dangerously waging a trade war with the Trump administration that Europe "cannot win." While some of his claims were typically outlandish, Orban received applause from the audience, with one attendee saying, "We got a very clear, very understandable vision from the Prime Minister. And we are not in an easy situation."
