Nicos Christodoules - Island Talks

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 65: Will negotiations resume in 2026? (Part 2) (23/12/2025)

In the last month of 2025, Nicosia Uncut producers Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykalli produced two consecutive and special episodes. Recorded a few days after the first part, the second part focuses on the outcome of the first meeting of leaders with the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar. What are the positions of sides when it comes to resuming the negotations? Are we going to see new confidence building measures being implemented? How does the international developments impact the talks? Should we expect to see any progress during Cyprus' EU Presidency? What role the international…

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 64: What does the election of Tufan Erhürman mean? (Part 1) (9/12/2025)

In the last month of 2025, Nicosia Uncut producers Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykalli produced two consecutive and special episodes. The first episode focused on the election of Tufan Erhürman in the first round with 63% vote as well as the internal and external dynamics leading to the replacement of previous Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. What role the Turkish government played in the Turkish Cypriot elections? How did the voters respond? Does 63% mean Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly endorsed a federal agenda? Will Turkey agree to the resumption of talks? How is Erhürman being regarded in the Greek Cypriot…

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 56: Multiparty meeting: each side sees it differently (18/11/2024)

Following Guterres' dinner with the Cypriot leaders in New York, an agreement has been reached to continue informal meetings with the participation of the Guarantor powers. The participation of the UK might not be at the same level as the other two, as the official position of the Turkish/Turkish Cypriot side has been for the four-party meeting rather than five. The sides have also committed to work on opening new crossing points. So the upcoming multi-party meeting is being regarded differently by the sides. While the Greek/Greek Cypriot side declares that they are interested in resuming talks on bi-communal,…

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 52: Million dollar question: What is Holguin’s endgame? (1/2/2024)

UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus Maria Angela Holguín Cuéllar has arrived on the island and started her work by paying a visit to the Cypriot leaders. This new initiative to revive the talks, which collapsed in Crans Montana conference in 2017, is defined as an attempt to find a "common ground" for the formal talks to start. In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykalli question the endgame of this new initiative as there is no sign for the sides to shift their diametrically opposed positions. Supported by Turkey, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar…

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 51: Is there light at the end of the tunnel? (10/12/2023)

Turkish-Greek reapproachment, appointment of a new envoy for Cyprus talks, ongoing failure of the international community to address burning issues in the world and establishment of a new political party in Cyprus. In this last episode of the year, Nicosia Uncut producers Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykalli look back to 2023 with a critical eye. The year is ending with new developments, so they can't help but ask if there is light at the end of the tunnel for Cyprus.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 47: Age of apolitical & discussion on unilateral CBMs in CY (30/4/2023)

Nicos Christodoulides met with Menelaos Menelaou and members of the technical committees to discuss possible initiatives.

It has been 20 years since the crossings across the division line in Cyprus started. It is clear that the existing crossings are not enough. Should we expect unilareral initiatives by the Greek Cypriot side on this? While the elections in Turkey are underway, is it possible to talk about a new era for the Cyprus problem? Depolitization of political parties, critical look to the political scene on the island, by-elections in the north, first diplomatic test of the new DISY leader and new developments in the saga of natural resources around Cyprus. Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykalli discuss…

Decode Cyprus – Episode 5: Decoding the presidential campaign (2/10/2022)

Cypriot journalists Lefteris Adilinis and Esra Aygın provide an informative analysis on candidates and their strategies in the presidential elections of Republic of Cyprus, 2023. While former Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides continues to lead the polls; Andreas Mavrogiannis and Averof Neofithou, of AKEL and DISY respectively, trail behind. Other independent candidates are searching ways to unite their forces under a single candidate. We are fast approaching toward the end of 2022 and there seems to be a general belief that no candidate will secure enough votes to pull the plug in the first round.