Turkish Cypriot - Island Talks

Figure It – Episode 9: Mustafa Besim unpacks Turkey’s economic protocol with the Turkish Cypriots (10/6/2022)

In this episode of Figure It, Sapienta Economics Director Fiona Mullen talks to Dr Mustafa Besim, Professor of Economics at Eastern Mediterranean University and Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, about the economy of northern Cyprus, in particular the latest economic and financial protocol worth around 240 million euro signed between the Turkish Cypriot administration and Turkey. What are the protocol’s strengths, what are its weaknesses and what should be the priority for Turkish Cypriot economic policy?

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 39: RoC elections – three candidates of the establishment (16/5/2022)

Artwork by George Gavriel

Legacy of Anastasiades seems to be dominating the political scene in Cyprus in the coming term as well. Early favorites of the Presidential race, DISY's Neophytou, currently independent Christodoules and AKEL's potential candidate Mavroyiannis have been the aces of Anastasiades' team during his rule. In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı shed a critical light on the system that fails to generate strong alternative candidates backed by the leading political parties in Cyprus. The latest meltdown of institutions and the system in the Turkish Cypriot political was also discussed.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 38: Turkey firms its grip on Turkish Cypriot politics (3/5/2022)

UBP leader Dr. Faiz Sucuoğlu

In this episode of Nicosia Uncut Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı discuss how Turkey is firming its grip in the Turkish Cypriot politics as the right-wing coalition of UBP leader Dr Faiz Sucuoğlu collapses yet again due to his apparent fall-out with cabinet members supported by Turkey's AKP leadership. True, this is not the first time Turkey is interfering in the Turkish Cypriot politics but the extend in which Turkey's AKP leadership is involved in deciding the cabinet names is rather new. In the Greek Cypriot politics, opposition AKEL is still trying to decide on its candidate as the…

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 37: Discussing effectiveness of the UN in Cyprus with Dr.Alexandra Novosseloff (15/4/2022)

In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı host Dr.Alexandra Novosseloff, the author of the EPON report titled "Assessing the Effectiveness of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP) and the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus (OSASG)". What does the report entail? What kind of work does the UN do behind the scenes to prevent crisis to occur? What are the relations between the conflict-prevention and peacemaking in the Cypriot context? How does the "fear of recognition" affect the work of the UN?

Decode Cyprus – Episode 4: North – economic crisis deepens. Is there light at the end of the tunnel ? (11/4/2022)

As the economic crisis deepens in northern Cyprus, Turkish Cypriots hit the streets once more. Pandemic, devaluation of the Turkish lira and war in Ukraine hit the Turkish Cypriot economy which has long been suffering from the structural problems of their economy. Evaluating the recent situation, journalists Esra Aygın and Lefteris Adilinis compare the recent protests with the pro-solution rallies of the past. Why do Turkish Cypriots fail see the link between the solution of the Cyprus problem and the solution to the economic crisis? What do the opposition parties say? What needs to be done?

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 36: War in Ukraine and the lessons for Cypriots (10/3/2022)

Difficult times for Ukraine and for the world peace in general! While Russia's attack on Ukraine continues to create a humanitarian tragedy in the heart of Europe, there are lessons for Cypriots who are living in frozen conflict on the island. In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı discusses how the war in Ukraine must teach the Cypriots the need to end their own conflict since they have been living on a powder keg for many decades. Harsh statements by the Russian Ambassador in Nicosia, upon the decision of the Republic of Cyprus to close its airspace as this is also a common decision of the EU, created a resentment among various circles. Anastasiades government, however, is trying to go below the radar instead of taking a determined position against the Russian invasion.

Decode Cyprus – Episode 3: Drawing parallels between Ukraine and Cyprus (8/3/2022)

Two journalists from Cyprus, decode Cyprus! In this third episode, Esra Aygın & Lefteris Adilinis discuss the Cypriot reactions to the war in Ukraine, draw parallels between both countries and investigate the Russian involvement in the Cypriot politics. What are the similarities and differences between the two examples? Can we really talk about a principles approach of Russia when it comes to the Cyprus problem? What was the reaction of the Russian Ambassador to a possible NATO protection for a solution in Cyprus? Cypriots must draw their own conclusions.

Sesta – Episode 3: On the universality of poetry with Nafia Akdeniz (5/3/2022)

Sesta-embracing the colours of culture! In this third episode of Sesta, Meltem Burak talks to the ethnographer and poet Dr Nafia Akdeniz. Nafia is currently working as a senior instructor at Eastern Mediterranean University, as a post-doctoral researcher with Professor Rebecca Bryant who is based in Utrecht University, and she is working on her poetry collection Yarım İnşaat (Under Construction) which will be published in Turkish in March 2022. Throughout the podcast, Nafia elaborates on the politics of poetry; rootlessness and home-seeking; displacement and emplacement, and nostalgia for future. She emphasises the universality of poetry, and the relationship between empathy and poetry,…

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 35: RoC’s U-turn from sanctions to CBMs (17/2/2022)

Handover ceremony of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the newly-appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, by the outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Nikos Christodoulides. (Photo by CNA)

Since the collapse of the talks in Crans Montana, Anastasiades government has dedicated all its foreign policy capital in isolating Turkey through various diplomatic tools. Apart from a number of regional agreements (which were highlighted with tantamount ceremonies), the Republic of Cyprus has used its EU membership to push, unsuccessfully, for European sanctions against Turkey. The Greek Cypriot mainstream media did not hesitate to portray such "glorious diplomatic victories" on their front pages, radio and TV stations were filled with strategic experts praising government's strategic steps in the international arena. It seems that all went down the drain after…

Buffering – Episode 13: The times, they are dark! (12/2/2022)

Yiorgos Kakouris and Esra Aygın, two Cypriot journalists living and working abroad bring the dispatches from the alternate Cypriot universe! In this episode they discussed the assassination of a Turkish Cypriot businessman who is alleged to have dark connections in and outside Cyprus. Also, they shed a light on the latest situation in the famous camp where many immigrants are held behind fences by the authorities.