By Esra Aygin The Turkish Cypriot side wants to take the negotiations process to a decisive final level as of September. And proposes that the remaining issues, which also happen to be the most politically sensitive, are discussed outside Cyprus with the aim of bringing them to a successful conclusion. This was the main topic…
Reinvention of a walled city
Sitting in a coffee shop found in the old grocery market at the foot of the Saint Nicholas Cathedral within the walled city of Famagusta, there’s no doubt why the historic city was placed on the World Monuments Watch a couple of years back. Adjacent to the city’s main square that notably became the coronation…
Are we there yet?
While at first sight Cyprus’ economic crisis, regional geopolitical recalibrations and natural gas exploration appear to have eclipsed the long-standing efforts to reconcile the divided island, upon closer inspection they reveal the paradoxical predicament that engulfs the Cyprus conflict. The quick collapse of financial certainty exposed an ephemeral tempestuous prosperity that in effect concealed the…
Cultural rights ‘not a bargaining chip’
“The current political situation in Cyprus creates many obstacles to the exercise of cultural rights”, said United Nations human rights expert Karima Bennoune at the end of her first fact-finding mission to the country on Thursday. The UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, who began her visit on May 24 to assess efforts…
Stelios Awards applications now open via Facebook
The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation organizes for an eighth consecutive year the Stelios Bi-Communal Awards 2016 and submission of applications is now open through Facebook. The total amount for this year’s awards is greater than ever after Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou will be offering the total of € 500.000, rewarding 50 teams that can win €10.000 each.…
Suspicious minds By @LAdilinis
The most valuable element for the success of the Cyprus peace process, the trust among interlocutors and mediators, was lost this week in Istanbul. With that trust also went the belief that the leaders had what it takes to rise above micro politics, see the big picture and not get lost in the mundane and…
Slowly but surely
Restoration work on the first phase is nearing completion on the main church and adjoining buildings of Apostolos Andreas Monastery situated in Rizokarpaso in the Karpas (Karpaz) peninsula, the northeastern tip of Cyprus. The Apostolos Andreas monastery dedicated to Saint Andrew is an important site for the Cyprus Orthodox Church. According to information, it was once…
Cash for crossings By @FundaSilver
An additional €2.1million is needed for construction of two new crossing points, but the newly-appointed coalition in the north may struggle to find the extra funds. Reopening of the crossing points at Dherynia (Derinya) and Apliki (Aplic) are under way but the financial outlook for the works is another obstacle. The new right-wing coalition of…
Education the Cyprus guarantor By @MelissaHekkers
Over the last six years, educators from both north and south have been collaborating to create a common narrative to teach the next generation of Cypriots. Looking at education from a common perspective, the Cyprus Turkish Teachers’ Trade Union and the Pancyprian Union of Greek teachers have been collaborating to build an education system that…
Curbs on residency rights By @EsraAygin
By Esra Aygin Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have reached an understanding that no more ‘citizenships’ should be granted in the north for the next 10 months. Akinci raised the issue with Erdogan in a meeting the two had on the sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)…