Cyprus

List of Cyprus articles

The Turkish drilling vessel Kanuni arrives for mechanical operations at Haydarpasa Port in Istanbul on Oct. 19, 2020.
The Turkish drilling vessel Kanuni arrives for mechanical operations at Haydarpasa Port in Istanbul on Oct. 19, 2020.

What Erdogan Really Wants in the Eastern Mediterranean

Turkey’s adventures abroad are about more than hydrocarbons. They’re a bold and expensive attempt at geopolitical revisionism.

Supporters of Ersin Tatar celebrate his win in the presidential election in the northern part of Nicosia, the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Supporters of Ersin Tatar celebrate his win in the presidential election in the northern part of Nicosia, the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Biden Faces Troubled Eastern Mediterranean Waters

Greeks and Greek Cypriots are hoping for stronger U.S. support in their disputes with Turkey. But that may not be the president-elect’s greatest priority.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar

Changing Tides in Divided Cyprus

The victory of an Erdogan ally in Northern Cyprus spells danger for the island’s reunification prospects—and sets Turkey up for regional hegemony.

This pictures shows the Yavuz drillship seen from the Karpaz coast of the northern part of Cyprus, the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) close to Apostolos Andreas monastery on July 21, 2019.
This pictures shows the Yavuz drillship seen from the Karpaz coast of the northern part of Cyprus, the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) close to Apostolos Andreas monastery on July 21, 2019.

No Gas, No War in the Mediterranean

Border tensions among Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus are about to boil over—but there’s a simple solution.

A man looks out to sea from the coastline of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on July 21.
A man looks out to sea from the coastline of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on July 21.

African Students in Northern Cyprus Aren’t Breaking. They Are Organizing.

Those who arrived to study in an unrecognized territory are finding they are their own best advocates.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the inauguration of the newly-arrived foundation platform for the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea on Jan. 31.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the inauguration of the newly-arrived foundation platform for the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea on Jan. 31.

Israeli Energy Exports Won’t Make Europe More Pro-Israel

The natural gas discovered in the Eastern Mediterranean is so expensive to bring to market that it might never reach European consumers, let alone change the policies of EU governments.

Turkey’s Yavuz drillship, seen from shore of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, is one of several operating in Cypriot waters, sparking a rebuke from the European Union.
Turkey’s Yavuz drillship, seen from shore of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, is one of several operating in Cypriot waters, sparking a rebuke from the European Union.

Turkey’s Big Energy Grab

Ankara is eyeing the gas reserves around Cyprus, causing yet more international tensions.

The African Gold restaurant outside North Nicosia serves as a meeting point for the large foreign student body from Nigeria, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe.
The African Gold restaurant outside North Nicosia serves as a meeting point for the large foreign student body from Nigeria, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe.

At Europe’s Edge, Unwanted Migrants Are Stranded in an Unrecognized Country

Scammed by opportunistic agents, African students seeking a future in the EU have ended up stuck in Northern Cyprus—some of them left for dead.

The drill ship Ensco DS-7 in Limassol, Cyprus, on Feb. 28.
The drill ship Ensco DS-7 in Limassol, Cyprus, on Feb. 28.

Gas for Peace

A virtual gas hub could create real cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Turkish-Cypriot President Mustafa Akinci walks alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the northern part of Nicosia in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognised by Turkey, during a welcome ceremony on July 10, 2018.
Turkish-Cypriot President Mustafa Akinci walks alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the northern part of Nicosia in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is only recognised by Turkey, during a welcome ceremony on July 10, 2018.

Turkey Is Hungry for War With Cyprus

Erdogan has rarely been so weak at home—or so aggressive with his neighbors in the Mediterranean.

A road sign points towards an Airbnb apartment, located in the Esh Kodesh outpost, near the Jewish settlement of Shilo and the Palestinian village of Qusra in the West Bank on November 20, 2018.
A road sign points towards an Airbnb apartment, located in the Esh Kodesh outpost, near the Jewish settlement of Shilo and the Palestinian village of Qusra in the West Bank on November 20, 2018.

If the U.S. Government Won’t Act, Airbnb Will

While the White House rubber-stamps Benjamin Netanyahu’s every move, the online rental company is cracking down on Israel’s illegal settlements.

A Muslim man walks by the "separation barrier" or "security fence" in East Jerusalem on November 27, 2014 in Jerusalem, Israel.
A Muslim man walks by the "separation barrier" or "security fence" in East Jerusalem on November 27, 2014 in Jerusalem, Israel.

An Israeli-Palestinian Confederation Can Work

The two-state solution is dead. Most one-state solutions are unacceptable to the other side. There is, however, a viable peace plan that appeals to both.

U.N. peacekeepers patrol near Juba, South Sudan, on Oct. 4, 2016. (Albert Gonzalez Farran/AFP/Getty Images)
U.N. peacekeepers patrol near Juba, South Sudan, on Oct. 4, 2016. (Albert Gonzalez Farran/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia and China See in Trump Era a Chance to Roll Back Human Rights Promotion at U.N.

As the United States retreats from the world, Moscow and Beijing seek to gut U.N. programs, cut staff.

TOPSHOT - Turkish-Cypriots attend a parade in the northern part of Nicosia, the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), on July 20, 2016 to mark the anniversary of of the Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus in 1974. 
The anniversary marks the exact moment when Turkish troops invaded in 1974 in response to an Athens-engineered military coup to unite Cyprus with Greece. / AFP / Iakovos Hatzistavrou        (Photo credit should read IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU/AFP/Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - Turkish-Cypriots attend a parade in the northern part of Nicosia, the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), on July 20, 2016 to mark the anniversary of of the Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus in 1974. The anniversary marks the exact moment when Turkish troops invaded in 1974 in response to an Athens-engineered military coup to unite Cyprus with Greece. / AFP / Iakovos Hatzistavrou (Photo credit should read IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU/AFP/Getty Images)

One Last Chance to Reunite Cyprus?

There’s political will. That doesn’t mean there’s a practical way.

FAMAGUSTA, CYPRUS - MARCH 06:  Former, decaying hotel buildings stand beyond a makeshift barrier and a Turkish military sign inside the "Forbidden Zone" of Varosha district on March 6, 2017 in Famagusta, Cyprus. Hundrds of buildings inside Varosha district, which was once a prime Cypriot resort, stand abandoned and decaying in a zone the Turkish military has sealed off ever since Varosha residents fled in the 1974 war. Cyprus has been divided into a Greek south and Turkish north ever since the brief but devastating war of 1974. Since then United Nations peacekeepers have maintained a buffer zone that runs through the capital city of Nicosia and across the entire island to keep the factions apart. In the south the Greek-dominated Republic of Cyprus is internationally-recognized and a member of the European Union, while in the north the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) is recognized only by Turkey, which also has tens of thousands of troops stationed there. Negotiations over possible reunification have made strident progress over the last few years, though they have stalled in recent months.  (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
FAMAGUSTA, CYPRUS - MARCH 06: Former, decaying hotel buildings stand beyond a makeshift barrier and a Turkish military sign inside the "Forbidden Zone" of Varosha district on March 6, 2017 in Famagusta, Cyprus. Hundrds of buildings inside Varosha district, which was once a prime Cypriot resort, stand abandoned and decaying in a zone the Turkish military has sealed off ever since Varosha residents fled in the 1974 war. Cyprus has been divided into a Greek south and Turkish north ever since the brief but devastating war of 1974. Since then United Nations peacekeepers have maintained a buffer zone that runs through the capital city of Nicosia and across the entire island to keep the factions apart. In the south the Greek-dominated Republic of Cyprus is internationally-recognized and a member of the European Union, while in the north the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) is recognized only by Turkey, which also has tens of thousands of troops stationed there. Negotiations over possible reunification have made strident progress over the last few years, though they have stalled in recent months. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Here’s a Win-Win Deal for Trump: Cyprus

There's a short window to make peace in this long-running feud.

TO GO WITH STORY BY SOPHIE DEVILLER A huge Turkish-Cypriot flag painted on the side of the Kyrenia mountain range which overlooks the divided city of Nicosia is seen in the background, as barbed wire marks the dividing "green line" 14 March 2004, on the Greek-Cypriot side of the capital. The "Green Line" which cuts Cyprus in two has become, since the island's entry into the EU in 2004, the least secure land border in Europe, a godsend for clandestine immigrants.  AFP PHOTO/Philip MARK (Photo credit should read PHILIP MARK/AFP/Getty Images)
TO GO WITH STORY BY SOPHIE DEVILLER A huge Turkish-Cypriot flag painted on the side of the Kyrenia mountain range which overlooks the divided city of Nicosia is seen in the background, as barbed wire marks the dividing "green line" 14 March 2004, on the Greek-Cypriot side of the capital. The "Green Line" which cuts Cyprus in two has become, since the island's entry into the EU in 2004, the least secure land border in Europe, a godsend for clandestine immigrants. AFP PHOTO/Philip MARK (Photo credit should read PHILIP MARK/AFP/Getty Images)

Cracking the Cyprus Code

The window is still open for a landmark deal to end Cyprus’s conflict and reunify the island. But it could be closing, fast.

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