The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus has been attacked by the Turkish Cypriot police in the buffer zone close to Pyla village during an ongoing work of fixing a road to connect the bicommunal village to the Turkish Cypriot controlled areas. While the Turkish & Turkish Cypriot side citing humanitarian reasons, the international community as […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 49: Status-quo in Cyprus is an illusion (21/8/2023) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 49: Status-quo in Cyprus is an illusion (21/8/2023)

We are drowned in elections. Elections in Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. Do we have any time or window of opportunity to discuss politics – Cyprus problem in particular? In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı evaluate the results of elections in Turkey and Greece as well as the upcoming by-elections in […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 48: Drowning in elections – CyProb anyone? (31/5/2023) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 48: Drowning in elections – CyProb anyone? (31/5/2023)

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 […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 47: Age of apolitical & discussion on unilateral CBMs in CY (30/4/2023) first appeared on Island Talks.

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

Election in Cyprus is over as Turkey is now on the eve of the historical election that will take place on 14 May 2023. In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı discuss the cabinet of the newly elected Greek Cypriot president. Turkish opposition finally agreed on their candidate: CHP leader Kemal […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 46: Turkish opposition chooses the candidate to challenge Erdoğan (19/3/2023) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 46: Turkish opposition chooses the candidate to challenge Erdoğan (19/3/2023)

While the Turkish Cypriots are mourning for 49 members of their community, including the entire members of two junior volleyball school teams from Famagusta, who lost their lives in the major earthquake that hit Turkey; second round of presidential campaign has been concluded on the other side of the divide. Nikos Christodoulides has been elected […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 45: Nikos Christodoulides is the new president of RoC. What now? (17/2/2023) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 45: Nikos Christodoulides is the new president of RoC. What now? (17/2/2023)

In this first episode of 2023, Nicosia Uncut producers Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı analyze the upcoming elections in Cyprus, Turkey and Greece as well as the recent local elections in north. While the positions of presidential candidates in the Republic of Cyprus are more clear now, in the context of Cyprus problem not much […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 44: 2023 – the year of elections! (26/1/2023) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 44: 2023 – the year of elections! (26/1/2023)

In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı criticize the political establishments on both sides of the divide and highlight the efforts of the civil society to resist partition. Political establishments on the both sides of the divide fail to address the division of the country while the forces of status quo […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 43: Sleepwalking towards destruction – civil society is resisting (17/11/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 43: Sleepwalking towards destruction – civil society is resisting (17/11/2022)

In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykalli shed a critical light on the presidential race in Republic of Cyprus: seems like the political programs are not the main pillars of this elections. A rather superficial race on slogans, characters and personalities, the candidates, save for exceptions, do not offer tangible political programs to the voters. The US has lifted the arms embargo on Cyprus and this created further tensions in the area which is witnessing harsh exchanges between the politicians in Turkey and Greece. Turkey continues to exert pressure to design politics in the Turkish Cypriot political life and this creates further reactions among the opposition circles.
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 42: Presidential race with no politics (3/10/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 42: Presidential race with no politics (3/10/2022)

It is now crystal clear that solution of the Cyprus problem was actually within the reach during 2016 and 2017 summits, it took five years for the Greek Cypriot politics to question the Greek Cypriot leadership's share of responsibility in the failure. While the establishment is fighting the last ditch battle to save Anastasiades and his team from any responsibility by throwing leaked minutes one after another to support their line of interpretation, every new statement from the negotiation team members, every leaked document prove otherwise. In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı question how the leading mainstream media organ is acting like a mouthpiece and a shield instead of carrying out their journalistic duties. While the battle over the records of failed talks is far from over, no presidential candidate seem to offer a realistic strategy on how to resume the talks to solve the Cyprus problem. On the other side of the divide Tatar is under fire, once more, for attending the ceremony of the fifth Islamic Games, taking place in Turkey, while the Turkish Cypriot athletes were not allowed to compete.
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 41: Battle over the records of failed talks (14/8/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 41: Battle over the records of failed talks (14/8/2022)

After a summer brake, Nicosia Uncut is back with the latest political developments in Cyprus. Three leading presidential candidates participated in the first debate on PIK, Cyprus state channel, discussing their perspectives on the Cyprus problem. All three candidates, namely DISY leader Averof Neofytou, AKEL's candidate former negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Christodoulides, have been the main figures in current President Anastasides' administration. On the other hand, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres have sent out his 6-monthly report on UNFICYP and UN Good Offices in Cyprus to the UN Security Council. The content triggered attacks on Colin Stewart, UN chief in Cyprus, by pro-government media. Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykalli discuss the political developments on both sides of the divide on the island.
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 40: Presidential race gearing up; yet another UN representative under attack (26/7/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 40: Presidential race gearing up; yet another UN representative under attack (26/7/2022)

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.
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 39: RoC elections – three candidates of the establishment (16/5/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

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

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 […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 38: Turkey firms its grip on Turkish Cypriot politics (3/5/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

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

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?
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 37: Discussing effectiveness of the UN in Cyprus with Dr.Alexandra Novosseloff (15/4/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

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

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.
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 36: War in Ukraine and the lessons for Cypriots (10/3/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

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

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 post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 35: RoC’s U-turn from sanctions to CBMs (17/2/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

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

Cyprus is the land of impossible fantasies. One side thinks that the international community is now ready to accept a “two-state solution” in Cyprus, the other tries to play a global chess-game with a non-feasible, unrealistic “East Med Pipeline Project”, something which was doomed to fail from the beginning. In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 34: Cyprus: The land of pipe dreams (14/1/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 34: Cyprus: The land of pipe dreams (14/1/2022)

The Turkish Cypriot economy is badly hit following the meltdown of the Turkish lira. Being an import oriented economy based on services, economy in the north was already fragile due to the pandemic. The depreciation of the Turkish lira affected northern part of the island even more than Turkey since the slider at the volume […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 33: TCs hit by currency, RoC’s illusions on EU sanctions collapsed (20/12/2021) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 33: TCs hit by currency, RoC’s illusions on EU sanctions collapsed (20/12/2021)

In this special episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı discuss and analyse the content, context and the implications of the leaked UN minutes with the delegations on the last day (6 July 2017) of the Cyprus conference in Crans Montana which ended without any agreement. Also known as "Crash Montana", the failure effectively ended the efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem, leading to a blame game between the sides since then. The leaked UN minutes, as collected on this episode page - www.islandtalks.fm , demonstrated how the chapter on security and guarantees was the main source of disagreement in an environment heavily fortified with mistrust. The leaked documents also shed some light on the role of the UN and the EU in the latest talks.
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 32: Cyprus problem: What do the leaked UN minutes tell us? (3/12/2021) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 32: Cyprus problem: What do the leaked UN minutes tell us? (3/12/2021)

In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı explore the reconciliation initiatives in Cyprus - Home for Cooperation, Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage in Cyprus, Cyprus Dialogue Forum, Famagusta Avenue Garage and The Base by Cyprusinno are few to name. In the local politics, Turkish Cypriot right wing UBP party had a leadership race, electing Dr.Faiz Sucuoğlu as the new leader of the party and the new PM until the early elections which is expected to take place in early 2022. 2023 presidential elections of RoC enhanced the rivalries within the Greek Cypriot right wing DISY party, some independents have already announced that they are running. Last but not least, the West is cautiously waiting for the 2023 elections in Turkey, and it seems that Erdoğan is finally losing steam according to the latest polls.
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 31: Rivalries in UBP & DISY; Erdoğan’s deteriorating popularity (3/11/2021) first appeared on Island Talks.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 31: Rivalries in UBP & DISY; Erdoğan’s deteriorating popularity (3/11/2021)

Summer is over and all sides are now focused on upcoming elections on both parts of the divide in Cyprus and in Turkey. Turkish Cypriot minority coalition finally collapsed the day after this episode was recorded. Both Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus have presidential elections in 2023 and the tension around the waters of […]
The post Nicosia Uncut – Episode 30: More elections, more tensions (14/10/2021) first appeared on Island Talks.

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