Reunification at an impasse
Divided since 1963 and partially occupied by Turkey since 1974, will Cyprus ever be reunited? Today, although tensions between the communities have largely subsided, the end of the division has never seemed so distant. Discussions on the reunification of Cyprus, which began in 1975, have been interrupted several times. But while they had always resumed in the end, now everything is at a standstill. The start of the "gas war" (read below) brought the latest negotiations to an abrupt end on July 7, 2017. Today, the residents seem resigned to living apart. True, traffic has become easier since the opening of the first crossing point in 2003 (9 today). But the cultural gap between the two parts of the island is widening every year. In the northern part, daily life remains complex, not only because of the strong military presence, but also because of the economic blockade and the lack of political recognition. As for the inhabitants of the southern part, the majority have never crossed the buffer zone. A choice motivated by fear, but above all by a refusal to submit to the controls imposed by Turkey. In fact, tourists are the only ones to really take advantage of the crossing points, with a carefree attitude that shocks many Cypriots.
The "gas war
Since 2009, the discovery of huge natural gas reserves has been changing the economic landscape of the Eastern Mediterranean. The only player in the region without access to these offshore resources, Turkey is contesting the delineation of its maritime borders. Above all, Ankara is relying on the northern part of Cyprus, occupied by its troops, to assert exploitation rights around the island. A veritable cold war thus began in 2017. The Turkish navy occupies part of Cyprus' territorial waters with warships and exploration vessels. Faced with this, the international community condemned and organized itself. A regional alliance has been formed, with military and commercial treaties between Cyprus, Israel, Greece, Lebanon and Egypt. And the military fleets of several European states now patrol the island on a permanent basis. Such is the case of France and Italy, who are particularly keen to protect the consortium of oil companies Total and Eni, which has been entrusted with one of Cyprus' exploitation zones. The stakes are high, especially since the Russian war in Ukraine and the debate surrounding the European Union's energy independence.
Desertification, erosion and water shortage
Peppers from the Netherlands, lamb from New Zealand, wine from Italy...: local food is rare in Cyprus. For the 5.5 million tourists who stay here every year, almost everything has to be imported. Not good for the carbon footprint. But worst of all, water also has to be brought in. Since 2016, the northern part of the island has been supplied by a 70 km pipeline from Turkey to the Cape of Kormakitis. And while the Troodos massif still allows the southern part to be self-sufficient in water, the construction of golf courses and tens of thousands of villas with swimming pools has led to the desertification of the island since the mid-1990s. In 2019, a European Commission report highlighted the disastrous consequences of erosion of the southern coastline, while a geological study predicted the retreat of part of the coastline at Akrotiri and Larnaka. The discharge of polluted water also endangers underwater flora and fauna. With the exception of air quality, which is judged to be very good, all the indicators are in the red. In the short term, water scarcity and global warming could lead to higher temperatures. Tourism professionals are even expecting a drop in summer visitor numbers, as temperatures are set to rise. In short, if nothing is done to rethink the current model in Cyprus, intensive tourism will end up killing tourism.
The Brexit puzzle
Since independence in 1960, the island has maintained a close relationship with its former colonial power. The UK's decision to leave the European Union is beginning to have consequences. Since the UK's 2016 referendum, Cyprus has been the fourth EU country most impacted by the Brexit, after Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The effects? Firstly, a 10% drop in the number of British tourists, who previously accounted for a third of visitors. Some of Her Majesty's 150,000 subjects with homes on the island have also left. Cypriot shipowners, who own the world's 11th largest merchant fleet, have already begun to transfer their financial interests from London to Singapore. The Nicosia government is looking for new investors in Southeast Asia. Finally, the large Cypriot diaspora in the UK fears that links with their island of origin will become less easy. Fortunately, an agreement has prevented the establishment of the sovereign bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia between the Republic of Cyprus and the Territory.
