Nearly fifty years after the island of Cyprus was split between its Greek and Turkish communities, the conflict remains one of the most enduring in Europe. Once a British colony and now home to one of the UN’s longest-running peacekeeping missions, Cyprus stands as a symbol of both the possibilities and the limits of international diplomacy.
In this episode of Peace Matters, we speak with Professor Ahmet Sözen, a leading scholar from the Eastern Mediterranean University in Famagusta, about how the island became divided, why efforts to reunify it have repeatedly failed, and what prospects—if any—exist for change.
We explore the evolving roles of Türkiye, the EU, and the UN, shifting demographics, the militarization of the island, and how ordinary Cypriots perceive the division today. From climate change to regional power politics, we ask: what would it take for peace to finally return to Cyprus?
Guest:
Ahmet Sözen is a professor of Political Science with conflict resolution and peace-building as his main areas of expertise. He was recently a Guest Professor in the Unit of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. His experience over the last three decades includes participating in peace-negotiations from the first-track in Cyprus as a member of the official Turkish Cypriot negotiation team in the UN-led peace negotiations and active involvement in second-track peace initiatives. He is a policy expert of DIPLOMEDS (Council of Mediterranean Diplomacy).
Some of his recent publications:
"The Cyprus–Türkiye maritime boundary"
Constantinos Yiallourides and Ahmet Sözen (2025) Swisspeace Policy Brief
Ahmet Sözen & Devrim Şahin
Accompanied by:
Marylia Hushcha, Researcher and Project Manager at the IIP.
The episode was recorded on 14 October 2025.