Cyprus Policy Research Articles

Tourism policy and residents' well-being in Cyprus: Opportunities and challenges for developing an inside-out destination management approach

Abstract The paper explores how Cyprus can increase its competitiveness, sustaining its magnitude and attractive attributes, and ensuring residents’ well-being. The study evaluates the suitability of an ‘inside-out’ planning approach to island tourism development. Eleven interviews were conducted with tourism policy-makers and stakeholders complemented by documentary analysis of official policy sources. Findings indicate that Cyprus tourism policy addresses only indirectly residents’ well-being, and therefore a policy re-orientation focusing on local prosperity is needed. It is proposed that an ‘inside-out’ approach stemming from the kind of development that locals want for improving their quality of life can foster islands’ socio-cultural revitalisation. An ‘inside-out’ approach can redirect Cyprus tourism policy to focus on alternative forms of tourism such as rural/special interest tourism. However, to reconfigure its tourism product, Cyprus should remedy the ‘top-down’ and bureaucratic planning processes that create challenges for the sustainable development of tourism. The adoption of an ‘inside-out’ approach can enable ‘bottom-up’ decision-making by empowering residents to partake in local communities' tourism planning intending to improve life quality. Broadly, these conditions need to be further examined within the context of small island destinations in order to find the means for implementing their repositioning/rebranding driven by a local focus aimed at enhancing residents' well-being.

The myth of ‘Europeanization’ of Turkish foreign policy: the Cyprus debacle as a litmus test

This article examines Turkish–EU relations and the Cyprus issue within the Europeanization framework. It seeks to underline how and to what extent EU conditionality was performed in Turkey’s Cyprus policy in the post-Helsinki period. The exploration of the relationship between domestic political pressures and the foreign policy choices of the AKP government on the Cyprus issue suggests that EU’s potential in transforming the foreign policy of candidates is both context dependent and questionable. Alongside EU-related factors such as the credible membership perspective, what accounts for change is predominantly determined by how domestic actors perceive it, and how much domestic power struggles are affected by it.

Cyprus 1974: Turkey’s Military Success Followed by Political Stalemate

Turkey achieved major gains through its military intervention in Cyprus following the Greek junta’s coup against Cypriot president Archbishop Makarios in July 1974. Yet Turkey has been repeatedly frustrated by its inability to capitalize on its military accomplishment and to achieve a political settlement that adequately safeguards Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot interests. This essay traces Turkish policy in Cyprus since 1974 and explains how the Turkish government led by the Justice and Development Party revised Ankara’s Cyprus policy to advance Turkey’s accession to the European Union. The fading prospects of Turkey’s EU membership have diminished Ankara’s interest in playing an active role in achieving a Cyprus settlement.

The politics of intercultural education in Cyprus

The main goal of this study is to examine the politics of the development of intercultural education policy in Cyprus. More specifically, it examines the content of intercultural policies developed by the state and particularly the Ministry of Education and Culture. In addition, the study focuses on the challenges that may impede the development and implementation of such policies. The analysis draws upon policy documents collected from the Ministry of Education and Culture and interviews carried out with Cypriot policy-makers. The Ministry has initiated an educational reform, including a reform of the national curriculum, leading towards a more intercultural orientation. Nonetheless, the findings of this research indicate there is a gap between policy rhetoric and practice.

Understanding gender-based violence among adolescents: Exposing challenges for an inclusive educational policy and citizenship education in Cyprus

Gender-based violence (GBV) among adolescents has been an understudied phenomenon in Europe, despite the prevalence of studies that deal with violence against women and intimate partner violence. Drawing on the results of a research study conducted with Greek-Cypriot adolescents and teachers in secondary education schools in Cyprus, the present contribution aims to highlight common forms of GBV in adolescent intimate and peer relationships, as well as the much neglected gender dimension in the perpetration and toleration of bullying in schools. Furthermore, the author aims at examining the models of attraction that Greek-Cypriot teenagers maintain and their possible interconnections to violence. By investigating the various forms of gender-related violence the author aims to expose the diverse needs of youth in relation to this phenomenon, but also to examine the contribution that a reformulated citizenship education can make in addressing such violence and discrimination. For this purpose, the author takes a critical look on the management of gender and other social inequality-related issues through the citizenship education philosophy and curriculum, with a special focus on the Cypriot context, and argues for a more inclusionary concept of citizenship that would represent the everyday realities of diverse social groups and contribute to social change.

Pragmatic Idealism Revisited: Russia’s Post-1991 Cyprus Policy and Implications for Washington

Having previously applied the concept of pragmatic idealism to the “like-minded middle powers” during the Cold War, the author now aims to extend its application to great powers and even superpowers. This essay challenges the stereotypical realist conception of Russia’s Cyprus policy, demonstrating that, besides its pragmatic features, it reveals idealistic motives, especially since 1991. These motives issue from a rich nexus of historical, religious, and cultural bonds, resulting in support for essentially idealist legal norms and ethical values that defend the rights of the Republic of Cyprus. Moreover, since President Barack Obama’s worldview is widely, and properly, perceived to exhibit pragmatic idealism, it should follow that Washington’s own Cyprus policy should be refashioned along such principled lines.

Intercultural education? An analysis of Cypriot educational policy

Background: In the context of Cyprus’ accession to the European Union (2004) and a noteworthy increase in immigration towards Cyprus, the Cypriot state was called upon to build more complete and coherent policies addressing culturally diverse educational settings. Cypriot education has historically enforced the nation-building project. However, since its accession negotiations to the EU, Cyprus received calls for harmonising its intercultural education to European standards. Purpose: This study aims to examine the content of intercultural policies in Cyprus, which have been initiated and/or developed by the national state and particularly the Ministry of Education and Culture. Furthermore, it explores the ways in which Cypriot policies are shaped by European influences, and the implications of this process for national constructs of intercultural education. Sources of evidence: We collected a purposive selection of thirty policy documents regarding intercultural education that were produced by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus. In addition, six Cypriot policy-makers working in the MEC's departments were interviewee participants. They were selected purposively according to the level of their involvement in the development of Cypriot intercultural policy. Design and methods: Data were coded to identify groups of concepts, issues, perceptions and behaviours and interrelationships within a theoretical model. Data triangulation contributed to the development of thematic categories that emerged from the data. Results: The analysis of the documentary evidence in this study suggests that the language of European policy has imbued the Cypriot socio-political environment with inclusive discourses enhancing intercultural education. Analysis in this study identifies that the Cypriot Ministry of Education and Culture maintains an assimilationist orientation in its broader educational goals, despite adopting such (inclusive) discourses. Conclusions: This study argues on the basis of this evidence that Cypriot intercultural policy appears symbolic, indicating ‘simulated’ development and implementation processes. Arguably, there remains a high degree of ambivalence towards the process of transformation needed to Europeanise intercultural policy in Cyprus.

Europeanization of foreign policy and world culture: Turkey’s Cyprus policy

The re/definition of national interests is a dialectical process that involves not only internal dynamics and domestic interests but also explanatory factors transcending national level, such as the European-level and global-level stimuli. Accordingly, the study offers four alternative explanantia for Turkey’s preferences on the Cyprus question: European Union’s (EU) constraining stimuli, EU’s constitutive stimuli, global-level constraining stimuli, global-level constitutive stimuli. The original empirical data support that it is the in/congruence between the ‘EU-level constraining stimuli’ and the ‘global-level constitutive stimuli’ that predicts Turkish perceptions on national interests and thus, Turkish attitudes towards the EU-led reform on Cyprus policy.

Demokrat Parti Döneminde Türkiye’nin Kıbrıs Politikası (1950–1960)

In this study, the Cyprus policy of Turkey is analysed between the years 1950-1960 when the Democratic Party was in power. In the period in question, structure of bi-communal state in Cyprus was laid. Therefore, this period, has witnessed important developments which have multi-dimensional effects nowadays as well in terms of both Turkey’s foreign policy, and the future of Turkish society living in Cyprus. During the process that provides the rise of The Republic of Cyprus gradually, the Democratic Party’s vision and the policy followed about the island’s international status and the future of the people of the island have been analysed in three phases. As a result of the study during which the archive documents greatly benefited, it is seen that Turkey which had to leave Cyprus to the UK with the Lausanne Peace Treaty1923, became eligible in Cyprus again thanks to the Democratic Party’s foreign policy.

Language policy and language planning in Cyprus

The aim of this monograph is to provide a detailed account of language policy and language planning in Cyprus. Using both historical and synchronic data and adopting a mixed-methods approach (archival research, ethnographic tools and insights from sociolinguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis), this study attempts to trace the origins and the trajectories of language polices in Cyprus and to relate these to issues of ethnicity, community and national identity formation, language maintenance and language shift, as well as the varying constructions of the role of language in education. It will be shown that, while linguistic variation and multilingualism were historically a core feature of the linguistic communities of Cyprus, the end of the anticolonial struggle and the separation of the island's two major linguistic communities post-1974 has helped to establish effectively monolingual language policies, with a strong prioritization of national standard languages as opposed to sociolinguistically stigmatized varieties and minority languages. The monograph will also discuss language moribundity and prospects for potential reversal of language shift.

Critical discourse analysis and inclusive educational policies: the power to exclude

The legislative shift towards an inclusive education policy in Cyprus has allegedly been fragmented and contradictory. The textual hybridity of the ostensibly more inclusive policy documents prevents the realization of an inclusive discourse. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is proposed as an emancipatory research tool that has the potential to destabilize the authoritarian discourses entrenched in educational policy agendas, thereby facilitating the linguistic and, by implication, conceptual reinstatement of inclusion as a notion that unequivocally advocates the protection of the human rights of children with special educational needs (SEN). In the first section, the article concentrates on the theoretical perspectives of CDA within the context of inclusive education policymaking. For illustration purposes, CDA is used here to expose the power/knowledge grid and its subjugating attributes, enshrined in two official legislative documents. The aim is to answer the following questions: (1) In what ways does the legislative document construct and sustain asymmetrical power relations? (2) In what ways are children with SEN constructed and positioned? and (3) In what ways are children’s human rights silenced? The next section is given over to the criticisms of CDA, whilst the final section raises some issues and identifies some problems in relation to the value of CDA as an emancipatory research tool.

Entrepreneurship policy in Cyprus

Entrepreneurship policy has relatively recently emerged as an important economic policy contributing to economic development, employment growth and innovation. The present article analyses first the theoretical approaches and models, which have been developed for this type of policy. It uses then an eclectic model as a framework for the study of the emergent entrepreneurship policy in the context of a small peripheral country, i.e., Cyprus. The article analyses the macro-environment and the micro-environment of the entrepreneurship policy, the entrepreneurial attitudes and activities of Cypriot entrepreneurs, and the current mix of government policy instruments. It highlights the peculiarities and problems of entrepreneurship policy owing to the small size and the 'initial conditions' of Cyprus.

Kıbrıs Politikasının Annan Belgesi ile Başlayan Kırılma Noktaları

The Cyprus conflict and its stages have reached today gaining an international dimension by Greece’s application to the UN in 1954 in order to give the “People of Cyprus” a self determination right. The basis of this conflict is the ENOSIS struggle of Greece and the Greek Cypriots. Turkey’s stance against this policy has been to provide the Cypriots political equality and sovereignty in safety and peace, prevent the Island from being used against Turkey and to maintain the Greek –Turkish balance. There have been ruptures in the Cyprus policy after to the introduction of the Annan Plan and the EU focused initiative driven new policy that the new Turkish government has been pursuing since. One specific breaking point has been the acceptance of the Annan Plan by the Turkish government and its forcing the acceptance of the same plan in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Furthermore, the Loizidou case decision of the European Court of Human Rights, EU Council’s Brussels decision and the addendum made in 17th December 2004, the Negotiating Framework For Turkey acceptance on 3rd October 2005 have all been unfavorable breaking points for Turkey. Following the aforementioned breaking points, the January 2006 Action Plan, the Gambari Agreement (8 July 2006 procedure), and the acceptance of the 2006 Finnish suggestions as principles by the Turkish Foreign Ministry are all accepted as serious concessions given by Turkey regarding its Cyprus policy. As of November 2002, the Cyprus policies accepted by Turkey have shown some very basic mistakes and errors. Due to these policies, there have been serious choking points between the Turkey- EU relations and further friction in the Cyprus conflict with Greece and the Southern Greek Cypriot Administration. At the stage reached today, in order to reach a sustainable and realistic agreement regarding Cyprus, the realities in Cyprus must be taken into attention. The only way for this to happen is to agree that the two people of Cyprus are two politically equal masses, and that to establish a dualsoveriegn country, the nature of it has to accept a balance of Turkish and Greek influence where Turkey’s rights and influence on the island will continue as it is today.

Literacy and Language-in-Education Policy in Bidialectal Settings

The acquisition, fostering and further development of literacy in bilingual situations has been widely studied but similar issues in bidialectal settings where nonstandard and standard languages coexist have not attracted sufficient attention. This is the second of a series of studies investigating the use of nonstandard languages or dialects in the Cyprus educational setting. The first paper (Pavlou & Papapavlou, 2004) examined teachers’ attitudes towards the use of the Greek Cypriot dialect (GCD) in primary education and their own linguistic behaviour inside and outside class. The present paper reviews the current language policy in Cyprus in relation to literacy acquisition and development and (1) investigates primary teachers’ views on the use of GCD and how this usage affects students’ literacy acquisition (i.e. linguistic performance, educational attainment, and psychological welfare), (2) examines how teachers view the adequacy of GCD as a linguistic system, (3) delineates those factors that shaped teachers’ attitudes towards GCD, (4) discusses the relation between dialect use and ethnic identity, and (5) explores teachers’ stance on language policy matters.

British Colonial Higher Education Policy-making in the 1930s: The case of a plan to establish a university in Cyprus

This article examines Britain's colonial education policy in Cyprus in the late 1930s, and more specifically, its efforts to establish a university on the island. The British unpublished plan for a university in Cyprus is considered in the light of the particular social and political context of Cyprus and also in relation to Britain's broader colonial education policy. Primary source material is used as the basis for investigation and analysis.

Challenges and opportunities facing wildlife conservation and cultural sustainability in the Paphos Forest, Cyprus: Historical overview and contemporary perspective

In light of the increasing loss of species diversity and human cultural diversity and the pressure topdown nature conservation has often placed on local cultures around the world, understanding the linkages between conservation and cultural sustainability and finding ways to address them in an integrated way have become critically important. The potential for linking conservation and cultural sustainability is examined through the case of the Paphos Forest in Cyprus. In the Paphos Forest, the Cyprus mouflon (Ovis gmelini ophion), an endangered subspecies of wild sheep, faces an uncertain future, while small village communities are experiencing decline and are struggling to sustain their way of life. This paper describes the historical context that has guided conservation policy in Cyprus and presents the findings of a preliminary qualitative inquiry conducted in the summer of 2000 in four village communities in the Paphos Forest. The inquiry revealed that local people are greatly concerned about the future of their villages and find intolerable the agricultural damages caused by mouflon, which place an additional strain on local agriculture. Despite these problems, there is potential for linking conservation with efforts to enhance the viability of the village communities. Local people value the forest and generally support the conservation of the Cyprus mouflon, which is considered an element of the local culture. Furthermore, people would welcome opportunities to participate in conservation programs, with the hope that this would benefit both mouflon and their communities.

‘Re‐solving’ the Cyprus problem: Changing perceptions of state and societal security

The Republic of Cyprus has been included in the next enlargement of the European Union (EU) to be announced at the European Council Summit in December 2002. The EU accepted Cyprus’ membership even without a solution to the island's divided status. In the months preceding the summit, efforts to arrive at a solution intensified in the hopes of averting a crisis that could ensue, particularly between the EU and Turkey. Analysing the debate in Turkey and Northern Cyprus from the perspective of state and societal security, this article examines challenges to Turkey's Cyprus policy that may provide impetus towards a solution.

THE EU MEMBERSHIP OF A LOOSELY CENTRALISED 'FEDERAL' CYPRUS: A STRATEGY OF COOPERATION AND CONFLICT-MITIGATION

As the time approaches for the European Union to decide on themembership of the Island, the current ambiguous approach of the EU doesnot seem to offer to parties credible incentives to come to settlement.Instead, performances of the all interested parties so far have demonstratedthat the 'cooperation-promoting, conflict-mitigating' character of the EU'saccession process has not yielded the expected result. This paper argues thatif the EU's current Cyprus policy leads to an early membership of the GreekCypriot part of the Island as representing the whole Island, the risks tosecurity and stability in the region would escalate. It further suggests thatthe EU needs to reconsider its current approach and needs to advocate theEU membership of a loosely centralised federal Cyprus

The EU needs to rethink its Cyprus policy

The EU needs to rethink its Cyprus policy

The British Colonial Education 'Lending' Policy in Cyprus (1878-1960): An intriguing example of an elusive 'adapted education' policy

The case of the British colonial education 'lending' policy in Cyprus is very interesting, firstly, because Cyprus possessed cultural characteristics very different from those of almost all the other British colonies (African and Asian) and, secondly, because the colonial policy influenced to a great extent the post-colonial educational structures and practices in the island. This article will show that the British colonial education policy applied in Cyprus had the two main features of the colonial policy applied in almost all the other British colonies, namely, (a) it was an 'adapted education' policy and (b) it was very much dependent on the will of the governed people. There were, however, two essential differences: (a) the 'adapted education' policy was very elusive and took diverse forms, and (b) politics played a much more important role in Cyprus than in the other colonies in the formulation of this policy, both positively and negatively. The result was that the 'adapted education' policy explicit...