Nicosia, Cyprus. A study on public opinion regarding the Cyprus problem found what British high commission political section head Rich Calver described as “more overlap than expected” between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot positions. Focus groups on both sides broadly accepted each other’s demands for initiatives to improve daily life.
Study scope and methodology
The study, titled “alleviating the daily negative effects of the conditions of the non-settlement in Cyprus: demands and expectations from the other side”, was carried out by Maria Hadjipavlou and Yucel Vural.
It asked focus groups on both sides of the island what the “other side” should do to make life easier for people on their own side.
In total, six meetings were held. Two took place in Nicosia, while one each was held in Famagusta, Lefka, Paralimni and Astromeritis, a Greek Cypriot village south of Morphou near the buffer zone.
After those meetings, two bicommunal meetings were held, one in Nicosia and one in Famagusta, to evaluate the suggestions put forward by the initial focus groups.
Categories of suggestions
The suggestions were divided into eight categories: “economy, labour, and working life”, “peacebuilding and intercommunal cooperation”, “language, education, and culture”, “crossings and mobile communication”, “bureaucratic processes”, “restoration of human rights and constitutional rights”, “art and sports” and “security”.
Suggestions from Turkish Cypriot participants
Turkish Cypriot participants made a total of 70 suggestions, with the largest share falling into the “economy, labour, and working life” category.
Examples included allowing Turkish Cypriots living in the north to open bank accounts in the Republic of Cyprus, establishing a truly bicommunal Cyprus broadcasting cooperation, jointly rewriting school history textbooks, and enabling Turkish Cypriot motorists to acquire road tax certificates and vehicle insurance online rather than only at crossing points.
Suggestions from Greek Cypriot participants
Greek Cypriot participants made 40 suggestions, with the largest share falling into the “peacebuilding and intercommunal cooperation” category.
Their proposals included the resumption of substantive negotiations to solve the Cyprus problem, the placement of Greek-speaking staff in public services in the north, the establishment of bicommunal businesses with mixed employment, and the resettlement of the buffer zone with the legal owners of houses there.
Evaluation process
Participants then assessed whether the suggestions made by the opposite community were wholly acceptable, conditionally acceptable, or unacceptable.