The Normalisation of Cyprus' Partition Among Greek Cypriots: Political Economy and Political Culture in a Divided Society

This book explores the basic dynamics that shaped the Cyprus problem,with a focus on recent decades. It discusses the periods, nodal points, and fields that produced the conditions for the normalization of partition and presents the Cyprus problem as viewed from the outside. It argues that the normalization of Cyprus partition is rooted in the political economy and political culture of Greek Cypriots, but is contradictory and potentially unstable.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 220 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This book delves into the intricate dynamics that have shaped the Cyprus problem, particularly in recent decades. The author examines the periods, nodal points, and fields that created the conditions for the normalization of partition and presents the Cyprus issue from an external perspective. The chapters explore the division of Cyprus in the context of power relations, the interaction between the political elite and society, and the political and ideological dynamics manifested in the public sphere. While analyzing primarily the Greek Cypriot community, the book also refers to parallel developments in the Turkish Cypriot and international communities, arguing that the normalization of Cyprus partition is rooted in the political economy and political culture of Greek Cypriots. At the same time, from the perspective of the peace and reunification movement, this is an inherently contradictory and potentially unstable process that can be overturned.

A remarkably thorough study focusing on nationalist narratives, political and media discourses, and socio-economic structures in Cyprus and their impact on the formation and transformation of political identities since the 1950s. Unlike many other books on the issue, Ioannou analyzes social and political developments in both the Greek-Cypriot and the Turkish-Cypriot communities. This approach sheds light on the internal reasons for the perpetuation of the islands division, which the geopolitical and international relations approaches alone miss to grasp. Combining the analytical skills of a political scientist and his personal experience as an engaged citizen in favor of unification, Ioannou offers significant insight on a complex and traumatic conflict that remains one of Europes black spots.

– Athena Skoulariki

Weight: 308g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030508180
Edition number: 1st ed. 2020