The stalemate taking place within the island nation of Cyprus was the topic of discussion at a lecture featuring His Excellency Andreas Kakaouris, the ambassador to Cyprus.
Cyprus has been divided into two territories since 1974, one ruled by the native Greek population and the other ruled by Turkey, which invaded the country in the ’70s.
In the Smith Auditorium at the Meadows Museum, Kakouris discussed the problems with Cyprus and the delicate, wary actions that the two governments are taking to help reestablish peace within the nation.
During the lecture, Kakouris discussed how the Turkish colonization has devalued much of the historical value of Cyprus recently. Art collectors have been vandalizing multiple Medieval-period churches and taking their artifacts to be sold in world art markets. Kakouris said that they usually left behind empty, virtually destroyed churches, completely devoid of any historical value.
Cyprus has over 10,000 years of history, having been sought after and fought over by numerous armies dating as far back as Alexander the Great. Besides the Turkey standoff, Cyprus currently faces other problems such as asylum seekers, a situation Kakouris compared to the American immigration problem.
“Our geography is a curse…and a boon,” Kakouris said in reference to Cyprus’s unique yet highly volatile location, with only a half-hour plane trip needed to travel to most locations of the Middle East.
Still, Kakouris has hope for Cyprus’s culture. Cyprus has been consistently trying to reach a truce with Turkey to allow the native Greek population to return back to their homes in the Turkish territories.
Kakouris said that Cyprus’s position was “wary” and “fully aware,” adding that it is not beneficial to be “overconfident…or overtly pessimistic.”
“People need to allow themselves to be embraced by this culture,” Kakouris said in his closing statements.
The Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility sponsored the event. Professors Annemarie Carr, Rick Halperin and Gregory Warden were also on the panel to bring up topics such as human rights in Cyprus and art preservation problems.