In the final part of our mini-series on the Ottoman Empire, we'll explore the fascinating and complex history of Cyprus.
From ancient rule to modern-day geopolitics, discover why this Mediterranean island remains divided and how its rich past influences its fragile present.
[00:00:05] Hello, hello hello, and welcome to English Learning for Curious Minds, by Leonardo English, the show where you can listen to fascinating stories and learn weird and wonderful things about the world at the same time as improving your English.
[00:00:21] I'm Alastair Budge, and today is part three of our three-part mini-series on the very loose theme of the Ottoman Empire.
[00:00:29] In part one, we talked about the man who ended it all, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
[00:00:35] In part two, we learned about the so-called Lion of Ioannina, the Balkan Napoleon, Ali Pasha.
[00:00:42] And today we are going to talk about the island of Cyprus.
[00:00:47] It’s a fascinating story that brings together ancient history, modern history, global geopolitics and, of course, the age-old rivalry between Turkey and Greece.
[00:00:59] So, let’s not waste a minute and get right into it.
[00:01:04] The Mediterranean Sea is full of wonderful islands.
[00:01:08] Some of them are tiny, barely more than rocky outcrops, while others have been important trading hubs for centuries.
[00:01:17] Almost all of them belong to another country.
[00:01:21] Greece claims almost half of them, Croatia another 15 to 20%.
[00:01:28] The rest are divided between Italy, France, and a bunch of other countries surrounding the Mediterranean.
[00:01:36] But there are two exceptions—two islands that are fully independent, sovereign states.
[00:01:44] One is Malta, the small island just south of Sicily that has been part of various different empires but is now an independent country.
[00:01:55] Now, one thing not everyone knows about Malta is that it isn’t just one island; there are actually five islands: the main one, called Malta, a smaller and sleepier one, called Gozo, and three more uninhabited ones, or to get even more technical, one of those uninhabited islands has a population of two, so it isn’t technically uninhabited.
[00:02:21] There is a little complexity and rivalry between Malta and Gozo; Gozitans are sometimes thought of by their neighbours to be backwards and stubborn, while some Gozitans might consider those from the big island to be status-seeking, money-driven and think that they are superior.
[00:02:43] It is more of a friendly rivalry than anything else, and although Malta might have its fair share of problems, national integrity is not one of them.
[00:02:54] Almost 2,000 kilometres further east lies the only other independent Mediterranean island, the only other island that is a sovereign state.
[00:03:05] Cyprus.
[00:03:06] Cyprus, as you may know, is a lot bigger. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean and is located just under 100 kilometres off the southern coast of Turkey and just over 100 kilometres out to sea from Syria and Lebanon.
[00:03:25] And the political situation in Cyprus is not as straightforward as that of Malta.
[00:03:32] There is a country, The Republic of Cyprus, which is an independent state, and has been recognised as such by the United Nations since 1960.
[00:03:44] It is part of the European Union, it is part of the United Nations, and it is as globally recognised as any other country.
[00:03:51] Well, almost…we’ll get to who doesn’t recognise it later on.
[00:03:57] But the island of Cyrus is not just home to the Republic of Cyprus.
[00:04:03] Depending on who you ask, the island is also home to another country, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or “Northern Cyprus” for short.
[00:04:14] And this isn’t the only “other” presence on the island.
[00:04:18] Between Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus is a so-called buffer zone administered and controlled by the United Nations.
[00:04:28] And then, in the south, there are two British military bases—territory that is still technically British land, a curious modern relic of the British empire.
[00:04:41] So, the question we will be asking ourselves today is…how, why, and what does this all mean?
[00:04:51] To try to understand how Cyprus got itself into this situation, we need to wind the clocks back a little.
[00:04:59] For most of its early history, Cyprus was a place that changed hands over and over again.
[00:05:05] It was a place where different cultures came and went.
[00:05:10] The Greeks, the Persians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venetians—they all controlled Cyprus at different points, leaving their mark on the island.
[00:05:20] But the turning point came in 1571 when the Ottoman Empire conquered Cyprus, taking it from the Venetians.
[00:05:30] The Ottomans ruled Cyprus for over 300 years, and during that time, Cyprus was governed under something called the millet system.
[00:05:41] What this meant in practice was that Greek Orthodox Christians, who made up the majority of the island’s population, were granted some religious and administrative authority, but ultimate control remained with the Ottoman rulers.
[00:05:57] And, over time, more and more Turkish settlers arrived on the island.
[00:06:03] Many initially came as soldiers, administrators, or peasants, and they would form what became the Turkish Cypriot community.
[00:06:13] For centuries, these two communities, the Turkish Muslim Cypriots and the Greek Orthodox Cypriots lived side by side.
[00:06:23] Sometimes peacefully, sometimes not.
[00:06:26] But as the Ottoman Empire started to weaken in the 19th century, as we heard about in parts one and two of this mini-series, tensions between them began to grow.
[00:06:37] By the 19th century, nationalism was spreading across the Balkans. Greece had won independence from the Ottomans in 1830, and other Christian-majority regions were seeking the same. Many Greek Cypriots were inspired by Greek nationalism and the idea of something called Enosis, a union with Greece.
[00:07:01] And the Ottoman Empire was struggling to maintain control.
[00:07:06] In 1821, a Greek nationalist uprising in Cyprus had been brutally suppressed by the Ottomans, who even ended up executing the Archbishop of Cyprus.
[00:07:17] The divide between Greek and Turkish Cypriots continued to deepen.
[00:07:22] Greek Cypriots saw themselves as part of a broader Hellenic identity, while Turkish Cypriots began to see themselves as defenders of Ottoman rule, resisting the spread of Greek influence.
[00:07:36] And in 1878, everything changed.
[00:07:40] That was the year the Ottomans handed control of Cyprus over to the British.
[00:07:46] Why? Well, it's a good question.
[00:07:50] It was part of an unorthodox deal.
[00:07:53] See, at the time, the Ottomans were at war with Russia.
[00:07:57] The British, sensing the opportunity to establish a naval base and protect its route to India, offered the Ottomans a deal: Britain would defend the Ottomans against Russia in exchange for administrative control of Cyprus.
[00:08:14] On paper, Cyprus was to remain part of the Ottoman Empire, and the Sultan would still be the nominal ruler.
[00:08:23] But in reality, Britain governed Cyprus as a colony.
[00:08:28] It introduced English-style administration, taxation, and infrastructure projects, though it kept most other elements of Ottoman governance intact.
[00:08:39] This was the beginning of Cyprus shifting from Ottoman rule to British control.
[00:08:46] And then, in 1914, when the Ottoman Empire joined World War I on the side of Germany, Britain formally annexed Cyprus and made it part of the British Empire.
[00:08:58] At first, many Greek Cypriots welcomed this change.
[00:09:03] They thought it would bring them one step closer to their ultimate goal—”Enosis”, or union with Greece.
[00:09:11] For many Greek Cypriots, it was their dream.
[00:09:14] Now, Enosis wasn’t just about geography.
[00:09:18] After all, Cyprus is much closer geographically to Turkey, it’s even closer to Iraq than it is to mainland Greece.
[00:09:27] Enosis was about identity.
[00:09:30] Greek Cypriots had always considered themselves culturally Greek, and traced their roots back to ancient Hellenic civilisation.
[00:09:39] They spoke Greek, followed the Greek Orthodox Church, and saw themselves as part of the broader Greek world.
[00:09:48] And this idea, the idea of Enosis, gained momentum in the 19th century, especially after Greece gained independence in 1830.
[00:09:59] As more Greek-majority regions broke away from the Ottomans, Greek Cypriots felt they should be next.
[00:10:06] To them, Cyprus was only under Ottoman and later British rule by historical accident.
[00:10:14] The fact that it was physically closer to Turkey or the rest of the Middle East didn’t matter—what mattered was that their language, religion, and culture were Greek.
[00:10:26] But for the Turkish Cypriots, this idea of unification with Greece was a terrifying prospect.
[00:10:35] Turkish Cypriots had always been a minority in Cyprus, and this push for Enosis made them feel even more vulnerable.
[00:10:44] They feared that if Cyprus became part of Greece, they would lose political power completely and become second-class citizens.
[00:10:53] Greek Cypriots might even force them to leave Cyprus, just as the Greeks had expelled Muslims from newly independent Greece in the 19th century.
[00:11:04] And violence might erupt, as it had in other nationalist uprisings in the Balkans.
[00:11:10] For decades, these tensions and fears bubbled under the surface.
[00:11:16] But by the 1950s, things started to explode.
[00:11:21] In 1955, a Greek Cypriot nationalist group called EOKA launched an armed rebellion against British rule.
[00:11:31] Their goal was simple—end British rule and unite Cyprus with Greece.
[00:11:38] The British, of course, resisted.
[00:11:41] They deployed troops, arrested rebels, and imposed curfews. But as the violence escalated, something else happened.
[00:11:51] The conflict was no longer just about Cyprus and Britain. It was also about Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
[00:12:00] The Turkish Cypriot community, fearing that Enosis would leave them powerless, started forming their own militias.
[00:12:08] They called for partition—a permanent division of the island into separate Greek and Turkish zones.
[00:12:15] Sensing the imminent complications, Britain became increasingly reluctant to hold onto Cyprus.
[00:12:22] This was the 1950s, and across the world, the British Empire was shrinking fast.
[00:12:29] India had gained independence in 1947.
[00:12:33] Ghana had become independent in 1957—the first African country to do so.
[00:12:39] Even across the Mediterranean, the previously British crown colony of Malta was pushing for independence, and it would be granted in 1964.
[00:12:49] Britain was reassessing its empire, and Cyprus, with its growing unrest, was becoming more of a burden than an asset.
[00:12:59] By 1960, Britain had had enough.
[00:13:03] Cyprus was granted independence but under a very fragile power-sharing agreement, where the President was Greek Cypriot, and the Vice President was Turkish Cypriot, each with veto power over national decisions.
[00:13:19] Cyprus was independent, but the British didn’t simply pack up and go home. As part of the deal, to ensure tensions didn’t immediately flare up, it kept two military bases in the south of the island, military bases which remain British territory to this very day.
[00:13:40] And importantly, Greece, Turkey, and Britain were named as “Guarantor Powers,” meaning they had the right to intervene if Cyprus’ independence was ever threatened.
[00:13:53] It was supposed to be a compromise.
[00:13:57] Instead, it was a ticking time bomb.
[00:14:01] By 1974, Cyprus was in crisis.
[00:14:06] A group of Greek nationalists, backed by the military junta in Athens, staged a coup to overthrow the Cypriot government and force Enosis, force unification with Greece.
[00:14:18] They overthrew the President and installed a pro-Enosis government.
[00:14:24] Turkey saw this as a direct violation of the 1960 agreement, which had given Turkey, Greece, and Britain the right to intervene if Cyprus’ independence was threatened.
[00:14:36] This seemed like exactly that kind of situation, and within days, the Turkish military launched an invasion, claiming it was to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority.
[00:14:48] This invasion came in two parts, and Turkish troops did not just secure Turkish Cypriot areas—they launched a full-scale military operation.
[00:14:59] The Turkish army quickly occupied 37% of the island, pushing Greek Cypriots out of the north and displacing tens of thousands of people.
[00:15:10] A ceasefire was declared, but the damage was done. The island was now divided in two.
[00:15:18] Before this, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots had both lived in most areas of the island, often happily side by side. Yes, some areas were more Greek and others were more Turkish, but it was relatively mixed.
[00:15:35] After the ceasefire, a line was drawn through the island, with the northeastern part of the island becoming the Turkish bit, the southwestern part becoming the Greek bit, and the capital, Nicosia, being split down the middle.
[00:15:51] In 1983, the Turkish-controlled north declared itself the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”
[00:16:00] The only country that recognises it as a valid nation-state is, surprise, surprise, Turkey.
[00:16:07] The Republic of Cyprus, in the south, remains the internationally recognised government. And in between them?
[00:16:15] A UN Buffer Zone, patrolled by peacekeepers.
[00:16:18] It stretches 180 km across the island, from west to east, and varies in width—from a few metres in Nicosia to several kilometres in rural areas.
[00:16:31] And to this day, the island remains divided, and its future is a complex and delicate subject.
[00:16:40] Different proposals have been made as to the future of the island.
[00:16:45] One is some kind of federation, where Cyprus would become a single nation-state but with autonomous Greek and Turkish zones.
[00:16:55] Another is a full two-state solution, which would formalise the current status and recognise Northern Cyprus as an independent country.
[00:17:07] And another is a full unification, where the line is scrapped, and Cyprus becomes a united island once more.
[00:17:16] There was, as you may know, a referendum on one of these proposals in 2004.
[00:17:24] It was called the Annan plan, and was a UN-backed project to give the people of Cyprus the choice to form a single, united Cyprus, but with two separate administrations that would handle daily governance of the two different regions.
[00:17:41] It was put to a referendum.
[00:17:44] It was supported by 65% of Turkish Cypriots, who felt that this would give them the legitimacy that they'd longed for, as well as putting some distance between them and Turkey.
[00:17:58] However, it was resoundingly rejected by Greek Cypriots, with 76% of the population voting against it.
[00:18:07] It was seen as giving too many concessions to the Turkish population, giving the Turkish Cypriot state equal political status despite being a smaller population, and creating a “worse of both worlds” situation.
[00:18:21] What the majority of Greek Cypriots wanted was a full unification, a united, not a divided, island.
[00:18:30] This has been the biggest attempt to resolve the issue to date, and it failed miserably.
[00:18:37] The state of Cyprus in 2025 is as precarious as ever.
[00:18:43] Tens of thousands of Greek Cypriots still have homes in the north, properties that their families have been unable to return to since 1974.
[00:18:53] Nicosia Airport, the former main airport on the island, lies deserted, a relic frozen in time, unable to be used amicably by both sides since the invasion more than 50 years ago.
[00:19:07] And while this unusual division of an island might seem like a mere historical curiosity, it is anything but.
[00:19:16] As you may know, or as you might remember from one of our first-ever episodes on who owns the sea, a country can claim economic rights over the waters up to 200 nautical miles from its coast, forming what is known as an Exclusive Economic Zone, or EEZ.
[00:19:36] And this is where things get complicated.
[00:19:39] The waters off Cyprus almost certainly contain valuable oil and gas reserves, making the question of who governs Cyprus not just a matter of history, but of economics, energy, and power.
[00:19:54] Under international law, the Republic of Cyprus has declared an EEZ covering almost 100,000 square kilometres around the island, and it has signed agreements with Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon to delineate maritime borders.
[00:20:11] American, French, and Israeli companies have already begun exploratory work, hunting for valuable natural gas reserves.
[00:20:19] But there’s a problem, or a few big problems, to be precise: Turkey doesn’t recognise Cyprus as a state, doesn’t recognize its EEZ, and isn’t a signatory of UNCLOS, the international treaty that governs maritime borders.
[00:20:38] And Turkey isn't just rejecting Cyprus’ claims on paper—it has actively challenged them at sea.
[00:20:47] Turkish naval vessels have escorted drilling ships into waters claimed by Cyprus, arguing that Greek Cypriots have no right to explore for energy without the consent of Turkish Cypriots.
[00:21:01] At the same time, Turkey argues that islands like Cyprus and Crete should not be able to claim a full 200-nautical-mile EEZ if they are close to a continental mainland, in this case, Turkey.
[00:21:16] This is not just a theoretical debate for diplomats in Brussels and Ankara, of men and women in suits not shaking each other’s hands at global events.
[00:21:27] It has real-world consequences.
[00:21:30] In 2020, tensions between Greece and Turkey boiled over when a Greek navy frigate collided with a Turkish warship south of Crete.
[00:21:42] The incident happened as the Turkish survey vessel, which was escorted by warships, entered disputed waters claimed by Greece.
[00:21:52] The Greek navy dispatched ships to observe, a tense standoff ensued, and at one point, a Greek frigate made a manoeuvre that resulted in a minor collision with the Turkish warship.
[00:22:06] Now, the Greeks say the Turkish ship was acting aggressively and that the Greek one simply stood its ground. The Turks say it was Greece that provoked the situation.
[00:22:18] Fortunately, diplomacy prevented things from escalating further.
[00:22:22] But it was yet another reminder of how volatile the Eastern Mediterranean is—and how the division of Cyprus is not just a problem of the past, but a flashpoint that could trigger a much larger crisis.
[00:22:38] So, to wrap things up, this small island remains one of the most geopolitically complex places in the world.
[00:22:46] Cyprus is one of the world’s longest-running frozen conflicts. Every attempt at reunification has failed, yet no one is willing to fully accept permanent division either.
[00:22:58] Will the two sides ever find common ground?
[00:23:01] Or will the Green Line remain a permanent scar across the island?
[00:23:06] Who knows, but what seems clear is that this issue grows more important by the day.
[00:23:14] OK then, that’s it for today’s episode on Cyprus. I hope it was an interesting one, and that you’ve learned something new about this fascinating but troubled island.
[00:23:23] As always, I’d love to hear what you thought about this episode.
[00:23:27] For the Greeks, the Turks, or even the Cypriots among you, what does the future hold for the island of Cyprus?
[00:23:33] Unification, division, or a continuation of the current, slightly unpredictable, status quo?
[00:23:40] I would love to know, so let’s get this discussion started.
[00:23:44] You can head right into our community forum, over at community.leonardoenglish.com and get chatting away with other curious minds.
[00:23:52] You’ve been listening to English Learning for Curious Minds, by Leonardo English.
[00:23:57] I’m Alastair Budge, you stay safe, and I’ll catch you in the next episode.
[00:00:05] Hello, hello hello, and welcome to English Learning for Curious Minds, by Leonardo English, the show where you can listen to fascinating stories and learn weird and wonderful things about the world at the same time as improving your English.
[00:00:21] I'm Alastair Budge, and today is part three of our three-part mini-series on the very loose theme of the Ottoman Empire.
[00:00:29] In part one, we talked about the man who ended it all, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
[00:00:35] In part two, we learned about the so-called Lion of Ioannina, the Balkan Napoleon, Ali Pasha.
[00:00:42] And today we are going to talk about the island of Cyprus.
[00:00:47] It’s a fascinating story that brings together ancient history, modern history, global geopolitics and, of course, the age-old rivalry between Turkey and Greece.
[00:00:59] So, let’s not waste a minute and get right into it.
[00:01:04] The Mediterranean Sea is full of wonderful islands.
[00:01:08] Some of them are tiny, barely more than rocky outcrops, while others have been important trading hubs for centuries.
[00:01:17] Almost all of them belong to another country.
[00:01:21] Greece claims almost half of them, Croatia another 15 to 20%.
[00:01:28] The rest are divided between Italy, France, and a bunch of other countries surrounding the Mediterranean.
[00:01:36] But there are two exceptions—two islands that are fully independent, sovereign states.
[00:01:44] One is Malta, the small island just south of Sicily that has been part of various different empires but is now an independent country.
[00:01:55] Now, one thing not everyone knows about Malta is that it isn’t just one island; there are actually five islands: the main one, called Malta, a smaller and sleepier one, called Gozo, and three more uninhabited ones, or to get even more technical, one of those uninhabited islands has a population of two, so it isn’t technically uninhabited.
[00:02:21] There is a little complexity and rivalry between Malta and Gozo; Gozitans are sometimes thought of by their neighbours to be backwards and stubborn, while some Gozitans might consider those from the big island to be status-seeking, money-driven and think that they are superior.
[00:02:43] It is more of a friendly rivalry than anything else, and although Malta might have its fair share of problems, national integrity is not one of them.
[00:02:54] Almost 2,000 kilometres further east lies the only other independent Mediterranean island, the only other island that is a sovereign state.
[00:03:05] Cyprus.
[00:03:06] Cyprus, as you may know, is a lot bigger. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean and is located just under 100 kilometres off the southern coast of Turkey and just over 100 kilometres out to sea from Syria and Lebanon.
[00:03:25] And the political situation in Cyprus is not as straightforward as that of Malta.
[00:03:32] There is a country, The Republic of Cyprus, which is an independent state, and has been recognised as such by the United Nations since 1960.
[00:03:44] It is part of the European Union, it is part of the United Nations, and it is as globally recognised as any other country.
[00:03:51] Well, almost…we’ll get to who doesn’t recognise it later on.
[00:03:57] But the island of Cyrus is not just home to the Republic of Cyprus.
[00:04:03] Depending on who you ask, the island is also home to another country, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or “Northern Cyprus” for short.
[00:04:14] And this isn’t the only “other” presence on the island.
[00:04:18] Between Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus is a so-called buffer zone administered and controlled by the United Nations.
[00:04:28] And then, in the south, there are two British military bases—territory that is still technically British land, a curious modern relic of the British empire.
[00:04:41] So, the question we will be asking ourselves today is…how, why, and what does this all mean?
[00:04:51] To try to understand how Cyprus got itself into this situation, we need to wind the clocks back a little.
[00:04:59] For most of its early history, Cyprus was a place that changed hands over and over again.
[00:05:05] It was a place where different cultures came and went.
[00:05:10] The Greeks, the Persians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venetians—they all controlled Cyprus at different points, leaving their mark on the island.
[00:05:20] But the turning point came in 1571 when the Ottoman Empire conquered Cyprus, taking it from the Venetians.
[00:05:30] The Ottomans ruled Cyprus for over 300 years, and during that time, Cyprus was governed under something called the millet system.
[00:05:41] What this meant in practice was that Greek Orthodox Christians, who made up the majority of the island’s population, were granted some religious and administrative authority, but ultimate control remained with the Ottoman rulers.
[00:05:57] And, over time, more and more Turkish settlers arrived on the island.
[00:06:03] Many initially came as soldiers, administrators, or peasants, and they would form what became the Turkish Cypriot community.
[00:06:13] For centuries, these two communities, the Turkish Muslim Cypriots and the Greek Orthodox Cypriots lived side by side.
[00:06:23] Sometimes peacefully, sometimes not.
[00:06:26] But as the Ottoman Empire started to weaken in the 19th century, as we heard about in parts one and two of this mini-series, tensions between them began to grow.
[00:06:37] By the 19th century, nationalism was spreading across the Balkans. Greece had won independence from the Ottomans in 1830, and other Christian-majority regions were seeking the same. Many Greek Cypriots were inspired by Greek nationalism and the idea of something called Enosis, a union with Greece.
[00:07:01] And the Ottoman Empire was struggling to maintain control.
[00:07:06] In 1821, a Greek nationalist uprising in Cyprus had been brutally suppressed by the Ottomans, who even ended up executing the Archbishop of Cyprus.
[00:07:17] The divide between Greek and Turkish Cypriots continued to deepen.
[00:07:22] Greek Cypriots saw themselves as part of a broader Hellenic identity, while Turkish Cypriots began to see themselves as defenders of Ottoman rule, resisting the spread of Greek influence.
[00:07:36] And in 1878, everything changed.
[00:07:40] That was the year the Ottomans handed control of Cyprus over to the British.
[00:07:46] Why? Well, it's a good question.
[00:07:50] It was part of an unorthodox deal.
[00:07:53] See, at the time, the Ottomans were at war with Russia.
[00:07:57] The British, sensing the opportunity to establish a naval base and protect its route to India, offered the Ottomans a deal: Britain would defend the Ottomans against Russia in exchange for administrative control of Cyprus.
[00:08:14] On paper, Cyprus was to remain part of the Ottoman Empire, and the Sultan would still be the nominal ruler.
[00:08:23] But in reality, Britain governed Cyprus as a colony.
[00:08:28] It introduced English-style administration, taxation, and infrastructure projects, though it kept most other elements of Ottoman governance intact.
[00:08:39] This was the beginning of Cyprus shifting from Ottoman rule to British control.
[00:08:46] And then, in 1914, when the Ottoman Empire joined World War I on the side of Germany, Britain formally annexed Cyprus and made it part of the British Empire.
[00:08:58] At first, many Greek Cypriots welcomed this change.
[00:09:03] They thought it would bring them one step closer to their ultimate goal—”Enosis”, or union with Greece.
[00:09:11] For many Greek Cypriots, it was their dream.
[00:09:14] Now, Enosis wasn’t just about geography.
[00:09:18] After all, Cyprus is much closer geographically to Turkey, it’s even closer to Iraq than it is to mainland Greece.
[00:09:27] Enosis was about identity.
[00:09:30] Greek Cypriots had always considered themselves culturally Greek, and traced their roots back to ancient Hellenic civilisation.
[00:09:39] They spoke Greek, followed the Greek Orthodox Church, and saw themselves as part of the broader Greek world.
[00:09:48] And this idea, the idea of Enosis, gained momentum in the 19th century, especially after Greece gained independence in 1830.
[00:09:59] As more Greek-majority regions broke away from the Ottomans, Greek Cypriots felt they should be next.
[00:10:06] To them, Cyprus was only under Ottoman and later British rule by historical accident.
[00:10:14] The fact that it was physically closer to Turkey or the rest of the Middle East didn’t matter—what mattered was that their language, religion, and culture were Greek.
[00:10:26] But for the Turkish Cypriots, this idea of unification with Greece was a terrifying prospect.
[00:10:35] Turkish Cypriots had always been a minority in Cyprus, and this push for Enosis made them feel even more vulnerable.
[00:10:44] They feared that if Cyprus became part of Greece, they would lose political power completely and become second-class citizens.
[00:10:53] Greek Cypriots might even force them to leave Cyprus, just as the Greeks had expelled Muslims from newly independent Greece in the 19th century.
[00:11:04] And violence might erupt, as it had in other nationalist uprisings in the Balkans.
[00:11:10] For decades, these tensions and fears bubbled under the surface.
[00:11:16] But by the 1950s, things started to explode.
[00:11:21] In 1955, a Greek Cypriot nationalist group called EOKA launched an armed rebellion against British rule.
[00:11:31] Their goal was simple—end British rule and unite Cyprus with Greece.
[00:11:38] The British, of course, resisted.
[00:11:41] They deployed troops, arrested rebels, and imposed curfews. But as the violence escalated, something else happened.
[00:11:51] The conflict was no longer just about Cyprus and Britain. It was also about Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
[00:12:00] The Turkish Cypriot community, fearing that Enosis would leave them powerless, started forming their own militias.
[00:12:08] They called for partition—a permanent division of the island into separate Greek and Turkish zones.
[00:12:15] Sensing the imminent complications, Britain became increasingly reluctant to hold onto Cyprus.
[00:12:22] This was the 1950s, and across the world, the British Empire was shrinking fast.
[00:12:29] India had gained independence in 1947.
[00:12:33] Ghana had become independent in 1957—the first African country to do so.
[00:12:39] Even across the Mediterranean, the previously British crown colony of Malta was pushing for independence, and it would be granted in 1964.
[00:12:49] Britain was reassessing its empire, and Cyprus, with its growing unrest, was becoming more of a burden than an asset.
[00:12:59] By 1960, Britain had had enough.
[00:13:03] Cyprus was granted independence but under a very fragile power-sharing agreement, where the President was Greek Cypriot, and the Vice President was Turkish Cypriot, each with veto power over national decisions.
[00:13:19] Cyprus was independent, but the British didn’t simply pack up and go home. As part of the deal, to ensure tensions didn’t immediately flare up, it kept two military bases in the south of the island, military bases which remain British territory to this very day.
[00:13:40] And importantly, Greece, Turkey, and Britain were named as “Guarantor Powers,” meaning they had the right to intervene if Cyprus’ independence was ever threatened.
[00:13:53] It was supposed to be a compromise.
[00:13:57] Instead, it was a ticking time bomb.
[00:14:01] By 1974, Cyprus was in crisis.
[00:14:06] A group of Greek nationalists, backed by the military junta in Athens, staged a coup to overthrow the Cypriot government and force Enosis, force unification with Greece.
[00:14:18] They overthrew the President and installed a pro-Enosis government.
[00:14:24] Turkey saw this as a direct violation of the 1960 agreement, which had given Turkey, Greece, and Britain the right to intervene if Cyprus’ independence was threatened.
[00:14:36] This seemed like exactly that kind of situation, and within days, the Turkish military launched an invasion, claiming it was to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority.
[00:14:48] This invasion came in two parts, and Turkish troops did not just secure Turkish Cypriot areas—they launched a full-scale military operation.
[00:14:59] The Turkish army quickly occupied 37% of the island, pushing Greek Cypriots out of the north and displacing tens of thousands of people.
[00:15:10] A ceasefire was declared, but the damage was done. The island was now divided in two.
[00:15:18] Before this, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots had both lived in most areas of the island, often happily side by side. Yes, some areas were more Greek and others were more Turkish, but it was relatively mixed.
[00:15:35] After the ceasefire, a line was drawn through the island, with the northeastern part of the island becoming the Turkish bit, the southwestern part becoming the Greek bit, and the capital, Nicosia, being split down the middle.
[00:15:51] In 1983, the Turkish-controlled north declared itself the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”
[00:16:00] The only country that recognises it as a valid nation-state is, surprise, surprise, Turkey.
[00:16:07] The Republic of Cyprus, in the south, remains the internationally recognised government. And in between them?
[00:16:15] A UN Buffer Zone, patrolled by peacekeepers.
[00:16:18] It stretches 180 km across the island, from west to east, and varies in width—from a few metres in Nicosia to several kilometres in rural areas.
[00:16:31] And to this day, the island remains divided, and its future is a complex and delicate subject.
[00:16:40] Different proposals have been made as to the future of the island.
[00:16:45] One is some kind of federation, where Cyprus would become a single nation-state but with autonomous Greek and Turkish zones.
[00:16:55] Another is a full two-state solution, which would formalise the current status and recognise Northern Cyprus as an independent country.
[00:17:07] And another is a full unification, where the line is scrapped, and Cyprus becomes a united island once more.
[00:17:16] There was, as you may know, a referendum on one of these proposals in 2004.
[00:17:24] It was called the Annan plan, and was a UN-backed project to give the people of Cyprus the choice to form a single, united Cyprus, but with two separate administrations that would handle daily governance of the two different regions.
[00:17:41] It was put to a referendum.
[00:17:44] It was supported by 65% of Turkish Cypriots, who felt that this would give them the legitimacy that they'd longed for, as well as putting some distance between them and Turkey.
[00:17:58] However, it was resoundingly rejected by Greek Cypriots, with 76% of the population voting against it.
[00:18:07] It was seen as giving too many concessions to the Turkish population, giving the Turkish Cypriot state equal political status despite being a smaller population, and creating a “worse of both worlds” situation.
[00:18:21] What the majority of Greek Cypriots wanted was a full unification, a united, not a divided, island.
[00:18:30] This has been the biggest attempt to resolve the issue to date, and it failed miserably.
[00:18:37] The state of Cyprus in 2025 is as precarious as ever.
[00:18:43] Tens of thousands of Greek Cypriots still have homes in the north, properties that their families have been unable to return to since 1974.
[00:18:53] Nicosia Airport, the former main airport on the island, lies deserted, a relic frozen in time, unable to be used amicably by both sides since the invasion more than 50 years ago.
[00:19:07] And while this unusual division of an island might seem like a mere historical curiosity, it is anything but.
[00:19:16] As you may know, or as you might remember from one of our first-ever episodes on who owns the sea, a country can claim economic rights over the waters up to 200 nautical miles from its coast, forming what is known as an Exclusive Economic Zone, or EEZ.
[00:19:36] And this is where things get complicated.
[00:19:39] The waters off Cyprus almost certainly contain valuable oil and gas reserves, making the question of who governs Cyprus not just a matter of history, but of economics, energy, and power.
[00:19:54] Under international law, the Republic of Cyprus has declared an EEZ covering almost 100,000 square kilometres around the island, and it has signed agreements with Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon to delineate maritime borders.
[00:20:11] American, French, and Israeli companies have already begun exploratory work, hunting for valuable natural gas reserves.
[00:20:19] But there’s a problem, or a few big problems, to be precise: Turkey doesn’t recognise Cyprus as a state, doesn’t recognize its EEZ, and isn’t a signatory of UNCLOS, the international treaty that governs maritime borders.
[00:20:38] And Turkey isn't just rejecting Cyprus’ claims on paper—it has actively challenged them at sea.
[00:20:47] Turkish naval vessels have escorted drilling ships into waters claimed by Cyprus, arguing that Greek Cypriots have no right to explore for energy without the consent of Turkish Cypriots.
[00:21:01] At the same time, Turkey argues that islands like Cyprus and Crete should not be able to claim a full 200-nautical-mile EEZ if they are close to a continental mainland, in this case, Turkey.
[00:21:16] This is not just a theoretical debate for diplomats in Brussels and Ankara, of men and women in suits not shaking each other’s hands at global events.
[00:21:27] It has real-world consequences.
[00:21:30] In 2020, tensions between Greece and Turkey boiled over when a Greek navy frigate collided with a Turkish warship south of Crete.
[00:21:42] The incident happened as the Turkish survey vessel, which was escorted by warships, entered disputed waters claimed by Greece.
[00:21:52] The Greek navy dispatched ships to observe, a tense standoff ensued, and at one point, a Greek frigate made a manoeuvre that resulted in a minor collision with the Turkish warship.
[00:22:06] Now, the Greeks say the Turkish ship was acting aggressively and that the Greek one simply stood its ground. The Turks say it was Greece that provoked the situation.
[00:22:18] Fortunately, diplomacy prevented things from escalating further.
[00:22:22] But it was yet another reminder of how volatile the Eastern Mediterranean is—and how the division of Cyprus is not just a problem of the past, but a flashpoint that could trigger a much larger crisis.
[00:22:38] So, to wrap things up, this small island remains one of the most geopolitically complex places in the world.
[00:22:46] Cyprus is one of the world’s longest-running frozen conflicts. Every attempt at reunification has failed, yet no one is willing to fully accept permanent division either.
[00:22:58] Will the two sides ever find common ground?
[00:23:01] Or will the Green Line remain a permanent scar across the island?
[00:23:06] Who knows, but what seems clear is that this issue grows more important by the day.
[00:23:14] OK then, that’s it for today’s episode on Cyprus. I hope it was an interesting one, and that you’ve learned something new about this fascinating but troubled island.
[00:23:23] As always, I’d love to hear what you thought about this episode.
[00:23:27] For the Greeks, the Turks, or even the Cypriots among you, what does the future hold for the island of Cyprus?
[00:23:33] Unification, division, or a continuation of the current, slightly unpredictable, status quo?
[00:23:40] I would love to know, so let’s get this discussion started.
[00:23:44] You can head right into our community forum, over at community.leonardoenglish.com and get chatting away with other curious minds.
[00:23:52] You’ve been listening to English Learning for Curious Minds, by Leonardo English.
[00:23:57] I’m Alastair Budge, you stay safe, and I’ll catch you in the next episode.
[00:00:05] Hello, hello hello, and welcome to English Learning for Curious Minds, by Leonardo English, the show where you can listen to fascinating stories and learn weird and wonderful things about the world at the same time as improving your English.
[00:00:21] I'm Alastair Budge, and today is part three of our three-part mini-series on the very loose theme of the Ottoman Empire.
[00:00:29] In part one, we talked about the man who ended it all, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
[00:00:35] In part two, we learned about the so-called Lion of Ioannina, the Balkan Napoleon, Ali Pasha.
[00:00:42] And today we are going to talk about the island of Cyprus.
[00:00:47] It’s a fascinating story that brings together ancient history, modern history, global geopolitics and, of course, the age-old rivalry between Turkey and Greece.
[00:00:59] So, let’s not waste a minute and get right into it.
[00:01:04] The Mediterranean Sea is full of wonderful islands.
[00:01:08] Some of them are tiny, barely more than rocky outcrops, while others have been important trading hubs for centuries.
[00:01:17] Almost all of them belong to another country.
[00:01:21] Greece claims almost half of them, Croatia another 15 to 20%.
[00:01:28] The rest are divided between Italy, France, and a bunch of other countries surrounding the Mediterranean.
[00:01:36] But there are two exceptions—two islands that are fully independent, sovereign states.
[00:01:44] One is Malta, the small island just south of Sicily that has been part of various different empires but is now an independent country.
[00:01:55] Now, one thing not everyone knows about Malta is that it isn’t just one island; there are actually five islands: the main one, called Malta, a smaller and sleepier one, called Gozo, and three more uninhabited ones, or to get even more technical, one of those uninhabited islands has a population of two, so it isn’t technically uninhabited.
[00:02:21] There is a little complexity and rivalry between Malta and Gozo; Gozitans are sometimes thought of by their neighbours to be backwards and stubborn, while some Gozitans might consider those from the big island to be status-seeking, money-driven and think that they are superior.
[00:02:43] It is more of a friendly rivalry than anything else, and although Malta might have its fair share of problems, national integrity is not one of them.
[00:02:54] Almost 2,000 kilometres further east lies the only other independent Mediterranean island, the only other island that is a sovereign state.
[00:03:05] Cyprus.
[00:03:06] Cyprus, as you may know, is a lot bigger. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean and is located just under 100 kilometres off the southern coast of Turkey and just over 100 kilometres out to sea from Syria and Lebanon.
[00:03:25] And the political situation in Cyprus is not as straightforward as that of Malta.
[00:03:32] There is a country, The Republic of Cyprus, which is an independent state, and has been recognised as such by the United Nations since 1960.
[00:03:44] It is part of the European Union, it is part of the United Nations, and it is as globally recognised as any other country.
[00:03:51] Well, almost…we’ll get to who doesn’t recognise it later on.
[00:03:57] But the island of Cyrus is not just home to the Republic of Cyprus.
[00:04:03] Depending on who you ask, the island is also home to another country, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or “Northern Cyprus” for short.
[00:04:14] And this isn’t the only “other” presence on the island.
[00:04:18] Between Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus is a so-called buffer zone administered and controlled by the United Nations.
[00:04:28] And then, in the south, there are two British military bases—territory that is still technically British land, a curious modern relic of the British empire.
[00:04:41] So, the question we will be asking ourselves today is…how, why, and what does this all mean?
[00:04:51] To try to understand how Cyprus got itself into this situation, we need to wind the clocks back a little.
[00:04:59] For most of its early history, Cyprus was a place that changed hands over and over again.
[00:05:05] It was a place where different cultures came and went.
[00:05:10] The Greeks, the Persians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venetians—they all controlled Cyprus at different points, leaving their mark on the island.
[00:05:20] But the turning point came in 1571 when the Ottoman Empire conquered Cyprus, taking it from the Venetians.
[00:05:30] The Ottomans ruled Cyprus for over 300 years, and during that time, Cyprus was governed under something called the millet system.
[00:05:41] What this meant in practice was that Greek Orthodox Christians, who made up the majority of the island’s population, were granted some religious and administrative authority, but ultimate control remained with the Ottoman rulers.
[00:05:57] And, over time, more and more Turkish settlers arrived on the island.
[00:06:03] Many initially came as soldiers, administrators, or peasants, and they would form what became the Turkish Cypriot community.
[00:06:13] For centuries, these two communities, the Turkish Muslim Cypriots and the Greek Orthodox Cypriots lived side by side.
[00:06:23] Sometimes peacefully, sometimes not.
[00:06:26] But as the Ottoman Empire started to weaken in the 19th century, as we heard about in parts one and two of this mini-series, tensions between them began to grow.
[00:06:37] By the 19th century, nationalism was spreading across the Balkans. Greece had won independence from the Ottomans in 1830, and other Christian-majority regions were seeking the same. Many Greek Cypriots were inspired by Greek nationalism and the idea of something called Enosis, a union with Greece.
[00:07:01] And the Ottoman Empire was struggling to maintain control.
[00:07:06] In 1821, a Greek nationalist uprising in Cyprus had been brutally suppressed by the Ottomans, who even ended up executing the Archbishop of Cyprus.
[00:07:17] The divide between Greek and Turkish Cypriots continued to deepen.
[00:07:22] Greek Cypriots saw themselves as part of a broader Hellenic identity, while Turkish Cypriots began to see themselves as defenders of Ottoman rule, resisting the spread of Greek influence.
[00:07:36] And in 1878, everything changed.
[00:07:40] That was the year the Ottomans handed control of Cyprus over to the British.
[00:07:46] Why? Well, it's a good question.
[00:07:50] It was part of an unorthodox deal.
[00:07:53] See, at the time, the Ottomans were at war with Russia.
[00:07:57] The British, sensing the opportunity to establish a naval base and protect its route to India, offered the Ottomans a deal: Britain would defend the Ottomans against Russia in exchange for administrative control of Cyprus.
[00:08:14] On paper, Cyprus was to remain part of the Ottoman Empire, and the Sultan would still be the nominal ruler.
[00:08:23] But in reality, Britain governed Cyprus as a colony.
[00:08:28] It introduced English-style administration, taxation, and infrastructure projects, though it kept most other elements of Ottoman governance intact.
[00:08:39] This was the beginning of Cyprus shifting from Ottoman rule to British control.
[00:08:46] And then, in 1914, when the Ottoman Empire joined World War I on the side of Germany, Britain formally annexed Cyprus and made it part of the British Empire.
[00:08:58] At first, many Greek Cypriots welcomed this change.
[00:09:03] They thought it would bring them one step closer to their ultimate goal—”Enosis”, or union with Greece.
[00:09:11] For many Greek Cypriots, it was their dream.
[00:09:14] Now, Enosis wasn’t just about geography.
[00:09:18] After all, Cyprus is much closer geographically to Turkey, it’s even closer to Iraq than it is to mainland Greece.
[00:09:27] Enosis was about identity.
[00:09:30] Greek Cypriots had always considered themselves culturally Greek, and traced their roots back to ancient Hellenic civilisation.
[00:09:39] They spoke Greek, followed the Greek Orthodox Church, and saw themselves as part of the broader Greek world.
[00:09:48] And this idea, the idea of Enosis, gained momentum in the 19th century, especially after Greece gained independence in 1830.
[00:09:59] As more Greek-majority regions broke away from the Ottomans, Greek Cypriots felt they should be next.
[00:10:06] To them, Cyprus was only under Ottoman and later British rule by historical accident.
[00:10:14] The fact that it was physically closer to Turkey or the rest of the Middle East didn’t matter—what mattered was that their language, religion, and culture were Greek.
[00:10:26] But for the Turkish Cypriots, this idea of unification with Greece was a terrifying prospect.
[00:10:35] Turkish Cypriots had always been a minority in Cyprus, and this push for Enosis made them feel even more vulnerable.
[00:10:44] They feared that if Cyprus became part of Greece, they would lose political power completely and become second-class citizens.
[00:10:53] Greek Cypriots might even force them to leave Cyprus, just as the Greeks had expelled Muslims from newly independent Greece in the 19th century.
[00:11:04] And violence might erupt, as it had in other nationalist uprisings in the Balkans.
[00:11:10] For decades, these tensions and fears bubbled under the surface.
[00:11:16] But by the 1950s, things started to explode.
[00:11:21] In 1955, a Greek Cypriot nationalist group called EOKA launched an armed rebellion against British rule.
[00:11:31] Their goal was simple—end British rule and unite Cyprus with Greece.
[00:11:38] The British, of course, resisted.
[00:11:41] They deployed troops, arrested rebels, and imposed curfews. But as the violence escalated, something else happened.
[00:11:51] The conflict was no longer just about Cyprus and Britain. It was also about Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
[00:12:00] The Turkish Cypriot community, fearing that Enosis would leave them powerless, started forming their own militias.
[00:12:08] They called for partition—a permanent division of the island into separate Greek and Turkish zones.
[00:12:15] Sensing the imminent complications, Britain became increasingly reluctant to hold onto Cyprus.
[00:12:22] This was the 1950s, and across the world, the British Empire was shrinking fast.
[00:12:29] India had gained independence in 1947.
[00:12:33] Ghana had become independent in 1957—the first African country to do so.
[00:12:39] Even across the Mediterranean, the previously British crown colony of Malta was pushing for independence, and it would be granted in 1964.
[00:12:49] Britain was reassessing its empire, and Cyprus, with its growing unrest, was becoming more of a burden than an asset.
[00:12:59] By 1960, Britain had had enough.
[00:13:03] Cyprus was granted independence but under a very fragile power-sharing agreement, where the President was Greek Cypriot, and the Vice President was Turkish Cypriot, each with veto power over national decisions.
[00:13:19] Cyprus was independent, but the British didn’t simply pack up and go home. As part of the deal, to ensure tensions didn’t immediately flare up, it kept two military bases in the south of the island, military bases which remain British territory to this very day.
[00:13:40] And importantly, Greece, Turkey, and Britain were named as “Guarantor Powers,” meaning they had the right to intervene if Cyprus’ independence was ever threatened.
[00:13:53] It was supposed to be a compromise.
[00:13:57] Instead, it was a ticking time bomb.
[00:14:01] By 1974, Cyprus was in crisis.
[00:14:06] A group of Greek nationalists, backed by the military junta in Athens, staged a coup to overthrow the Cypriot government and force Enosis, force unification with Greece.
[00:14:18] They overthrew the President and installed a pro-Enosis government.
[00:14:24] Turkey saw this as a direct violation of the 1960 agreement, which had given Turkey, Greece, and Britain the right to intervene if Cyprus’ independence was threatened.
[00:14:36] This seemed like exactly that kind of situation, and within days, the Turkish military launched an invasion, claiming it was to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority.
[00:14:48] This invasion came in two parts, and Turkish troops did not just secure Turkish Cypriot areas—they launched a full-scale military operation.
[00:14:59] The Turkish army quickly occupied 37% of the island, pushing Greek Cypriots out of the north and displacing tens of thousands of people.
[00:15:10] A ceasefire was declared, but the damage was done. The island was now divided in two.
[00:15:18] Before this, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots had both lived in most areas of the island, often happily side by side. Yes, some areas were more Greek and others were more Turkish, but it was relatively mixed.
[00:15:35] After the ceasefire, a line was drawn through the island, with the northeastern part of the island becoming the Turkish bit, the southwestern part becoming the Greek bit, and the capital, Nicosia, being split down the middle.
[00:15:51] In 1983, the Turkish-controlled north declared itself the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”
[00:16:00] The only country that recognises it as a valid nation-state is, surprise, surprise, Turkey.
[00:16:07] The Republic of Cyprus, in the south, remains the internationally recognised government. And in between them?
[00:16:15] A UN Buffer Zone, patrolled by peacekeepers.
[00:16:18] It stretches 180 km across the island, from west to east, and varies in width—from a few metres in Nicosia to several kilometres in rural areas.
[00:16:31] And to this day, the island remains divided, and its future is a complex and delicate subject.
[00:16:40] Different proposals have been made as to the future of the island.
[00:16:45] One is some kind of federation, where Cyprus would become a single nation-state but with autonomous Greek and Turkish zones.
[00:16:55] Another is a full two-state solution, which would formalise the current status and recognise Northern Cyprus as an independent country.
[00:17:07] And another is a full unification, where the line is scrapped, and Cyprus becomes a united island once more.
[00:17:16] There was, as you may know, a referendum on one of these proposals in 2004.
[00:17:24] It was called the Annan plan, and was a UN-backed project to give the people of Cyprus the choice to form a single, united Cyprus, but with two separate administrations that would handle daily governance of the two different regions.
[00:17:41] It was put to a referendum.
[00:17:44] It was supported by 65% of Turkish Cypriots, who felt that this would give them the legitimacy that they'd longed for, as well as putting some distance between them and Turkey.
[00:17:58] However, it was resoundingly rejected by Greek Cypriots, with 76% of the population voting against it.
[00:18:07] It was seen as giving too many concessions to the Turkish population, giving the Turkish Cypriot state equal political status despite being a smaller population, and creating a “worse of both worlds” situation.
[00:18:21] What the majority of Greek Cypriots wanted was a full unification, a united, not a divided, island.
[00:18:30] This has been the biggest attempt to resolve the issue to date, and it failed miserably.
[00:18:37] The state of Cyprus in 2025 is as precarious as ever.
[00:18:43] Tens of thousands of Greek Cypriots still have homes in the north, properties that their families have been unable to return to since 1974.
[00:18:53] Nicosia Airport, the former main airport on the island, lies deserted, a relic frozen in time, unable to be used amicably by both sides since the invasion more than 50 years ago.
[00:19:07] And while this unusual division of an island might seem like a mere historical curiosity, it is anything but.
[00:19:16] As you may know, or as you might remember from one of our first-ever episodes on who owns the sea, a country can claim economic rights over the waters up to 200 nautical miles from its coast, forming what is known as an Exclusive Economic Zone, or EEZ.
[00:19:36] And this is where things get complicated.
[00:19:39] The waters off Cyprus almost certainly contain valuable oil and gas reserves, making the question of who governs Cyprus not just a matter of history, but of economics, energy, and power.
[00:19:54] Under international law, the Republic of Cyprus has declared an EEZ covering almost 100,000 square kilometres around the island, and it has signed agreements with Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon to delineate maritime borders.
[00:20:11] American, French, and Israeli companies have already begun exploratory work, hunting for valuable natural gas reserves.
[00:20:19] But there’s a problem, or a few big problems, to be precise: Turkey doesn’t recognise Cyprus as a state, doesn’t recognize its EEZ, and isn’t a signatory of UNCLOS, the international treaty that governs maritime borders.
[00:20:38] And Turkey isn't just rejecting Cyprus’ claims on paper—it has actively challenged them at sea.
[00:20:47] Turkish naval vessels have escorted drilling ships into waters claimed by Cyprus, arguing that Greek Cypriots have no right to explore for energy without the consent of Turkish Cypriots.
[00:21:01] At the same time, Turkey argues that islands like Cyprus and Crete should not be able to claim a full 200-nautical-mile EEZ if they are close to a continental mainland, in this case, Turkey.
[00:21:16] This is not just a theoretical debate for diplomats in Brussels and Ankara, of men and women in suits not shaking each other’s hands at global events.
[00:21:27] It has real-world consequences.
[00:21:30] In 2020, tensions between Greece and Turkey boiled over when a Greek navy frigate collided with a Turkish warship south of Crete.
[00:21:42] The incident happened as the Turkish survey vessel, which was escorted by warships, entered disputed waters claimed by Greece.
[00:21:52] The Greek navy dispatched ships to observe, a tense standoff ensued, and at one point, a Greek frigate made a manoeuvre that resulted in a minor collision with the Turkish warship.
[00:22:06] Now, the Greeks say the Turkish ship was acting aggressively and that the Greek one simply stood its ground. The Turks say it was Greece that provoked the situation.
[00:22:18] Fortunately, diplomacy prevented things from escalating further.
[00:22:22] But it was yet another reminder of how volatile the Eastern Mediterranean is—and how the division of Cyprus is not just a problem of the past, but a flashpoint that could trigger a much larger crisis.
[00:22:38] So, to wrap things up, this small island remains one of the most geopolitically complex places in the world.
[00:22:46] Cyprus is one of the world’s longest-running frozen conflicts. Every attempt at reunification has failed, yet no one is willing to fully accept permanent division either.
[00:22:58] Will the two sides ever find common ground?
[00:23:01] Or will the Green Line remain a permanent scar across the island?
[00:23:06] Who knows, but what seems clear is that this issue grows more important by the day.
[00:23:14] OK then, that’s it for today’s episode on Cyprus. I hope it was an interesting one, and that you’ve learned something new about this fascinating but troubled island.
[00:23:23] As always, I’d love to hear what you thought about this episode.
[00:23:27] For the Greeks, the Turks, or even the Cypriots among you, what does the future hold for the island of Cyprus?
[00:23:33] Unification, division, or a continuation of the current, slightly unpredictable, status quo?
[00:23:40] I would love to know, so let’s get this discussion started.
[00:23:44] You can head right into our community forum, over at community.leonardoenglish.com and get chatting away with other curious minds.
[00:23:52] You’ve been listening to English Learning for Curious Minds, by Leonardo English.
[00:23:57] I’m Alastair Budge, you stay safe, and I’ll catch you in the next episode.
