Dialogue across the Divide: Bridging the Separation in Cyprus

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Famous since ancient times as the birthplace of Aphrodite (the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility), the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus is divided today by a buffer zone that ethnically separates the Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot communities. The buffer zone was established as a cease-fire line in 1974, when a Greek-led coup against the government of the Cyprus Republic was followed by Turkish military intervention, leading to the creation of two ethnic zones on the island. Intended as a temporary dividing line separating the two sides during negotiations to end the conflict, the buffer zone still is in place today. United Nations (UN) peacekeeping forces, which have been on the island since 1964, when inter-communal fighting led to a division of the capitol city Nicosia, patrol the buffer zone and maintain observation posts along its 180-kilometer length. Despite ongoing negotiations led by the United Nations, no agreement has been reached to end the conflict.