Papers and Reports
The views and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions and views of either the Diplomatic Academy or those of the University of Nicosia.
The Interstate Relations of USSR Dissolution: The August Coup, the Belovezha Accords and the Alma Ata Protocol
In the first installment of the Diplomatic History Desk, Ioannis Sidiropoulos addresses the inter-Soviet relations and the factors leading up to the dissolution of the USSR.
Glances on Turkey: Abdulhamid II and the Mobilization of History in Current Politics
In the first installment of the Glances on Turkey, Evangelos Areteos explains the relationship between Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II's role in history and his cultural heritage in today's Turkey, where Abdulhamid II has become an integral part of populist mobilization.
Attempting to Map the Turkish Electorate: The Turkish Opposition and the Challenge of the Undecided Vote
In this second report on the Turkish electorate, Evangelos Areteos explains the relationship between the opposition and the undecided, and the reasons why disaffected voters steer away from the opposition.
Attempting to Map the Turkish Electorate: AKP’s Challenge of Religious Voters’ Disaffection
This work focuses on society, religion, and the testing of the Islamist mobilization in Turkey. It examines the reasons behind voters’ disaffection, with a particular focus on the more conservative and religious elements in society.
Turkey’s Foreign Policy in Africa: A New Paradigm of Turkish Foreign Policy?
While highlighting the challenges Turkish foreign policy in Africa faces, Evangelos Areteos also makes a case of this policy being a combination of "public diplomacy and visionary strategic pragmatism". This combination has led to a new paradigm in Turkish foreign policy.
“Our Bodies are Turkish, Our Soul Islamic”: The Grey Wolves and the Essence of Present-Day Turkish-Islam Mobilization
Evangelos Areteos explains how the ideology and combative activism of the Idealist Hearths is radically transforming the country’s political and cultural dynamics
“Restless Conservatives”: Turkey’s volatile kingmakers and the limits of nationalist hybridization
Recently, AKP and Erdogan have been facing challenges from their own backward, the “huzursuz muhafazakarlar” - the “restless conservatives”. This group's actions put into question how long the dominant narrative of Turkey’s grandeur can remain sustainable.
Mavi Vatan and Forward Defense: The Sinuous Journey of a Republican and Imperial Hybridization
By Evangelos Areteos: "The Mavi Vatan (Blue Homeland in English) naval doctrine of Turkey has lately emerged as one of the pillars of the Turkish foreign and security policy, aiming at establishing Turkey as a vast regional naval power in and around the Mediterranean"
From the Valley to a Pit: Legitimation of the State and Counter-Narratives through Turkish TV Series
The shadowy relations of the state with organized crime have become the central plot of a very popular sub-genre of Turkish TV series. This sub-genre of TV series, where the state and its survival intertwine with the organized crime had started with the TV series and films “Valley of the Wolves” and it resurfaced with the TV series “Eşkıya Dünyaya Hükümdar Olmaz” – Bandits. However, a new sub-genre has lately emerged, where organised crime is depicted as the way of survival of urban poor, and by doing so, it has reframed the popular culture of contestation of the legitimacy of the state.
The Cologne and the Mask: Metaphors of Modern Turkey under the Pandemic
The dilemma between an ideologically re-invented past of Ottoman greatness – which “legitimizes” the greatness of today’s Turkey – and the economic and social realities, as they are shaped by the pandemic, continuously shape Turkish identity and politics even today.
Building Infrastructures: Reviewing Cypriot Cybersecurity Practices
By Petros Petrikkos A lack of attention in addressing Cyprus’ cyberspace and security systems is a major problem for the country. The rise of newer technologies and threats require an upgrade in the existing systems.
The Challenges of Formulating National Security Strategies (NSS) in the Presence of Overarching Existential Threats
By Constantinos Adamides The overall objective of the paper is to examine how states that face an overarching (perceived) existential threat may be at a disadvantage when developing their National Security Strategies (NSS).
The Rise of the Republic of Cyprus’ Defence Diplomacy in Its Neighbourhood
By Marinos Papaioakeim Despite the fact that Cyprus is a small state in the international system, with all that this entails in the exercise of diplomatic practice, the Republic of Cyprus (RoC), particularly in the last ten years, has taken several initiatives for activities that fall in the realm of defence diplomacy.
Power Games in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus: The Trouble with Turkey’s Coercive Diplomacy
By Michalis Kontos This paper examines the case of the Republic of Cyprus’ (RoC's) quest for exploring natural gas reserves in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) amidst Turkey’s threats, under the lens of coercion and deterrence theory
European-Khaleeji Rule in Lebanon: Hegemonic Control over Popular Lebanese Organisation
By Petros Petrikkos This analysis focuses on how European nations (inclusive of the EU as a whole) and Gulf countries (inclusive of the Gulf Cooperation Council) have been exercising financial control over Lebanon’s autonomy and overall functions as an independent state-entity.
Τα ενεργειακά διλήμματα του Ισραήλ και η Κύπρος
Του Πέτρου Ζαρούνα Η συνέντευξη του Γ.Δ του υπουργείου ενέργειας του Ισραήλ στην τουρκική εφημερίδα Χουριέτ έδωσε την ευκαιρία σε κάποιους να μιλήσουν για «Αναμενόμενο το γκρέμισμα των ψευδαισθήσεων και των "αναλύσεων"».
Ο επόμενος πόλεμος Ισραήλ-Χεζμπολάχ Γιατί ένα τέτοιο ενδεχόμενο φαντάζει ως ένα Γιομ Κιπούρ 2.0
By Ιωάννη-Σωτηρίου Ιωάννου Ο μικρόκοσμος της νότιας Συρίας αποτελεί μια εξαιρετική περιπτωσιολογία για το πώς μπορεί να ιδωθεί ολιστικά η κατάσταση του συριακού εμφυλίου –που εισέρχεται αισίως στον 7ο χρόνο.
CAN RESOLVING CYPRUS HOLD THE KEY TO REGIONAL ENERGY COOPERATION?
By Constantinos Adamides & Odysseas Christou This article examines the relationship between the recent discoveries of hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean and the resolution of the long-standing division of Cyprus.
Κωνσταντινούπολη: Το κίνημα της πλατείας
By Vaggelis Aretaios Την ολοκλήρωση του πολιτισμικού μετασχηματισμού της Τουρκίας σε μια ισλαμική χώρα «σφραγίζει» η περίοδος μετά την απόπειρα του πραξικοπήματος καθιστώντας εντελώς αβέβαιες και ρευστές τις σχέσεις της χώρας με την Δύση.
The Eastern Mediterranean`s sea-bed treasures
By Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis There is a huge potential for hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean region, both in terms of supply and of transport of gas.
Rescuing mankind`s cultural heritage
By Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis The interfaith and intercultural dialogue is meant to increase our understanding, our appreciation and our respect for other faiths and enhance our sensitivity towards the cultures and beliefs of other peoples with different religious and cultural backgrounds.
Federalism made simple
By Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis There are today 25 countries in the world (out of the 193) that are federal, some of them since several centuries ago.
Narratives of Conflict
By Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis When we talk about narratives, we define it as the spoken or written account of connected events, which could be real or imagined, that provide a chain of events that are recounted to others and especially to future generations.
The Truth will set you free
By Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRC), which have emerged as an international norm during the last quarter of a century, have been established in nearly forty countries and have become an important element for national reconciliation and post conflict peace-building.
Culture and Peace Building
By Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis Culture can play an important role in the promotion of peace and in building trust and mutual understanding in conflict and post conflict situations.