Human Rights, Civil Society and Conflict in Cyprus: Exploring the Relationships

The document examines how the division of Cyprus has shaped human rights discourses, categorizing civil society organizations (CoSOs) by their impact on the conflict. It analyzes the influence of EU accession and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on these dynamics, specifically focusing on property rights and missing persons.

• Civil society organizations in Cyprus are often categorized by their impact on the conflict as either 'fuelling', 'holding', or 'peace-building'. 'Fuelling' actions typically promote nationalist understandings and 'insular interpretations of human rights as primarily inhering to ethnic communities'. 'Holding' actions address symptoms of the conflict, such as individual human rights problems, without seeking a specific political solution. 'Peace-building' actions focus on 'bi-communalism' and reconciliation, often emphasizing common pain and loss to bypass communal divisions.
• The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has served as a critical venue for individuals to claim rights against states, particularly in the case of Greek-Cypriots bringing claims against Turkey. The landmark Loizidou v. Turkey case established that Turkey was liable for denying Greek-Cypriots the right to return to their homes and use their property, resulting in a compensation award of 450,000 CYP.
• EU accession in 2004 introduced a complex legal state where the Republic of Cyprus is a full member, but the 'acquis communautaire' is suspended in areas where the government does not exercise effective control (the north). This means Turkish-Cypriots are EU citizens, but the authorities in the north are not formally subject to EU institutional scrutiny regarding human rights.
• The issue of missing persons has provided a more successful avenue for 'holding' and 'peace-building' impacts compared to property rights. Since the mid-2000s, exhumations have progressed faster due to the work of the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP), and bi-communal efforts have focused on 'common loss and common pain' to foster empathy.
• Nationalist civil society actions, such as attempts by Greek-Cypriots to cross the Green Line in 1989 and 1996, have often had a 'fuelling' effect. While intended to highlight injustices, these actions frequently resulted in violent clashes and were perceived by Turkish-Cypriot nationalists as a 'challenge to bizonality' and a threat to their security.
• The 'problem of recognition' regarding the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has historically excluded Turkish-Cypriots from international human rights fora, meaning the TRNC's compliance with international standards has often 'escaped pressure to abide by such standards'.

APA

Demetriou, O., & Gürel, A. (2008). Human Rights, Civil Society and Conflict in Cyprus: Exploring the Relationships. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6a0cfc94-a98c-45cc-801b-0309c9fa6f0d/Human Rights Civil Society and Conflict in Cyprus Exploring the Relationships.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Demetriou, Olga, and Ayla Gürel. Human Rights, Civil Society and Conflict in Cyprus: Exploring the Relationships. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2008. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6a0cfc94-a98c-45cc-801b-0309c9fa6f0d/Human Rights Civil Society and Conflict in Cyprus Exploring the Relationships.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Demetriou |first1=Olga |last2=Gürel |first2=Ayla |title=Human Rights, Civil Society and Conflict in Cyprus: Exploring the Relationships |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=June 2008 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6a0cfc94-a98c-45cc-801b-0309c9fa6f0d/Human Rights Civil Society and Conflict in Cyprus Exploring the Relationships.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{demetriou2008human, author = {Demetriou, Olga and Gürel, Ayla}, title = {{Human Rights, Civil Society and Conflict in Cyprus: Exploring the Relationships}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2008}, month = jun, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/6a0cfc94-a98c-45cc-801b-0309c9fa6f0d/Human Rights Civil Society and Conflict in Cyprus Exploring the Relationships.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }