Coming to terms with the past in Cyprus

The report examines the landscape of transitional justice in Cyprus, focusing on the tension between hegemonic national narratives and the need for a bicommunal reckoning with the past. It analyzes the role of the Committee on Missing Persons (cMp), the lack of domestic criminal prosecutions, and the emergence of civil society-led documentation and memorialisation projects. The authors argue that while political leaders fear that truth-seeking may destabilise peace negotiations, there is significant public support for such processes. The document recommends that political leadership and civil society collaborate on strategies to address the legacy of violence, regardless of the outcome of peace settlements.

• Both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities have constructed hegemonic narratives that perpetuate selective silence and blame, often reinforced by education systems, political parties, and the military.
• The Committee on Missing Persons (cMp), established in 1981, is the only official bicommunal institution mandated to find the fate of approximately 2,000 people missing between 1963 and 1974, though it does not establish the cause of death or apportion responsibility.
• A policy of limited impunity was established in 1990 by the Attorney General of the Republic of Cyprus to encourage witnesses to provide information on the missing without fear of prosecution.
• There is a significant gap between political leadership and public opinion regarding truth commissions; while policymakers fear they may destabilise the peace process, polls show strong support among citizens.
• Domestic criminal prosecution for conflict-related violence is largely absent in Cyprus, and the lack of accountability for the Turkish army is seen as a barrier to Greek Cypriots examining their own community's actions.
• Civil society actors, including journalists, filmmakers, and the Bicommunal Initiative, are creating alternative narratives by documenting survivor stories and challenging the 'victim/aggressor' dichotomy.
• Memorialisation in Cyprus is emerging through projects that aim to transform the buffer zone into spaces of cooperation and reflection, such as the 'home for cooperation' in the Ledra Palace buffer zone.
• The report suggests that a 'narrow' fact-finding model for a truth commission, focusing on individual human rights violations and working with the cMp, could be a viable option for Cyprus.

APA

Bozkurt, U., & Yakinthou, C. (n.d.). Coming to terms with the past in Cyprus. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/82d25121-007e-4479-9b7a-a62d5901f122/Report 2012-3 - Legacies of Violence ENG.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Bozkurt, Umut, and Christalla Yakinthou. Coming to terms with the past in Cyprus. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/82d25121-007e-4479-9b7a-a62d5901f122/Report 2012-3 - Legacies of Violence ENG.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bozkurt |first1=Umut |last2=Yakinthou |first2=Christalla |title=Coming to terms with the past in Cyprus |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/82d25121-007e-4479-9b7a-a62d5901f122/Report 2012-3 - Legacies of Violence ENG.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bozkurtndcoming, author = {Bozkurt, Umut and Yakinthou, Christalla}, title = {{Coming to terms with the past in Cyprus}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/82d25121-007e-4479-9b7a-a62d5901f122/Report 2012-3 - Legacies of Violence ENG.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }