Exciting days in Cyprus

This year, I went straight from the December party to Cyprus, where I spent most of last week at the PCC. The most recent news, virtually hitting me on the way to the airport, was that the remains of former president of the Republic of Cyprus, Papadopoulos, had been removed from his grave. He led the Greek Cypriots to a an overwhelming NO in the referendum on the Annan plan in 2004. The theories about the grave robbery were numerous, and while some pointed a finger to the islands Turkish population, the ransom theory was still in the lead a week after what current RoC president Christofias referred to as ‘sacrilege’.

Visiting the PCC is always an experience. I am most impressed by the productivity and impact of this small centre, with one Director, an office manager, four full time research staff, and a handful of associates. I presented the new PRIO strategy, realizing full well that the PCCers are already overachieving on most of the goals we have set for ourselves, not the least those related to output – academic (#2), public debate (#3) and policy (#4) – for example:

• PCC staff plays a key role in the Cyprus Review, a peer-reviewed journal devoted to Cyprus affairs, Ayla and Mete are on the editorial board, Olga is the book review editor (yes, I owe you one!), and Nicos was the guest editor of last years special issue on Migration, Racism and Multiculturalism
• Research from the PCC informs debates on key issues in the conflict – such as property, settlers, reconciliation, with a recent highlight being Mete Hatay figuring in last week's Economist
• Likewise, facts, figures and analysis by the PCC staff are part of the knowledge base in negotiations between the two parties, RoC’s Christofias and the TRNC’s Talat. The fortchoming report on the economics of a solution, the third in a series, will expectedly have a similar impact.

On top of that comes a number of recent funding successes, including a major EU grant to investigate property issues. I am glad to see increasing cooperation between researchers at the PCC and PRIO in Oslo, as I am sure all involved have much to gain.

The pressure is mounting for a solution, as the TRNC leader, Talat, is up for election in March, with campaigning precluding negotiations from mid-February (Talat is pro-solution, unlike the opposition, which recently won a majority of the cabinet seats). The parties have yet to agree on many of the key issues. Early in the new year, they will meet at each other houses for two sessions of two to three days duration, probably a last attempt to break the current deadlock. Many observers worry that in the absence of a solution in 2010, the real alternative is not status quo, but full-blown separation.

Those are exciting times times for the PCC and its staff. Our research is guided by impartiality, and our researchers hold various perspectives on the conflict and how to address it. Yet, we may easily be stamped as pro-solution, and become subject to public and political criticism. Our response will be rooted in the quality of our research, the diversity of our staff’s opinions, and the organizational coherence within the PCC. Exciting times as those are, we shall be well equipped to face them.