INFORMATION REQUEST: Home Inspection Trip
Island Politics
Politics is a funny thing: we all talk about it in first or second person but few of us are personally affected by these big events. An example may be race based protest in some far-off city. You may feel strongly about it but does it really affect your daily life?
It's the same the world over and Cyprus is no different. We lead our lives little changed by opinions held as important in Capitols. Yes, we have seen the YouTube videos where people become upset by some cause or wrong committed decades ago but to be honest, it seems somehow disconnected from daily life here on the ground.
The centruies-long history between Greeks and Turks is difficult for either side to forget. Wrongs commited two-hundred years ago are keeped fresh and close to hand. From time to time the UN will sponser a get together of leaders with the idea that we should explore possible reunification, it seems to be something of a cycle. Leaders make noises about peace but there is little action. This status-quo has been maintained for about fifrty years now.
And Now?
The latest argument is over natural gas... the descendants of the Ottoman and Hellenic Empires are locked in an endless cycle of competition and natural gas is only the latest contest. Here is what you need to know:
- The EU takes a Greek Centric stance
- The TRNC is not recognized in part due to the above
- Turkey supports North Cyprus
- The Island maintains a decent standard of living - North & South
- Peace & Stability have been a constant for decades
- Some fear introducing hydrocarbons into the conversation may make negoations more difficult.
The net effect of the above is that property prices are depressed well below actual market values in the North. The situation has been in place for about fifty years and doesn't look set to change in the near-term. This allows a person of average means to own sea front property that would otherwise be out of reach.
The politics in Athens & Ankra don't seem to concern available brands or stock at the Supermarket. Life here runs at a different speed and things here seem slow to change.
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