Building trust between citizens on both sides of the island is not limited to opening new crossing points which, if and when they are decided, remain at the discretion of successive political elites. Nor does their failure to achieve convergence or demonstrate goodwill legitimise those who claim to be leaders to poison, through toxic statements and practices, the trust that society has been building step by step since contacts resumed, following the lifting of movement restrictions almost 23 years ago.
The past two decades have not been easy for people on either side. Yet, however much political developments may have dashed expectations, from the shock of the referendum to the Christofias–Talat talks and later the Anastasiades–Akinci negotiations, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have never stopped carrying out their own quiet but meaningful revolution. This has taken place either under the umbrella of civil society, through substantive and constructive cooperation among reunification-oriented organisations with steady support from United Nations programmes, foreign embassies and NGOs, or through personal friendships.
This view is neither arbitrary nor a product of general sentiment. It is documented through research. Since 2006, the Field Research Centre of the University of Cyprus has been recording social attitudes every two years. Among Greek Cypriots, the status quo is no longer considered acceptable, the two-state solution is seen as a dead end, and an overwhelmingly high percentage now supports a bizonal, bicommunal federation, even if it represents a painful compromise. A similar proportion of Turkish Cypriots also supports a bizonal solution.
A second study, funded by the EU, shows that the technical committees established in 2008 by the Christofias–Talat partnership, tasked with addressing everyday practical issues and building trust, performed very well in the first part of their mandate. In the second part, trust-building, only the Committee on Cultural Heritage succeeded in breaking down stereotypes and continues to cooperate effectively. Nevertheless, the study notes that bicommunal cooperation has improved the daily lives of thousands of Cypriots, although the situation would be clearly better if there were transparency, clear mandates for the technical committees and substantive cooperation with civil society.
Maria Angela Holguín, in her interview published on Sunday in Politis, stresses that leaders must involve society in order to cultivate understanding and support for a solution. Perhaps, if we reverse the logic, citizens themselves can involve today’s leaders, Christodoulides and Erhürman, showing them how mutual understanding, credibility and trust are cultivated, and in doing so prepare them for the compromise that will lead to a partnership state and mutual benefit.