Redux
Every journey circles home
The President of the Republic’s declaration that Cyprus will serve as a “lighthouse of the European Union in the Eastern Mediterranean” projects a crafted image of the island as a source of stability and guidance at the outset of its European Presidency. For Turkish Cypriots, excluded from the celebrations, that framing does not illuminate. It obscures, raises questions and casts shadows.
Welcoming high profile guests at the opening of Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Nikos Christodoulides said that the Republic of Cyprus would not only continue but would substantially intensify its efforts to deepen relations between the European Union and the countries of the wider Middle East. He presented Cyprus’ geographical position, political credibility and long familiarity with the region’s particularities as assets of added value and responsibility for both Europe and the region. An outward looking vision of Cyprus as a bridge and guiding presence that sits uneasily with the absence of one of the island’s own communities from the moment it was articulated.
A lighthouse, by definition, shines in all directions. Its light is not selective and its role is to guide everyone around it, to warn of danger, to offer safety. When an entire community is absent from the events, speeches and symbolic opening of a European presidency, a reasonable question arises: who, exactly, is being illuminated?
The absence of Turkish Cypriots, both from the official ceremonies and from the political narrative that was presented, at a time when efforts are once again being made to restart dialogue, reinforces the sense that the lighthouse illuminates only one side of the island. The other side, an inseparable part of Cypriot reality, remains in the shadows. And that shadow is never neutral or abstract. Sadly, it is always perceived as a silent punishment or as a reminder of exclusion.
For the Turkish Cypriot side, the opening of Cyprus' EU yesterday cannot be dismissed as a mere “protocol issue”. It touches the core of declarations about cooperation, dialogue and confidence building. When Cyprus presents itself as a bridge between Europe and the region, yet overlooks one of its two communities, the message is weakened and fails to convince.
Perhaps this reading will be seen as bitter or one sided. But our thinking has been divided for half a century. The other half remains in the shadows, waiting to be brought into the light. This is also a view openly expressed by Turkish Cypriots and it reflects a feeling of deep disappointment. If Cyprus truly wishes its lighthouse to guide, then its light must reach everywhere. Otherwise, illuminating only half is a reminder of a half reality.