Cyprus was a fever dream, to say the least. I had a wonderful time in the island but some things just didn't sit well with me. It was a surreal experience in many ways. I am glad to have traveled with those I did and am very appreciative of the conversations we had. It helped me process the whole experience.
As an American, Cyprus was weird. The concept of borders has never really been all that real to me. Virtually all of my travel - with the exception of a few excursions to Canada, a trip to England, and this program - has been within the United States. There's no real indication that you cross state borders with the exception of a "New Jersey Welcomed You!" sign. No checkpoints, no fences, nothing. Even within the EU I haven't really experienced borders yet. Due to agreements between the US Government and the EU, I don't need a visa to travel within the EU in the capacity that I do and once I'm inside, I'm in. There's the occasional passport check and the opportunity for a new stamp, but that's still really not related to borders. When getting off of a flight I'm not crossing the physical border - I'm already within the country's borders. I haven't crossed over physical borders within the EU and the only time I have before was a train ride on a family trip to Canada, and even that wasn't real. A passport check and a few questions is all it took for me, as an American citizen, to gain entry. Crossing between the two administrations on Cyprus was the first time I had ever really crossed physical borders. The privilege I enjoy as an American citizen was no more. Considering that the US maintains no presence in Northern Cyprus, the agreements that exist between the US and the EU and Canada are unthinkable. Driving up to a fence, waiting in a long line, having someone come on the bus to check our passports, and then driving it across a border, but a UN buffer zone, was a very new thing for me. I am a major advocate for the free movement of people, and if anything this only strengthened that belief. Crossing that buffer zone and entering the other side of the island was a very raw experience. I didn't even cross into a real state. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is an unrecognized state and is more an extension of Turkey more than anything else. Yet that was a hard, defined, real, tangible border that exists within one sovereign state. Like I said, as an American, Cyprus was weird.
Crossing into the TRNC felt like going back in time. The Republic of Cyprus is so westernized. I swear I saw more Kentucky Fried Chickens in Nicosia than I ever have in New Jersey. Almost every major western company maintained a heavy presence there. There were also a lot of westerners in the Republic. It looked and felt very modern. The same is not true of Northern Cyprus. Neither of those variables were present in the North. There were some western companies, to my surprise, but their presence was minimal. They weren't present in Famagusta, the city we visited. There was the occasional western tour group, but it seemed as though they were traveling through a museum - not a city. I felt as though Northern Cyprus was stuck in 1974. The buildings looked it, the lack of development showed it. Going from South to North was very Cold War-esq. If it was significantly colder with fewer palm trees, it would have very much felt as though we had driven from West Germany to East Germany. But I felt as though this was worse. There is no ongoing Cold War. The people of Cyprus are suffocated by Turkey's ambitions. They are suffocated by the game played by international actors. Such is life at the crossroads, perhaps, but that doesn't make it right. This game is played not only by Turkey of course, the US plays it all the time. So how much can I really criticize Turkey for violating the sovereignty of a smaller state in order to advance its own interests? The US violates state sovereignty time and time again, but I find that there are times I take no real issue with it. Why? It's in the interests of my country. This is the struggle of the Republican Empire. There's a constant ideological tug-of-war going on within my mind about this. Perhaps I'm an American Imperialist because I was conditioned to be one, or perhaps that's the realist within me fending off the institutionalist that dominates my personal ideology. I don't really know, and I'm not sure I really can. Has this really answered the rhetorical question I posed earlier? Not at all. I will continue to view the US as the Fourth Rome and continue to support the advancing of our national interests. But how do we advance those interests? The institutions the US has helped create is how I believe we should go about ensuring American interests are advanced. However, at times the realist and American exceptionalist within me win out. As Americans, I feel as though it's impossible for us to even fathom the reality of Cyprus despite the fact that our country has consistently violated state sovereignty over the last century. Even experiencing it was so surreal I felt as though I was living in a simulation more than I did reality. I think it's important for the American people to be conscious of the game our government plays and the effects it can have. But perhaps if that consciousness does come to be, you'll find yourself in the same moral conundrum I find myself.
I hope things can improve for the people of Cyprus. I hope the iron grip of regional powers witch hegemonic aspirations is lessened. I hope the Greek and Turkish communities can come together and begin the process of healing. Nicosia finds itself as the last divided capital, and Cyprus as one of the last divided states. The divisions between the societies are deep and are only getting worse as those who remember a unite Cyprus die off. There are Greek Cypriots who have never met a Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Cypriots who have never met a Greek Cypriot. This lack of personal exchange worries me, as it prevents a mutual understanding from being reached and presents a breeding ground for misconceptions. While the Annan Plan to reunify the island was ultimately rejected, things have improved. People can go between north and south now and personal exchange between the communities is now a possibility. Perhaps I am cautious optimistic about the future of Cyprus, but I can't help but wonder if the suffocating grip of geopolitics will ever retreat. Cyprus has found itself at the center of this game for nearly a thousand years, so I'm confident that will only continue as years pass.
I can only hope I'm wrong.
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