Welcome to the Inquiry, I'm Charmaine Cozier.
Each week, one question, four expert witnesses and an answer.
November 2025, the East Mediterranean island of Cyprus is a divided one.
For decades,
a United Nations peacekeeping force has been stationed between the Turkish Cypriot population in the north and the majority of Greek Cypriots in the south and centre of the country.
During that time, various negotiations to restore unity have commenced and collapsed.
Now, recent messaging from both sides is raising hopes of a settlement.
So this week we're asking, is Cyprus moving closer to reunification?
When you look at the pupil, Without the signs around you, they look the same.
I mean, their body language is the same.
Even their accents are very similar, but the languages are different.
My name is Mete Hatay.
I'm a senior research consultant of Prio Cyprus Center,
which is a peace research institute of Oslo Cyprus Center.
I'm a Turkish Cypriot.
Cyprus was part of the Ottoman Empire,
which operated from Turkey from the late 13th century until 1922.
It later came under British military occupation and British colonial rule.
What divided Cyprus was a long struggle of nationalism in the island,
which started during the British period.