Turkish-Cypriot Leader Poses New Headache for Ankara (AUDIO INTERVIEW)

The Media Line speaks with Chatham House’s Fadi Hakura about some curious comments by the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Cyprus has been in the news of late because of Turkey’s controversial search for carbon energy resources off the shores of the Mediterranean island, which has been divided since 1974.

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The search has angered the primarily Greek South, known as the Republic of Cyprus. The republic is a member of the European Union, meaning there is also friction between Ankara and the EU. But it turns out that things are not entirely well between Turkey and the current leadership of the Turkish North.

Officially calling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, its legitimacy is recognized by Ankara – and by no one else. Yet last week, Mustafa Akinci, its pro-reunification president, gave an interview to the Guardian newspaper in which he angered Turkey by expressing fears of Turkish encroachment and even annexation in light of the latest tensions.

To learn more about this often overlooked relationship, The Media Line spoke with Fadi Hakura, who manages the program on Turkey at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, in London.