Heated Transformation of a Frozen Conflict: Jumpstarting a Process in a Changing Island

This policy brief outlines the cost of the international community’s disengagement with Cyprus since Crans Montana. In the wake of the negotiations’ collapse, the two sides have adopted polarized and polarizing positions, while in the intervening years international actors have been busy addressing more globally significant issues, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Nevertheless, it is argued here that the international community cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the situation that is emerging in north Cyprus, a situation that will have a significant impact not only in Cyprus but also in the region, and beyond. The final section suggests ways to jumpstart a negotiation process by creatively utilizing the very transformations that are changing the island.