Nicosia (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Cypriot MEP and YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou has torched debate by making a video with a Turkish Cypriot influencer fostering reconciliation in Cyprus.
Since August 2024, Fidias has been at the centre of public controversy in Cyprus. The debate circles around a video he published on his social media channels speaking about the Cyprus problem — the term employed in Cyprus to describe the separator of the island between the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only admitted by Turkey, since the 1974 Turkish attack of the island that was started by a Greek-led coup.
What is the Cyprus problem according to Fidias?
During a discussion with a Cypriot news outlet, he stated: “I will do something about the Cyprus problem, but I don’t want it to be one-sided. I want Turkish Cypriots to see it and like it as well.” Fidias’ “campaign” to internationalize the Cyprus issue materialized on August 14, when he unleashed a video on his social media channels.
In the video, Fidias and Ibrahim Beycanli, a Turkish Cypriot influencer famous as Urban Cypriot, assemble at the Ledra Street crossing point in Nicosia, the island’s capital, to examine the ongoing division of the island, which is often defined as “the last divided country in Europe.”
“This is such a small island, and we need to show our passports to cross to the other side,” Beycanli stated in the video.
How do influencers depict mutual distrust in Cyprus?
Representing the mutual distrust between the two communities, the Turkish Cypriot influencer stated, “In the northern side, I’ve been manipulated to hate this guy,” with the Greek Cypriot influencer stating that he too “was taught half of the history and have been manipulated to hate [Beycanli] too.”
“If another war starts, perhaps they’re going to make us kill each other,” suggested Urban Cypriot, emphasising the deep-seated stress between the two communities of the island.
Fidias finishes with a poignant statement. “The world is moving so rapidly, but Cyprus is still stuck with this problem for so many years,” he said, reflecting on the decades of failed negotiations to resolve the Cyprus problem.
How has Fidias’ patriotism been questioned by critics?
Fidias’ try to address the Cyprus problem by containing the Turkish Cypriot perspective has begun a polarized response, mostly among Greek Cypriots. While the video quickly went viral, it was met with harsh objections from those who advocate a hardline perspective on the Cyprus issue. Many negative comments blamed Fidias for promoting Turkish propaganda, engaging in treason and disregarding the history of the dispute. Others doubted his loyalty and patriotism, and even his military service in Cyprus’ elite naval special unit.
