I took great care to tell this story. There is so much pain wrapped up in it. And in this episode I could only tell one little slice of the modern day version of the divided island of Cyprus. But that's what series are for!
In episode 2 of Cyprus, Uncharted, we go into the last divided city in Europe and the last divided capital on earth: Nicosia where a thick green line cuts the city in half. I talk to the people who live with this division every day to better understand how it feels life on a divided island.
The island of Cyprus is no strangers to foreign invaders - but for the past 50 years, a new type of invasion has been brewing; and it's only getting worse. These new invaders are not the great powers of the world, but a different fiend.. or depending on how you look at it, a furry friend.
I went to a country that ‘doesn’t exist’ at least on the map. But it’s a place that sure feels like a real country. Being here is a reminder that international relations can often ignore the realities on the ground, and the people who live in these places. For me it’s important to not just look at these places on a map but to go and see them. Feel them. Talk to the people who live there. That’s what this fourth and final episode from Cyprus is about.