Academic Haksever: Turkey-Greece Relations Do Not Directly Determine Cyprus Talks

Academic and Liberal Democracy Movement (LDH) International and Bi-Communal Relations Secretary Oğuz Ufuk Haksever appeared on “Gündem,” a program hosted by Ulaş Barış on Kıbrıs Postası TV.

Haksever discussed the recent assassination of activist Charlie Kirk, U.S. political tensions, and the broader implications of polarization turning into violence. He described Kirk as a victim of the divisive environment he helped create and criticized former President Donald Trump’s populist approach, which he said aims to build a “fear empire.” Haksever emphasized that while freedom of expression exists, inflammatory rhetoric can escalate into emotional polarization and violence.

Regarding the Cyprus issue, Haksever described it as a “frozen conflict,” noting that it cannot be resolved through interventions by the international community or Trump. He highlighted the potential for solutions under NATO, pointing to the role of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the UK, while stressing Turkey’s strong position in the region. He added that while Turkey-Greece relations indirectly influence negotiations, they do not directly determine outcomes.

Haksever also reflected on recent U.S. domestic events, stating that Trump’s deployment of National Guard forces during unrest in California exemplifies “excessive use of power” and feeds into the internal conflict rhetoric. However, he believes a civil war in the U.S. is unlikely due to strong institutions and state-level governance.

On Cyprus, he concluded that solutions under NATO could only be considered if guarantor states act collectively and that Northern Cyprus, supported by Turkey, is better positioned than the South to engage in any negotiations.