12/10/2024

Cyprus, NATO, and the 'gentleman's agreement' of 1959

The news that Cyprus is eyeing a future in NATO has made headlines recently, with many arguing such a step could be transformative for Cyprus and the region. The story of Cyprus and NATO, however, is not new, but goes back to the creation of an independent Cyprus and a 1959 "gentleman's agreement". Evanthis Hatzivassiliou, a professor at the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Athens, joins Thanos Davelis to look back at this history and break down what lessons we can take from it as Cyprus explores new ways to integrate with the transatlantic alliance. 

You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:

Cyprus, NATO and the old mistakes

Cyprus power link tangled in Gordian knot

European countries put Syrian asylum bids on hold after Assad's fall