Cyprus – What's it like to live in the last divided capital city in Europe? Sude and Orestis both live in Nicosia, Cyprus. They’re both 22, both medical students with a passion for political science – yet they live under two different governments.
In the north side of Nicosia you can't find any H&M, McDonalds, or Starbucks: there are no international brands. "We're basically under an occupation regime," explained Sude, a 22-year-old Turkish Cypriot.
The northern side of Cyprus is occupied by a de facto state controlled by Turkey since 1974.The political situation doesn't make things easy for Sude. "I don't have the citizenship of Cyprus, I don't have the citizenship of Turkey, I only have the citizenship of TRNC (ndr, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), which is not a recognised country. I feel like I'm lost, I feel like I'm stuck."
Orestis, 22, lives on the other side of Nicosia's checkpoint. He's a Greek Cypriot, and just like Sude he's a medical student with a passion for political science. However, he's a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state. "Even as a member of the EU, I feel like the Cyprus problem reveals hypocrisy that every country is taking part in."
Nicosia is the last divided capital in Europe: a Turkish occupation in the North, the Republic of Cyprus in the south. A thick green line cuts the capital in half to keep the two separated. We talked to two young Cypriots from either side of the ceasefire line to learn what life on a divided island feels like, and what their dream is for their home.
