The Broken Olive Branch: Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict, and the Quest for Peace in Cyprus

At the forefront of its field, The Broken Olive Branch examines the dynamics of ethnonationalism in Cyprus, a country torn in two by decades-long struggles fueled by ethnic rivalry. Harry Anastasiou’s analysis of Cyprus’s historic conflict through the lens of conflict analysis and resolution traces the division of Greek and Turkish Cypriots since the country’s independence from British rule and mediation in 1960.

In the first of two volumes, Anastasiou offers a detailed portrait of Cyprus’s dual nationalisms, identifying the ways in which the ideologies undermined the relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The author demonstrates how the ethnic rivalry was largely engineered by the leaders of each community. Taking a multilevel approach, he maps out the changes in ethnonationalism over time, tracing the impact of political leadership and international relations.