We hosted Takis Hadjigeorgiou at the EURAC Online Seminars

Takis Hadjigeorgiou, member of the European Parliament 2009-19 and Vice President of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee of the European Parliament 2014 – 19, held an EURAC online seminar on the Cyprus conflict on 20 May 2020. He argued that the among both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots widespread feeling of insecurity is the key obstacle for the reunification of the island. According to him, many Greek Cypriots fear that any political agreement will not exclude the possibility of another intervention of Turkey and many Turkish Cypriots fear that the Greek Cypriot side will dominate politics if the island is united one day. He is convinced that the establishment of a UN Headquarter on the island would contribute to ease such fears and encourage the political leaders of both sides to find a political compromise for the unification of the island. He thinks that a solution is possible if Turkey will abandon the right of intervention, and if the Turkish army will leave the island soon after the achievement of a political agreement.

The European Parliament Former Members Association through its 'EP to Campus' programme, which is in part sponsored by CANDRIAM, has supported the seminar. 75 Bachelor- and Master-students, faculty of the Political Science and International Relations Department, as well as guests from further universities in Izmir attended the event.

The seminar recording can be found here:  https://eu-lti.bbcollab.com/recording/75ab7ce77fe642b296cfa80caa5f35d8

More information on Hadjigeorgiou's ideas can be found here.