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 mired in a decades-long struggle fueled by ethnic rivalry. Harry Anastasiou's analysis of Cyprus' historic conflict examines the logic of nationalist thinking, assesses the rise of Greek and Turkish nationalism, and traces the division of Greek and Turkish Cypriots since the country won independence from British rule in 1960.In the first of two volumes, Anastasiou offers a detailed portrait of Cyprus's dual nationalisms, identifying the ways in which nationalist ideologies have undermined the relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. In the context of regional and global conflicts, he demonstrates how the ethnic rivalry was largely engineered by the leaders of each community and consolidated by the nationalist configuration of political culture. Taking a multilevel approach, he maps out the impasse and changes in ethnonationalism over time.In the second volume, Anastasiou focuses on emergent post-nationalist trends, their implications for peace, and recent attempts to reach mutually acceptable agreements between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. He documents the transformation of Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey within the context of Europeanization and globalization. While leaders of both communities have failed to resolve the conflict, Anastasiou argues that the accession of Cyprus into the European Union has created a structure and process that promises a multiethnic, democratic Cyprus. With great depth and balance, ""The Broken Olive Branch"" presents a fresh analysis of the Cyprus conflict and new insights on the influence of nationalism.