Israel sends shockwaves: “Half of Cyprus is under Turkish occupation and the world looks away”, as Israel has once again expressed support for Hellenism through a pointed public intervention highlighting the unresolved occupation of the island.
A prominent Israeli account on the X platform drew renewed international attention to Cyprus with the stark statement, underscoring the continued division of the island nearly five decades after the 1974 invasion and criticising the persistent lack of global response to the ongoing Turkish occupation.
“Half of Cyprus is occupied by genocidal Turks of the Muslim Brotherhood, and no one seems to care.”
The comment echoes a view increasingly voiced within Israeli strategic and media circles, where Cyprus is frequently referenced as a long-standing example of unresolved occupation in the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel has, over the past decade, deepened political, energy and security cooperation with both Cyprus and Greece, regularly reaffirming respect for Cyprus’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within international forums.
Despite this, the division of the island — following Turkey’s 1974 military invasion — remains largely absent from sustained international pressure. Multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions continue to affirm the Republic of Cyprus as the sole legitimate authority on the island and call for the withdrawal of foreign troops, yet nearly 50 years on, approximately 37 per cent of Cyprus remains under Turkish military occupation.
New Turkish provocation
Against this backdrop, the forthcoming Turkish film “Kıbrıs Türküsü” (The Turkish Cypriot), directed by Özer Feyzioğlu and produced by Coşkun Özer, has drawn criticism for its overtly one-sided depiction of Cyprus’s modern history. Scheduled to premiere on 27 February 2026, the film covers the period from 1957 to 1974, presenting events exclusively through a Turkish nationalist lens.
According to official promotional material, the storyline follows a schoolteacher named Ali who abandons his profession to join the Turkish Cypriot “resistance” against alleged “violence” and “attacks” by Greek Cypriots. Central to the narrative is the formation of the Turkish Resistance Organisation (TMT), portrayed as a heroic force defending a community “threatened with annihilation”.
Critics note that this portrayal omits key historical facts, including Greek Cypriot civilian casualties, intercommunal violence involving both sides, and the role of Turkish state structures in escalating tensions. Most conspicuously absent is any meaningful reference to the 1974 Turkish invasion, an internationally condemned military operation that led to mass displacement, thousands of missing persons, and the enduring division of the island.
The film’s release comes amid renewed concern over Turkey’s broader cultural and historical revisionism, including continued violations in the fenced-off area of Varosha, actions condemned by the United Nations and the European Union as illegal and provocative.
Director Özer Feyzioğlu, known for earlier productions such as “Cep Herkülü: Naim Süleymanoğlu”, appears to be continuing a well-established trend within Turkish cinema that blends historical storytelling with nationalist messaging. In public remarks, he has described the project not simply as a film, but as a “cry of a people against extermination”, invoking themes of “great injustice” and an “undying flame of freedom”.
For critics, however, such language reflects a broader effort to reframe history through emotive narrative rather than documented fact — an approach that, they argue, undermines reconciliation and entrenches division at a time when Cyprus remains one of Europe’s longest-running unresolved conflicts.
