
Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides
After nearly four years of trying to bridge one of the world’s longest-running divides, Colin Stewart is calling it a day. As the UN’s top official in Cyprus, he’s seen the highs, the lows, and the political games that go on behind closed doors. But as he prepares to leave the island, Stewart isn’t holding back.
In a rare and revealing interview, he talks about why talks keep stalling, how political leaders have grown disconnected from the public, and why young Cypriots, despite their frustration, might be the key to a breakthrough. He also reflects on the personal moments that left a mark on him, including one that made headlines across Cyprus, when he stood by refugees stuck in the buffer zone and clashed with the government.
But there’s more.
Stewart doesn’t sugarcoat the deep problems still standing in the way of a solution. He speaks bluntly about how both sides remain far apart and how a stubborn lack of trust between political leaders continues to block progress. Talks, he says, are often slowed by layers of bureaucracy and the inability, or unwillingness, of leaders to make the tough compromises needed to move forward.
He also points to something deeper: a shared victim mentality that still grips both sides, where each clings to its own version of history, refusing to see the pain and suffering of the other. In one of his more striking admissions, Stewart reveals that the UN has urged both sides to rethink the way history is taught in schools, to move away from one-sided narratives and begin teaching a more honest, shared story, where both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots acknowledge each other’s losses.
And he issues a warning. If there’s no movement soon, the occupied north could drift even further into Ankara’s grip, raising the very real risk of a hard Turkish border on the island, something that would redraw not just maps but the entire future of Cyprus.
“This isn’t just about diplomacy anymore,” Stewart suggests. “It’s about the future generation.”
This isn’t the usual diplomatic farewell. It’s honest, personal, and at times uncomfortable. And it’s a side of the Cyprus problem most people don’t get to see.
Watch the entire interview below: