Publication

This paper examines whether there are psychological barriers to intra-island commerce between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The authors find that psychological barriers do indeed exist and are reinforced by political leaders and the media. According to them, the main psychological approach among Greek Cypriots is denial while that among Turkish Cypriots is a fear of being treated as inferior. They recommend three broad principles for political leaders, business leaders and the European Commission: openly encourage trade; tackle the practical obstacles to trade; and improve the dissemination of information.