Superstitions
Popular beliefs are often identical on both sides of the buffer zone. This is the case of the evil eye. Called mati in Greek ("the eye") and nazar in Turkish (from the Arabic nazar meaning "gaze"), this superstition is a legacy of the Persians. It is the fear of the evil power of the eyes of certain people caused by jealousy. To guard against this, Cypriots use the famous blue eye amulet(nazar boncuğu in Turkish, matiasma in Greek) worn around the neck, adorning houses or hanging from the rear view mirror of cabs. The islanders also pronounce the formula Masalla derived from the Arabic expression Mashallah ( "God willed it"). In addition, among Greek Cypriots, every compliment that could lead to jealousy must be accompanied by a small movement of the tongue on the upper lip, as when one spits out a seed, repeated three times with the onomatopoeia "ftoussou"... and more or less sputtering. This gesture is even more amazing when practiced on a baby. Moreover, as a hygiene measure, maternity hospitals forbid "ftoussouter" on infants. The two communities also share a place of devotion: the Orthodox monastery Apostolos Andreas, at the end of the Karpas peninsula. The tradition dates back to 1895. That year, Maria Georgiou, a Greek woman from Anatolia, received an apparition of St. Andrew. She had been searching for her son for seventeen years and the apostle asked her to go and pray at the monastery dedicated to him in Cyprus. On the ship that brought her here, she told her story to one of the passengers, a dervish (a Sufi "monk"). Miracle: they both recognize each other, the Orthodox mother and the Muslim son are united again.
Tolerance
Despite the weight of religions, Cyprus stands out from other countries in the Middle East for its spirit of tolerance. However, this open-mindedness is also reflected in a sometimes shocking laxity. This is particularly the case in the northern part. Turkey, which is occupied by Turkey, is nonetheless a refuge for opponents of the authoritarian regime of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Admittedly, Ankara has had several dozen activists arrested in Cyprus in recent years, but the local authorities are trying to assert their independence. In 2019, Mustafa Akinci, president of the self-proclaimed 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,' criticised in hushed words Turkey's military intervention against the Kurds in Syria. This rare and risky stance reflects the Turkish Cypriots' attitude of mistrust towards Turkey in general. However, it does not correspond to the opinion of the Turkish settlers who remain, in their majority, in favour of Erdoğan. The other side of the Turkish Cypriots' spirit of tolerance is less glorious. A whole part of the economy of the northern part is based on gambling and prostitution. Every year, for example, around one million Turkish tourists go on holiday to the big casinos and brothels in Kyrenia and Famagusta. Most of them are men who come to take advantage of a much more permissive regime than that of Turkey. The southern part of the country also has such places of debauchery, but they are legal and represent only a tiny part of the local economy. In the northern part, while gambling and prostitution are in theory prohibited, the local authorities have turned a blind eye, enjoying substantial tax benefits. They could even soon legalize the 30 or so casinos that have been opened since 1983. As for prostitution, it is still a taboo subject. Work permits for "waitresses" and "hostesses" are granted to about 500 women each year. Most of them are foreign workers hired by nightclubs and receive their clients in private apartments. Their situation is considered delicate by many associations, which refer to cases of forced prostitution.
Men and women
Despite its apparent modernity, Cypriot society remains marked by gender inequality. This is a consequence of the weight of religions and the survival of patriarchy, an old social organization based on the assumption of authority by men. It is also an effect of the long period of conflict, which since the 1950s has made men the holders of armed force. While local laws in theory guarantee equality in terms of employment or access to education, women are still under-represented in decision-making positions. Moreover, abortion had been legal in the northern part of the country since 1983, while the Republic of Cyprus had only allowed it in 2018. The island is, however, at the forefront of civil marriage. It was introduced as early as 1923 under the influence of the Turkish constitution. And even today, Cyprus and Turkey are the only countries in the Middle East where civil marriage is recognised. This peculiarity makes the island of Aphrodite a very popular destination for young couples in the region. The southern part alone attracts about 3,000 couples each year from Middle Eastern countries where marriage is purely religious. Most of them are Israelis and Lebanese who take the opportunity to spend their honeymoon here. Once they return home, the Cypriot contract has legal value and the newlyweds are fully recognised as such by the authorities of their country. As for homosexuality, it remains a taboo in Cypriot society, although foreign couples do not encounter any particular problems during a stay on the island. In the southern part of the island, it was decriminalised only in 1998 as part of the EU accession process. The northern part has waited until 2014 to do the same. Taking Greece as an example, the Republic of Cyprus recognises civil union for same-sex couples since 2016. But this is not applied in the northern part. Finally, it should be noted that civil marriage between same-sex couples exists on a small portion of the island: since 2014, the United Kingdom has recognized this right, which applies in the Territory of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
