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During the Bronze Age, the inhabitants of regions of Crete, mainland Greece, and Cyprus inscribed their languages using, among other scripts, a writing system called Linear A. These symbols, mainly characterized by combinations of lines, have, since their discovery, remained a mystery. Not only is the corpus very small, but it is challenging to link Minoan, the language behind Linear A, to any known language. Most decipherment attempts involve using the phonetic values of Linear B, a grammatological offspring of Linear A, to 'read' Linear A. However, this yields meaningless words. Recently, novel approaches to deciphering the script have emerged which involve a computational component. In this paper, two such approaches are combined to account for the biases involved in provisionally assigning Linear B phonetic values to Linear A and to shed more light on the possible connections of Linear A with other scripts and languages from the region. Additionally, the limitations inherent in such approaches are discussed. Firstly, a feature-based similarity measure is used to compare Linear A with the Carian Alphabet and the Cypriot Syllabary. A few Linear A symbols are matched with symbols from the Carian Alphabet and the Cypriot Syllabary. Finally, using the derived phonetic values, Linear A is compared with Ancient Egyptian, Luwian, Hittite, Proto-Celtic, and Uralic using a consonantal approach. Some possible word matches are identified from each language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper argues that Chinese involvement in the Eastern Mediterranean is primarily motivated by increasing the country's economic role within the region through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The paper uses case study analysis methodology dwelling on the evolution and content of Chinese involvement in Greece and Cyprus. Primarily focusing of the nature of the Chinese investments in strategic sectors of the two cases in question the role that that China plays in Eastern Mediterranean is described as a 'silky involvement'. China's policy choices are also perceived to be an opportunity for Greece and Cyprus to combat the negative effects of 2007–2008 economic crises and to increase their geopolitical stronghold in the post-Cold War geopolitical environment of the Eastern Mediterranean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to evaluate the state of Greek-Turkish relations in light of recent developments in the reconfiguration of Turkish foreign policy. Following twenty years of détente and relative calm in bilateral relations, the year 2020 witnessed two escalations in Greek-Turkish relations, one in March involving refugees and immigrants on the Greek-Turkish land border and another in August involving military vessels of the two countries. The refugee crisis and potential military conflict regarding energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean have raised tensions at a moment the political and institutional tools for the promotion of conflict resolution between Greece and Turkey linked to Turkey's EU membership perspective appear to be obsolete. This paper seeks an answer to the question of whether structural or ideational factors played the most prominent role in the recent escalation of the Greek-Turkish disputes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degree of preservation and the extractability of organic molecules in both archaeological and paleontological skeletal material has been the objective of many studies during the last decades and have shown extremely promising and interesting results (Schweitzer et al., 1997, 2007; Poulakakis et al., 2002; Schmidt-Schultz & Schultz, 2004; Dotsika et al., 2011). Studies on such molecules via various protocols of extraction as well as isotopic and spectroscopic analyses (Stathopoulou et al., 2008; Dotsika et al., 2011; Kontopoulos et al., 2019) have led to important information concerning evolutionary, environmental and diagenetic issues. Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in skeletal material and its preservation in fossil material may indicate the preservation of other extremely important biomolecules such as DNA (Turner-Walker et al., 2008). This paper aims to present results concerning the evaluation of organic preservation as well as the extraction and quantification of collagen in samples from the Quaternary locations of Tilos and Dispilio (Greece) and Aghia Napa (Cyprus). Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR and NIR) was applied to all samples, prior to extraction in means of collagen prescreening and following extraction (where successful), to study the exact composition of the extracts and examine the correlation between collagen preservation and the samples' diagenetic profile (Stathopoulou et al., 2008; Kuczumow et al., 2010; Cleland et al., 2015; Stathopoulou et al., 2019). The extraction of collagen was attempted via modifications of the Longin (1971) method and specifically those of Maspero et al. (2011), Semal and Orban (1995) and Ambrose (1990). According to our results, only the Ambrose method led to successful collagen extraction and specifically only in the Dispilio samples. The collagen yield values for this material varied significantly (0,3–6,1% w/w) and seemed to strongly correlate to the different contexts found within the archaeological site. The IR analysis of the extracted Dispilio collagen indicated the presence of impurities such as carbonates and subsequently raised questions relating to the efficacy of the extraction method. Issues concerning geochemical and diagenetic parameters within the strata of the waterlogged site of Dispilio that could be connected to the different collagen yield as well as the methodological problems that emerged during the attempted extraction in all samples are discussed as well as the applicability of these methods on samples with reduced organic content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Businesses affected by the pandemic have realized the importance of incorporating digital transformation into their operations. However, as a result of the market lockdown, they realized that they needed to digitalize their firms immediately and make greater attempts to enhance their economic situation by integrating a greater number of technological components. While there have been numerous studies conducted on the adoption of digital transformation in small–medium enterprises, there has been no research carried out on the implementation of digital transformation in the specific industry of driving schools. This paper investigates the significance of digital transformation, as well as the potential for its application in this industry's business setting and the ways in which it can be utilized to improve innovation capabilities and performance. The data for this study came from 300 driving instructors in Greece and Cyprus. Multivariate regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The outcomes suggest that driving schools have a generally positive reaction to and acknowledgement of the increasing speed of digital transformation. The results also give driving school owners useful information that helps them show how important digital transformation is to their businesses. Using the findings of this study, driving schools will be able to improve their operational capabilities and accelerate their development in the post-COVID era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Assessment of MBT plants in Spain, Greece and Cyprus. • Optimal solution should be built upon a thorough sorting and recyclables recovery line. • Main revenues are contributed by the corrugated cardboard, the HDPE, and metals. • The high calorific value non-recycled materials should be used as alternative fuel. • Plants that mix the organic fraction with other organics achieve better quality compost. Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT; called "dirty" Materials Recovery Facilities in the U.S.) is a waste management method, developed mostly in Europe, which combines sorting of recyclable materials (metals, paper, plastics, glass) with composting/digestion of green/ food wastes and, in some cases production of a fuel material. In 2018–19, the authors visited six MBT facilities in Europe that use different approaches for the recovery of materials and energy from mixed MSW. These plants were studied with respect to feedstock composition, operating conditions, capital expenditure, financial viability and environmental impacts. The compost product of most facilities examined did not comply with agricultural standards and, therefore, it was classified as compost-like output (CLO) and used as daily cover in landfills. The best composting practice used source separated organic materials (yard and other green wastes) and yielded a marketable compost. MBT plants that did not include the recovery of fuel materials had lower landfill diversion rates and, also, lower capital and operating costs. It was concluded that an MBT plant must include a very efficient sorting and recyclables recovery line and charge a sufficient gate fee. Also, in addition to the recycled products, there should be a stream to recover fuel materials sent to a power plant or cement plant, thus increasing revenue, and landfill diversion, and maximizing greenhouse gas (GHG) savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students of International Relations are taught that the modern nation‐state has a monopoly on the (legitimate) use of violence. However, in the case of the Republic of Cyprus this does not seem to be the case, since its armed forces, the Cypriot National Guard (CNG), are intimately embedded within Greece's military structure, and half the island remains under Turkish occupation. The colonization of Cyprus (1571–1960) and subsequent decolonization has led to the gradual construction of two rigid identities, Greek and Turkish, that have been institutionalized legally and imposed constitutionally. This paper seeks to answer two questions. First, how does the CNG perform and therefore constitute a 'Greek identity'? Second, is this performance epistemically violent, hindering the formation of hybrid identities? We use autoethnography, interviews, and insights from Pierre Bourdieu's concept of the habitus and Judith Butler's performativity theory to explore these two questions. We argue that the CNG performs a Greek identity in three key configurations: 1) the operational link between the Greek Army and the CNG; 2) the explicit connection to both ancient and modern Greece through various CNG insignia and practices, including parades and marching songs; and 3) the entrenchment of the Greek Orthodox Church within its practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts a geohistorical approach in explaining the interactions of the past between Greece, Cyprus and Russia/USSR, within the context of the Eastern Mediterranean, and demonstrates that basic human and political characteristics have barely altered when it comes to today; rather, new colours are being painted to reflect allegedly 'new' circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to survey, analyse and evaluate the rôle of Greece and Cyprus vis-à-vis the security and geo-economic dimension of the Eastern Mediterranean through the lens of integration and regional strategic interests in the region. Despite the enlargement of NATO and the European Union, which have striven to integrate new countries into the Western community, the regional balance of interests has proven to be more unstable than predicted by the proponents of a Westernized and peaceful Eastern Mediterranean. Influenced by the strengthening rôle of Russia and Turkey, as well as by internal structural problems in the social, political and economic spheres, the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Cyprus find themselves in a maelstrom of different and often conflicting regional interests, over which they have only minimal control. Developments are likely to have an impact on not only European integration, but on regional stability as a whole, since it can be argued that the old power structures of NATO and the EU are now having to contend with new regional factors. The article concludes with the observation that the situation in the region is confusing and volatile in diplomatic terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research focuses on the comparison of the handling and management of disinfectants, by nursing staff working in hospitals of Greece and Cyprus. In addition, the level of staff training by the hospitals' infection control committee, as well as the various mistakes that are made during the use of disinfectants in the emergency departments, are also investigated. Material-Methods: The sample consisted of a total of 80 nurses, 40 from the Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU) of Cyprus and 40 from the IMCU of Greece, 18 of which were men and 62 were women, while the educational level of the 46.3% of the sample, were university graduates. An anonymous, written questionnaire with 12 closed-ended questions, was distributed to these participants. The data was processed, using the Microsoft Office Excel program, as well as the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: All the nurses (100%) in Cyprus, do not mix disinfectants, in contrast to Greece, where disinfectants' mixing is observed at a rate of 10%. As for the temperature used, in Cyprus, during the dissolution of disinfectants, 55% of the participants use lukewarm water, while in Greece, this percentage is formed at 60%. Similar percentages are present in both countries, where the 77% of the nursing staff in Cyprus and the 70% in Greece, during the removal of patients' body fluids, they first wipe them with paper and then they apply a disinfectant. Finally, in Cyprus, 40% of the nursing staff store the excess disinfectant solution and use it as a cleanser, while in Greece this happens at a rate of 25%. Conclusions: This research, highlights various malfunctions in both countries, in terms of the implementation of the proposed guidelines-procedures by the hospitals' infection control committee, as well as the compliance in the rules about good hygiene practice. A lack of information on the use of disinfectants was observed in both countries. Also, wrong practices are adopted by workers in both countries, in terms of the amount of expired or left-over detergents. However, there is a major difference between the two countries in mixing the disinfectants with each other, as it is encouraging that in Cyprus no worker mixes disinfectants with each other, in contrast to Greece, where a 10% of the workers do so. Lastly, another difference between the two countries, is about the storage of expired disinfectants, since in Cyprus the 57.5% of the nursing staff store them, while in Greece, this happens at a much lower rate of 32.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several important habitats have become threatened in the last few centuries in the Mediterranean Basin due to major changes adopted in land‐use practices. The consequent loss of natural and seminatural orchid habitats leads to the appreciation of small anthropogenic habitats, such as cemeteries and roadside verges. Colonization of cemeteries and roadside verges by orchids has long been known, but no study to date compared the suitability of these two anthropogenic habitats for orchids. Therefore, in this paper our aim was to survey cemeteries and roadside verges and to compare these two habitats regarding their role in conserving Mediterranean terrestrial orchids. We conducted field surveys in three Mediterranean islands, Cyprus, Crete, and Lesbos, where both cemeteries and roadside verges were sampled on a geographically representative scale. We found a total of almost 7,000 orchid individuals, belonging to 77 species in the two anthropogenic habitat types. Roadside verges hosted significantly more individuals than cemeteries in Crete and Lesbos, and significantly more species across all three islands. Our results suggest that although cemeteries have a great potential conservation value in other parts of the world, intensive maintenance practices that characterized cemeteries in these three islands renders them unable to sustain valuable plant communities. On the other hand, roadside verges play a prominent role in the conservation of Mediterranean orchids in Cyprus and Greece. The pioneer status of roadside verges facilitates their fast colonization, while roads serve as ecological corridors in fragmented landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The financial crisis of 2008 transformed, in some countries, to economic and social one, created serious problems to the banking system. Capital basis and asset exposures, especially through the non-performing loans, have been the most important. Capital inadequacy caused the failure of banks that didn't succeed to accomplish the capital requirements set by Basel II obligations. The treatment was not the same for all banks as only those considered as significant banks, for the economy, received capital aid from their state. The paper investigates through capital basis requirements and asset exposures the crisis' consequences on Cyprus and Greek cooperative banks. The consequences were cataclysmic for the cooperative banking systems of the two countries. In Greece, the cooperative banks did not receive any state aid, leading to the bankruptcy of many of them. In Cyprus, once all the cooperative banks were merged into the central cooperative bank, the latter received state aid as it was considered as a significant bank for the national economy. Moreover, the high level of non-performing loans and the new economic environment that the crisis had caused, forced the cooperative banks to change their asset exposures structure and their credit policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a brief description of the Greek–Cypriot early childhood education system and focuses on the current education reform. We focus on one of the main changes of the reform, a new status for play within the daily educational programme. The goal of this paper is two-fold; first to portray play in the former and current proposed curricula though document analysis and second to provide examples of the current practices through non-participant observations and interviews with children, teachers and principals, concerning the role of play and describe how these have been traditionalised. Findings show the different perspectives on play and support the need for the reconceptualisation of play, since free activities are basically organised around structured and teacher-directed activities. The paper provides a stance on play which allows children to be social agents, supports socio-cultural processes of learning and encourages participation in meaningful play activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present E-ViVa (Ellinike Vivliothikonomike Vase), the national Hellenic fulltext database on Librarianship and Information Science, developed by the Library of the University of Cyprus. The objectives of E-ViVa are to identify, locate, gather, organize, index, digitize, preserve and promote the results of the research conducted in Greece and Cyprus in the scientific fields of Archival, Library and Information Sciences. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides data concerning the volume, the coverage, the inclusion criteria, the content, the format and the platform of the database, as well as the steps that have been followed for the development. The legal framework related with the copyright issues that are raised are also discussed. Findings – A comparison is attempted between the coverage of E-ViVa and the relative records included in five subject-related databases: eLIS, LISA, LISTA, ISI-SSCI and SCOPUS. Finally the future plans for the project are presented. Research limitations/implications – Future plans concerning E-ViVa are based on the completeness of the database, the linguistic exploitation of the terms used through time and check of Lotka's law application concerning authors. Practical implications – As the vast majority of the records and fulltext are not provided by any other organized database, E-ViVa emerges as a “must search first” for any future author of scientific paper concerning the situation on librarianship research in Greece and Cyprus. The case of E-ViVa and the methodology that was followed can be used as a pattern for developing national databases on LIS or other fields. Social implications – E-ViVa is offered as an open access database with fulltext. Originality/value – E-ViVa is the only fulltext database on Librarianship and Information Science, which concentrates the related publications produced in or related to Greece and Cyprus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of tourism activities on local water resources remains a largely understudied issue in environmental and sustainable tourism management. The aim of the paper is to present a simple methodology that allows an estimate of direct and indirect local water use associated with different holiday packages and to then discuss relevant management implications. This is explored through the creation of five illustrative examples of holidays to semi-arid eastern Mediterranean destinations: Cyprus (2), Turkey, Greece and Syria. Using available data on water use associated with different forms of travel, accommodation and tourist activities, indicative water footprints are calculated for each of the illustrative examples. Food consumption by tourists appears to have by far the most significant impact on the overall water footprint and this aspect of water use is explored in detail in the paper. The paper also suggests a way of employing the water footprint methodology along with import/export balance sheets of main food commodities to distinguish between the global and local pressure of tourism demand on water resources. Water resource use is likely to become an increasingly important issue in tourism management and must be considered alongside more established environmental concerns such as energy use, using methodologies that can capture direct as well as supply chain impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper looks at developments in Greek language curricula in Cyprus during three periods: (1) the post-independence era from 1960 to the partition of the island in 1974; (2) the post-partition era from 1974 to 2003; and (3) the contemporary era, including the accession of Cyprus to the European Union in 2004, and the introduction of a new Greek curriculum in 2010. The paper seeks to document the tensions between national values associated with the teaching of Greek, and the need to implement new and progressive trends in language teaching that are increasingly driven by international developments in language pedagogy. The main question addressed in the paper is whether the degree of prominence achieved by the national objectives of language curricula, which is usually controlled by social and political factors that fluctuated during the three periods studied here, sets limits to the amount of innovation in matters of pedagogy and content that is possible. While some of the data suggest that this is so, this is a question that will be most decisively answered by data emerging from the implementation of the new curricula introduced in 2010, a process that is still in its early years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper looks at teachers’ perceptions of difficulties and emotions about a recent policy initiative in the Greek-Cypriot educational system to promote peaceful coexistence. This policy initiative by the government sparked strong emotional reactions. This paper provides an in-depth understanding of the intersection between tensions at the larger socio-political landscape and teachers’ emotional readiness to deal with this policy initiative. To do so, the paper draws on the findings of a quantitative and a qualitative study conducted during the end of the 2008–2009 school year. Possible implications are discussed for educational policy and teacher education. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The issue that this paper tackles is the assessment of the relative security benefits that Cyprus and Greece derive in the context of their cooperation on defence matters. This form of cooperation, known as the 'Integrated Defence Space Doctrine', aims at defending their interests in the Aegean Sea and the broader East Mediterranean theatre. The paper relies heavily on earlier research on this topic, which deals with the Greek-Cypriot alliance facing an arms race against Turkey, and uses a coefficient especially designed to assess the optimal levels of security and the associated defence expenditure of the two allies. A comparison of the relative security coefficient values for the two allies suggests that the security benefit that Greece derives thanks to its alliance with Cyprus exceeds the corresponding Cypriot benefit by far. Given the importance assigned to human resources by this index, in conjunction with the demographic problems of Greece, this conclusion justifies the recent Greek defence policy revision, emphasizing quality, capital equipment and flexibility of forces. This revision aims at satisfying the security requirements of the alliance and the increasing demands of an arms race against Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces a paper about the role of the European Union (EU) in Turkish-Greek disputes. Reason for conducting such research; Oft-repeated argument that Europeanization processes in EU candidate and member states will lead to the resolution of territorial disputes among them in a win-win framework; Argument that both the EU as an institution and the EU accession process as a mechanism have fallen short of becoming conducive to the resolution of the Turkish-Greek disputes, particularly over Cyprus.

This scope of this paper is to forecast the extent to which a settlement of the Cyprus issue may be possible given the decisions taken during the Copenhagen EU summit. It aims, in addition, at investigating the possibilities of improvement in Greek-Turkish relations which may lead, in turn, to reducing the arms race between the two countries. The paper uses a Genetically Evolved Certainty Neuron Fuzzy Cognitive algorithm to consider a number of scenarios examining the possible reactions of all sides involved in the Cyprus issue, namely Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, the Turkish-Cypriot community that the international environment. All simulation exercises suggest that the Greek and the Cypriot side should not necessarily rely on the decisions taken during the Copenhagen summit conference. The forecasts point out, in addition, that the optimism of the Greek government concerning the outlook of its relations with Turkey, and a subsequent reduction of the arms race against it, is far from being justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production and consumption of avocado has increased significantly over the past years, experiencing a steady expansion into new markets around the world. This review paper focuses on avocado cultivation in its new markets with hot-summer Mediterranean climate. A significant literature gap exists on the viability of this crop in such data environments which experience limited availability of water in the summer exacerbated by climate change and potential salinity issues in irrigation water, typical in coastal regions. Strategies for handling salinity usually aim at preventing the build-up of salts in the root zone, while studies on the response of avocado trees to saline water have shown that it is highly influenced by rootstock selection. In this review paper priority is given to the appropriate irrigation water characteristics both in terms of quantity and quality for different tree sizes, soil characteristics and irrigation methods, including the use of reclaimed wastewater. Also, the effects of irrigation (frequency/amount) on fruit productivity are studied. This review also highlights the role of fertigation as well as the importance of a soil moisture and salinity monitoring. It is strongly suggested to use soil moisture sensor networks (precision agriculture) in avocado cultivations, to optimize irrigation management and promote water sustainability. Given the increasing dynamic in the expansion of this crop, especially in European countries with this climate type such as southern Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, among others, this review paper is expected to provide guidance on avocado cultivation in these regions with focus on its viability under water scarcity and salinity conditions. [Display omitted] • Avocado cultivation is rapidly expanding in hot-summer Mediterranean climate regions. • Salinity and water scarcity are important issues limiting yields in these regions. • Irrigation frequency and amount are crucial parameters for fruit productivity. • Precision agriculture techniques should be adopted for increased avocado yields. • Fertigation is recommended to increase the efficiency of fertilization in avocados. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the correlates of attitudes toward marriage and children in North Cyprus, South Cyprus, Turkey and Greece, using the most recent wave of the European Values Study (EVS) data. The results show the most support for the second demographic transition theory. The combined effects of education, religiosity, political ideology and gender ideology explain the most variance in family values among these four countries. Less religiosity and egalitarian gender ideology are correlated with egalitarian attitudes towards marriage and children throughout, but cross-country differences are also significant. The effects of parenthood, marital status, education, and political ideology are in the expected direction, yet the effects are not universal but country-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at teachers' interpretations of a recent and controversial Greek-Cypriot policy initiative, which aimed to promote 'peaceful coexistence' between the two rival communities in conflict-ridden Cyprus. Specifically, it focuses on the ways in which Greek-Cypriot teachers constructed the relation between the new policy for peaceful coexistence between Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots with the long established but rather conflicting policy of 'I don't forget and I struggle'. The study analyses a set of 40 interviews conducted a few months after the first introduction of the new policy and maps teachers' interpretations using the analytical concept of interpretative repertoires. Despite the poor implementation of the new initiative in practice, the study argues that the introduction of the new policy has brought about discernible discursive shifts in some teachers' perceptions of the older policy of 'I don't forget'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the interference of local politics with a peace education initiative in Greek-Cypriot education and the consequent impact on teachers’ perceptions and responses. Focusing on a recent educational attempt to promote ‘peaceful coexistence’, the authors explain how this attempt was seen by many teachers as being a part of a local leftist agenda and was therefore often rejected. When though the same initiative was positioned – through a series of teacher training seminars organised by the authors – within the global field of ‘peace education’, and was grounded in humanistic ideals, the teachers appeared much more comfortable to engage with it. Taking the local political complexities into consideration, the authors argue that despite the existing thorough critiques of the humanistic discourse of peace education, a seemingly ‘neutral’ humanistic discourse of peace education can be legitimised on the basis of two arguments: first, a humanistic discourse could serve as an entry point for talking about ‘peaceful coexistence’ in schools and second, it might offer a way to overcome the strong political connotations that these concepts appear to have locally. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the global and structural forces facilitating the movement of female migrant domestic workers (FMDWs) from developing regions to southern Europe and the Levant. At the intersection of welfare state, childcare, gender and migration regimes, we can identify a cross-Mediterranean domestic worker model. It has important implications for the magnitude, composition (in terms of national background and live-in vs. live-out work), legal status and mobilization of the region's FMDWs. Their roles in global migration flows and national labour markets, as explained in the existing literature, are examined, followed by case comparison of Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon and Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As a prerequisite to shape EU policies in day-to-day negotiations, states have to know what they want and have to quickly produce good instructions. This paper analyses how domestic coordination practices influence the timing and quality of national positions. Are some states in a better position to develop instructions quickly? Are some states more likely to end up with low quality positions? In effect, three factors are crucial to the production of timely and good instructions: good cooperation between Permanent Representations and the lead ministries, autonomous lead ministries that prioritise EU work and good inter-ministerial conflict resolution systems. States such as Luxembourg and Ireland are close to these ideal practices and tend to develop good instructions swiftly, while others, such as Greece and Cyprus, frequently end up with delayed and suboptimal instructions that make it difficult for them to actively participate in EU negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For hundreds of years, the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been subjected to the — not always welcome — attentions of external powers, finally gaining some independence from Britain in 1960. Since then, Cyprus has been the object of three international crises, almost leading to war between NATO members Greece and Turkey. Following a Turkish invasion and occupation which continues to the present, tensions have continued, while Turkey continues to occupy over one-third of Cyprus, an EU member, while trying itself to gain entry to the organisation. Papers released by British government departments in January 2008 reveal the following: an increasingly submissive yet tetchy attitude in British foreign policy formulation vis-à-vis American pressure (mainly Kissinger) on Britain not to leave Cyprus; the question of the USA financing the British bases; British government criticism of Turkey's perceived intransigence in finding a solution to the Cyprus conundrum; British government criticism of Turkey's position on its continental-shelf dispute with Greece; Britain's strong support for Turkey's European aspirations, flying in the face of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Cyprus' recommendations; past and future President Clerides' seeming contentedness with the British military presence on Cyprus; and a marked difference between French and British views. The article concludes that the British government submitted to US demands and suggests that Cyprus remains a cat's paw of big-power politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to show that the interpretation of the complex cultural and political configurations of Iron Age Cyprus rests on a 1,000-year long macrohistoric overview that focuses on continua rather than breaks. It maintains that the first-millennium B.C.E. kingdoms operated on very much the same decentralized politicoeconomic system as Late Cypriot polities in the 13th and 12th centuries. It argues that the long-term dynamics of this Late Cypriot model were actively and successfully promoted in the Archaic and Classical periods by preponderantly Greek central authorities. It is mostly Greek-named basileis (kings) that are found closely associated with the fundamental continua—the Cypriot script, the regional settlement hierarchy pattern, cult practice, and an economy based on trading metals—to the end of the fourth century B.C.E. This article argues that Greek-speaking people had become a constituent part of the sociopolitical structure of the island by the last centuries of the second millennium as a result of a migration episode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reports passive and active radon concentrations in indoor air and drinking waters in Cyprus and Greece (Attica, Crete) together with exposure–dose estimations. Passive indoor radon concentrations in Cyprus ranged between and (arithmetic mean, A.M., ). Active indoor radon concentrations in Attica ranged between and (A.M. ) and in Crete, between () and (A.M. ). The radon concentrations in drinking waters in Cyprus ranged between () and (A.M. ) and in Greece between and (A.M. ). Radon is the main source of exposure and dose in both Greek and Cypriot population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines the troubled relationship between Greece and the western alliance following the collapse of the military regime in Athens and the invasion of Cyprus. U.S. Congressional reports and the Greek parliamentary proceeding reveal the geopolitical significance of Greece to the western alliance and the frustration of the government in Athens regarding its foreign policy objectives. The Greeks might have questioned the benefits of being part of an alliance; however, it is evident that Greece's diplomatic isolation compelled her leadership to strengthen her links with the western camp. Hence, the present study assesses the attitude of the Greek government toward the Atlantic alliance and the US over the issues of NATO membership and the military installations in Greece and challenges the notion of “independence,” or else the need for detachment from the western alliance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cypriot Greek has been cited as “the last surviving Modern Greek dialect” (Contossopoulos 1969:92, 2000:21), and differences between it and Standard Modern Greek are often seen as seriously disruptive of communication by Mainland and Cypriot Greeks alike. This paper attempts an anatomy of the linguistic ‘difference’ of the Cypriot variety of Greek. By placing this in the wider context of the history of Cypriot Greek, the study and current state of other Modern Greek dialects, and state and national ideology in the two countries, Greece and Cyprus, it is possible to identify both diachronic and synchronic, as well as structural and ideological factors as constitutive of this difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses, from a historical perspective, the basic elements of the folk cult of St Phanourios in Greece and Cyprus—namely, the custom of preparing phanouropita (literally, “St Phanourios pie”), which is connected with the belief that one can find something lost or obtain good luck in general—and the oral narratives associated with St Phanourios and his mother, which seem to constitute the Greek adaptation of the international folktale type 804. The investigation is based on recently collected material as well as the manuscript collections of the public folklore archives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary. A number of seemingly intractable problems still surround the introduction of the Greek alphabet some time around the middle of the eighth century BC, after more than four centuries of Greek illiteracy. The question of when this happened, though debated, seems still more or less a matter of consensus on the basis of the date of the earliest extant Greek alphabetic inscriptions, but the questions of where, how and why it did remain largely unresolved. Of these problems, perhaps one of the most intractable is that of why it happened when it did, given that the old idea of an isolated ‘Dark Age’ Greece, cut off from the literate east during the centuries before 800 BC, is no longer sustainable. On Cyprus, too, there is something of a literacy ‘gap’ between the early tenth and late eighth centuries, though there is every reason to suppose that an indigenous syllabic script continued in use on the island over this period, and the problem therefore is one of visibility rather than existence. This paper considers the contexts in which alphabetic literacy was introduced to Greece and in which syllabic literacy became visible once more on Cyprus at around the same time, in order to see if these are entirely coincidental or whether some link may be found between them. In particular, it raises some general questions concerning the relationships between script and language and between language and identity in different parts of the ancient world in the later second and early first millennia, and the implications these may have for the role of script in constructing and defining identities in eighth century Greece and Cyprus (both incidentally inhabited by Greek-speakers). It concludes that what we see are analogous, but quite separate, developments, both of them focused on Phoenician activity, but manifesting themselves in different circumstances through parallel but different phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the relationship between nationalism and religion and its adaptation to cultural values and ideological differences in countries on the Balkan Peninsula. The incorporation of religious concepts in movements for state formation and ethnonational expansion in the Balkans, the effects of institutionalization and de-institutionalization in the post-communist era, the historical association of nationalism with ethnic identity, the secular reforms in Turkey, the influence of the Ottoman Empire in Greece, and the impact of post-colonialism in Cyprus are discussed.

Argues that the post-Helsinki period in the European Union (EU)-Turkey-Greece triangle has been giving mixed signals as to the credibility and promise of the EU to constructively contribute to the resolution of Turkish-Greek disputes. Some factors that seem promising for the future; Some other factors that continue to shed doubts on the ongoing positive climate and remind observers of Turkish-Greek relations of the painful cycles of conflict-cooperation seen in the past; Aegean Sea and Cyprus disputes.

Analyzes the so-called catalytic effects of the European Union's (EU) involvement in the Cyprus dispute between Turkey and Greece and to demonstrate that the promise of the EU has not been so high as some circles have expected it to be. Historical account that highlights the major turning points in the Cyprus policy of EU; Analysis of the major assumptions, on which the catalytic effects of the EU involvement are based.

Discusses issues that add further doubts to the promise of the European Union (EU) in contributing to Turkish-Greek cooperation in the post-Helsinki period. Claim that Turkey's cooperation with Greece seems to be dependent on the nature and quality of her relations with the EU; United States' view of Turkey and her relations with Greece and the EU from a strategic-security perspective; Suggestion that current Greek strategy towards Turkey should value Turkey's membership in the EU more than the resolution of the Aegean and Cyprus disputes in more pro-Greek ways; Latest developments in Iraq and Cyprus that have enhanced the position of Euro-skeptic circles in Turkey to the disadvantage of pro-EU circles.