Editorial policy

Cyprus has been divided since 1974. Writing usefully about the whole island means being clear about how we handle that, so here is our position in full. We do not intend to revisit it article by article.

We describe, we do not campaign

Talk Cyprus is a practical guide, not a political project. Our job is to tell you accurately what happens at a crossing point, what a hire car policy covers, or what a bank will ask for. Where the two sides disagree about status or law, we explain the disagreement and its practical consequences rather than pick a winner.

The terms we use

We use "north" and "south" as plain geography. We use "Republic of Cyprus" for the internationally recognised government of the island. The administration in the north declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in 1983; it is recognised only by Turkey, and the United Nations and every other state regard the Republic of Cyprus as sovereign over the whole island. We state that position once, here, and write the rest of the site in geographical terms.

Contested labels appear only when we are reporting who uses them. So a guide might note that Greek Cypriot authorities describe the north as occupied, or that authorities in the north use the name TRNC, but the site does not adopt either term in its own voice. The line that divides the island is the UN buffer zone; we call it the Green Line, as most people on both sides do.

Accuracy and verification

Rules on this island change quietly and often. Every guide carries a "last verified" date, meaning a person checked the facts on that date, not that the page was merely edited. When something material changes we update the guide, record the change in the changelog at the foot of the page, and mention it in the monthly roundup. If you find something outdated, tell us and we will check it.

Money and independence

Some pages carry affiliate links and advertising, mainly for car hire, and we say so on the pages where they appear. Commission never decides what we recommend, and a paid placement never changes what a guide says.

On property we hold both sides of the island to the same standard: do your due diligence, wherever you buy. In the south that means the usual checks on title deeds, developer mortgages and planning status. In the north it means understanding the type of title behind a property before you commit, because titles there range from entirely uncontested to seriously disputed, and the difference is everything. Many people have bought in the north on sound title and enjoy their homes without difficulty; others have bought without checking and regretted it. Our guides explain the title categories plainly so you know which questions to ask, and we will never carry advertising for any specific property whose title status is not clear.