The Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture has ordered immediate withdrawal of a publication accompanying Cyprus’s participation in the 19th International Architecture Biennale 2025 after discovering the material was not approved by authorities and contained references it deemed “historically inaccurate” and “diplomatically damaging”.
The book, published in the Greek Cypriot linguistic variety and displayed at Cyprus’s pavilion “To The Stones” exhibition, includes descriptions of the 1974 Turkish invasion and Cyprus problem that have sparked reactions among hardline and nationalist circles in the Republic of Cyprus.
After a featured piece in today’s Phileleftheros, Deputy Culture Minister Vasiliki Kassianidou expressed her disagreement with the publication’s content both personally and institutionally, requesting a report from the curatorial team and the Department of Contemporary Culture.
“I state unequivocally that, as an individual and as Deputy Minister, I fundamentally disagree with these references,” Kassianidou said in a statement.
Content details
The passages that drew controversy described “forced population exchange” taking place in 1974 and also referred to “conflicts” rather than a Turkish invasion.
The book, written in Greek Cypriot, includes the passage: “The war, through its dramatic and violent explosive brutality, led to forced population exchange, where the majority of Greek Cypriots were displaced from north to south, and the majority of Turkish Cypriots from south to north.”
It is estimated that around 200,000 Greek Cypriots (40% of the Greek Cypriot population of the island) and more than 50,000 Turkish Cypriots were displaced from their homes in 1974.
Turkish Cypriots had started abandoning rural areas and mixed villages to move into enclaves during the outbreak of intercommunal violence in 1963-1964.
Parliamentary scrutiny
House Education Committee Chairman Pavlos Mylonas has scheduled the matter for committee discussion, describing the book as containing “historical inaccuracies that raise serious questions about executive oversight of funded projects”.
“The fact that the book, translated into English, circulates abroad makes this issue dangerous for our national cause,” Mylonas said, confirming the Deputy Culture Minister will be called to explain the matter to parliament.
Ministry response
Kassianidou confirmed she was not presented with the publication beforehand and only learned of the content when attending the exhibition opening. The material did not undergo ministry review as it represented the artistic team’s proposal selected through a competition organised by the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK) and Cyprus Architects Association.
“These are views expressed by the selected artists and in no case represent either me personally or the Ministry,” Kassianidou said, adding that similar issues occurred last year.
The deputy minister announced intentions to implement “corrective measures,” not to restrict artistic expression but to provide clear guidelines for state representation, as she said, particularly given the participation costs hundreds of thousands of euros in public funding.
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