\n<\/p>\n
FC Barcelona has canceled a youth football camp that was scheduled to take place in the northern part of Cyprus after objections from the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus.<\/p>\n
The Barcelona academy had planned to hold the camp from September 7 to 11 and again from September 16 to 20 at Near East University in Nicosia. The event had been advertised on Barcelona\u2019s official website under the location \u201cLefkosa, North Cyprus.\u201d<\/p>\n
The listing was removed from the club\u2019s website on Thursday, August 27, along with references to the camp on Barcelona\u2019s events and location map.<\/p>\n
The decision followed several days of objections from Cypriot authorities. The Cyprus Football Association (CFA) contacted the Spanish Football Federation after learning about the planned camp and also raised the issue with UEFA.<\/p>\n
CFA President Haris Loizidis reportedly wrote to Spanish Football Federation President Rafael Louzan, asking him to intervene and prevent the camp from being held in the north.<\/p>\n
The CFA argued that holding the event in the northern part of the island would violate the laws and regulations of the Republic of Cyprus. It called on Barcelona either to relocate the camp to an area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus or cancel it.<\/p>\n
Diplomatic efforts were also reportedly made to persuade Barcelona to abandon the event. According to diplomatic sources cited by the Cyprus Mail, the interventions contributed to the club\u2019s decision to cancel the camp.<\/p>\n
Reactions from both sides<\/p>\n
The cancellation drew sharply different reactions from the two communities on the divided island.<\/p>\n
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erh\u00fcrman criticized the decision, arguing that young people should not lose international opportunities because of the Cyprus dispute.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can call efforts to cancel a festival or prevent children from playing football a \u2018diplomatic victory,\u2019 but from a humanitarian perspective, it is clear enough to me that it is a defeat,\u201d Erh\u00fcrman said.<\/p>\n
Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister \u00dcnal \u00dcstel also condemned the cancellation, accusing the Greek Cypriot side of refusing to accept the presence of Turkish Cypriots on the island.<\/p>\n
He connected the issue to a campaign by Cyprus\u2019s far right National Popular Front (ELAM), which has also challenged the inclusion of universities in northern Cyprus in the QS World University Rankings.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot tolerate our children playing football. You cannot tolerate our young people connecting with the world. You cannot tolerate our universities\u2019 international achievements,\u201d \u00dcstel said.<\/p>\n
Turkish Cypriot Parliament Speaker Ziya \u00d6zt\u00fcrkler similarly criticized the decision and said the international community should take note of what he described as the \u201cGreek Cypriot mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n
ELAM welcomes cancellation<\/p>\n
ELAM welcomed Barcelona\u2019s decision, saying it had achieved its objective.<\/p>\n
The party had called for the football camp to be canceled on August 23 and urged the Cypriot government and European institutions to take action against the event.<\/p>\n
ELAM has also focused on the presence of three universities from northern Cyprus in the QS World University Rankings. It has called on Cyprus\u2019s foreign and education ministries to seek the removal of Eastern Mediterranean University, Near East University and European University of Lefke from the rankings because they are listed under \u201cNorth Cyprus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cyprus remains divided<\/p>\n
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, when Turkey intervened following a coup backed by Greece. Turkey has controlled the northern part of the island since then.<\/p>\n
The Turkish Cypriot administration declared independence in 1983 as the self proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), but it is recognized internationally only by Turkey.<\/p>\n
The island is separated by a United Nations controlled buffer zone, with UN peacekeepers maintaining the ceasefire line. The UN has maintained a peacekeeping presence in Cyprus since 1964.<\/p>\n
Barcelona\u2019s cancellation highlights how the island\u2019s unresolved political division continues to affect sporting, educational and international activities involving the two sides of Cyprus.<\/p>\n