A senior Polish diplomat has accused Turkey and groups in northern Cyprus of running a false information campaign online. The goal is to weaken the Republic of Cyprus. The official spoke to journalists privately in Nicosia. He said social media is now a powerful tool in the old conflict over the divided island.
The meeting was organized by the Polish Embassy to discuss misinformation problems. The diplomat said the campaigns are carefully made to create division. They want to make Cypriot people feel fear and distrust. They also aim to damage the country's international image and break trust inside society. Another goal is to get people to accept Turkey's presence in the north, which only Turkey recognizes.
The work is focused on social media. The diplomat mentioned a study showing over 70% of Cypriots get their news mainly from social media. This is much higher than in Poland. This makes it easy for influence campaigns. Examples include spreading anti-migrant feelings and false stories about Greek Orthodox culture. They also share misleading information about the war in Ukraine.
A common tactic is to describe the Cypriot government as controlled by other countries. The Polish official connected this to Poland's own experiences with online falsehoods. He said it is a shared problem for Europe.
These accusations add a new digital side to the Cyprus problem. They show a fight for public opinion is happening online. This is important for the European Union because one member state says a NATO ally is targeting it. The situation shows why media literacy and fact-checking are so necessary today.