Nicosia: Turkey and ‘institutions’ affiliated with the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus are conducting disinformation and propaganda campaigns within Cyprus, a Polish Embassy officer has said. The officer was making a presentation about a study on misinformation and disinformation campaigns in Poland and Cyprus observed by them in recent years during a working lunch with journalists, which the Polish embassy hosted on Wednesday.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Poland has recently had to deal with disinformation campaigns related to incidents involving drones in its airspace and an explosion on one of its railway lines, fueled by false social media reports that gained momentum. Referring to Cyprus, the Embassy official spoke of striking examples of anti-immigrant information in social media in Cyprus and its impact on Greek-orthodox culture.
Disinformation efforts in social media in Cyprus concerning the war in Ukraine, such as the purpose of sanctions, the origin of the conflict, and political loyalties, were also observed, she said. The officer making the presentation also spoke about Turkish propaganda, noting that ‘Turkey and the institutions affiliated to the occupied side are conducting disinformation and propaganda campaigns within Cyprus.’
The aim, she stated, is to instill fear, mistrust, weaken the Republic of Cyprus’ position in the region, undermine trust within Cypriot society, influence international relations, generate tensions with Arab or Islamic countries, and ‘recognize the presence of Turkey in the north of the island.’
She cited a recent survey indicating that more than 70% of Cypriots get their information from social media, while in Poland, the percentage is 50%.
Polish Ambassador in Nicosia Marek Szczepanowski emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine, noting, “we are very glad that President Christodoulides has shown from the very beginning strong support to Ukraine,” which he often reiterates. He added that allowing Russia to prevail and subjugate Ukraine would complicate the situation for Cyprus, as it would suggest that the international order can be altered through invasion, putting countries in similar situations at risk.
Addressing questions about the upcoming Cypriot EU Council Presidency starting January 1st, 2026, the Ambassador remarked that achieving unity would be the greatest challenge. He recalled the difficulties the Polish presidency faced in passing decisions on external security issues related to Russian sanctions, with objections mainly from Hungary and partially from Slovakia.
Szczepanowski highlighted Poland’s achievements during its six-month rotating presidency in the first half of 2025 and discussed efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation campaigns. He explained that Poland has expanded its team to address such threats from five to 75 people in recent years.
The Ambassador noted that the Polish Presidency focused on various security aspects, including external security, and adopted the instrument SAFE, which had strong support from Cyprus. Poland, along with Denmark and Cyprus, is part of the current EU Council Presidency Trio.