This essay focuses on the identification and evaluation of hybrid threats in the Republic of Cyprus which is one of many small states in the international system. Building on theoretical analysis and empirical evidence obtained from the study of the case, the authors examine the threats deriving from the overarching security problem – that is, the Turkish occupation and de facto military division of the island. While the conventional military threats, presented by the Republic of Turkey, are the most significant security challenges to the Republic, it should be emphasised that there are other unconventional security issues running in parallel to traditional threats. Such hybrid security challenges include, among others, cyber-attack operations, the weaponization of illegal migration and targeted disinformation campaigns that directly impact critical infrastructure, disrupt the proper functioning and the cultural cohesion of the state, and foster negative perceptions for the image of the Republic of Cyprus. Hybrid threats are understood as being used simultaneously in both conventional and unconventional modus operandi, thereby setting an example of how small states, like the Republic, retain certain vulnerabilities and capabilities that can either be exploited in favour or utilised against such threats.
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This essay focuses on the identification and evaluation of hybrid threats in the Republic of Cyprus which is one of many small states in the international system. Building on theoretical analysis and empirical evidence obtained from the study of the case, the authors examine the threats deriving from the overarching security problem – that is, the Turkish occupation and de facto military division of the island. While the conventional military threats, presented by the Republic of Turkey, are the most significant security challenges to the Republic, it should be emphasised that there are other unconventional security issues running in parallel to traditional threats. Such hybrid security challenges include, among others, cyber-attack operations, the weaponization of illegal migration and targeted disinformation campaigns that directly impact critical infrastructure, disrupt the proper functioning and the cultural cohesion of the state, and foster negative perceptions for the image of the Republic of Cyprus. Hybrid threats are understood as being used simultaneously in both conventional and unconventional modus operandi, thereby setting an example of how small states, like the Republic, retain certain vulnerabilities and capabilities that can either be exploited in favour or utilised against such threats.