The recognition of the Cypriot cheese “halloumi” as a product of protected designation of origin by the EU has put Nicosia on a collision course  with other EU member states. Cyprus first made an application to secure protected designation of origin (PDO) status for its famous traditional halloumi cheese in July 2014. The cheese, crucial to the Cypriot economy, also included the term “hellim”, the Turkish-Cypriot name for halloumi, thereby covering the whole island.

The Turkish-Cypriot community objected to the designation and wants a separate production control mechanism of halloumi in the Turkish-occupied territories.