Jennifer Lopez called off a controversial birthday show in the breakaway north of Cyprus, provoking celebrations Friday by Greek Cypriots while Turkish Cypriots denounced the move.

The furor over a luxury hotel inauguration showed how easily bitter rivalry can flare up between Cypriots across the ethnic divide, even as the two sides are locked in fruitless peace talks.

Reports that Lopez would perform at a hotel in the breakaway Turkish north on her 41st birthday this month triggered a Greek Cypriot online campaign pushing for cancellation.

Greek Cypriots viewed Lopez’s July 24 appearance as helping legitimize the Mediterranean island’s violent division. Cyprus was split into a Greek speaking south and a Turkish speaking north in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece.

“Jennifer Lopez would never knowingly support any state, country, institution or regime that was associated with any form of human rights abuse,” the statement said. It added that it was a team decision “that reflects our sensitivity to the political realities of the region.”