Cyprus-Forum.com

[bigOz]

thanks for the welcome..
yes i have noticed most turkish can speak english greek and turkish.. my perants where alive in the 60's but they never said anything of learning turkish in the schools i know my mum ws learning french and english..
That would be nice to have turkish as a second language teaching both in schools with the gC side learning turkish as a second language and turkishC's learning greek as a second. I am only 24 but i still doubt i will see resolution in my life. maybe My Grand children Will see this bright future. at the moment i sill see to much hate between the two sides. Espesially on some web sites such as youtube where there are videos on the war and many pictures but the way the users scream and shout at eachother.

This subject was dealt in deatail by myself and DT not so long ago, wher the need for a "cultural revolution" was agreed upon. You are absolutely right with your views about the outlook. As things are, irrespective of many people with good will on both sides, it would only take a few to spoil things for everyone and cause havoc.

Hence the need for two separate federal states for at least 10-15 years who should start teaching Greek or Turkish as the secondary language at junior level, and English at high schools. Many children in Europe can speak 3-4 languages by the time they finish high schools so it is not a difficult task at all. Both states should be forced to eradicate extremist fanatics and declare as illegal any organisations that may promote division or hatred for the opposite community. Few heavy penalties and prison sentences on the culprits would soon put that right. Without that, no signed agreement will stand up for long and no unification even in the future would ever be possible - that is my opinion anyway...

I just want to ask one question to everyone, have you ever met a Turkish person speaking Greek or a Greek person speaking Turkish? If so can you share with us how your feelings might have changed from the initial Greek-Turk feeling to perhaps something else. I have and I know the answer, but it would be great to find out if it was a unique feeling or if it works for everyone.

[RichardB]

BigOz

I just want to ask one question to everyone, have you ever met a Turkish person speaking Greek or a Greek person speaking Turkish? If so can you share with us how your feelings might have changed from the initial Greek-Turk feeling to perhaps something else. I have and I know the answer, but it would be great to find out if it was a unique feeling or if it works for everyone.

Although I am English and I realise the post was probably aimed at GCs and TCs would you please allow me to have a say in this.

Over the last couple of years we have regularly crossed over into Northern area of Nicosia (wife is GC) along with GC nieghbours of ours from Nicosia.

We have met a good few TCs who are fluent in Greek, Our neighbour is also fluent in Turkish. He has introduced us to old friends of his and he and his wife have re-kindled these friendships.

What I have noticed however is that the younger generation, due I think to the long seperation, Do not have these communiation skills which I find a little sad.

From what I have observed the average TC and GC can get along quite fine on a day to day basis.

From my own point of view I have found a friend in an old TC who sells wool in the bazaar and while the wives go shopping I while away an hour or so with him talking in a mixture of English and Greek he can spin out some really interesting stories from the old days ( He originates from lefkonika)

Just some thoughts dont really know if they're too applicable to your question

[zan]

I just want to ask one question to everyone, have you ever met a Turkish person speaking Greek or a Greek person speaking Turkish? If so can you share with us how your feelings might have changed from the initial Greek-Turk feeling to perhaps something else. I have and I know the answer, but it would be great to find out if it was a unique feeling or if it works for everyone

Don't really get this Oz. My mum and dad speak both Greek and Turkish and My dad only learned to speak a bit of Turkish when he was nine and then properly when he married my mother. My grandmother, from my dads side, never learned to speak Turkish at all. I have never met a GC that could speak Turkish except for taking the piss and saying "nappang be!"

[paliometoxo]

yes a few times.. one turkish guy working in the take away in town next to the holiday inn in nicosia.. also i used to go to universtiy with a turkish cypriot who liked greek better he could speak greek and he come to the south to avoid the army.. now if he goes back he will go to prison so he is here now... also the south dont want him for the army so he is happy.. we spoke every day.. nice guy and on the boarer when i went to the TRNC once the police men spoke to us in greek the turkish ones

[Viewpoint]

Its a known fact that it was GC policy to push TCs into speaking Greek as a way of assmiliation very few GCs ever learnt Turkish and felt that force TCs had to learn Greek when trying to go about their daily lives.

[paliometoxo]

but the guy that i knew like it better over here he liked the music to.. no one was forcing him but for his job he has to knwo turkish english and greek.. when iw ent to the british bases here for work they sai di needed to know all 3 but dont think iw ill ever lern turkish...

[Viewpoint]

He has no choice and shows that the "RoC" is a GC state for GCs not TCs although they cliam to represent all Cypriots, this person has chosen to live in a GC state so he has tolearn the official language like he would learn Spanish if he wanted to live in Spain...proves my point yet again.

[paliometoxo]

because he likes greek better he told me he was a very nice guy just liked greek better then turkish.. he spoke greek very well turkish and not very well english but understood it very well

[Viewpoint]

Well he can enjoy speaking Greek in a GC state, nothing to do with us.

[Get Real!]

Hello Paliometoxe.
Welcome to this wonderful forum, the meeting place of many ideas. I for one, would not mind my young children learning the Greek language. (too late for me now) Only ignorant people would deny this to their children. In my younger days I was rather excited that I was going to learn proper greek at secondary school. You should have seen my disappointment when the year I joined the secondary school, some misguided 'patriots' took it off the curriculum. I saw this as a backward step. I wanted to give up my 'village' greek and be more fluent.

Today I discovered that the young 25ish man installing the plugs/switches in our new home is a TC who’s been working here for the last 6 years! I must say I was impressed by his Greek!