I am very glad to hear this! Just like I was glad to see the kind of work turkcyp is doing. This is all proof of the value that forums like this one have, in inspiring GCs and TCs to find new ways to approach each other.
Actually any kind of inter-action inspire me to find new ways to approach each other. If I haven't had language handicaps with Greek and English; I'd do much more. For instance when I first visited my Grand dad's village(Alaminos) many people(veterans, refugees and non veterans) showed a nice hospitality, friendly, smiley face to me and the other TC visitors which some of them were the pre-74 TC inhabitants of Alaminos and some were the new generation of descendants of those TCs who were born in North and never seen the village of their ancestors.
Although the hospitality of those villagers that we met impressed me very much and stimulate me to communicate with them; I had hard times to communicate with them in English. We the TCs were 30 visitors bu just one old TC man and a women knew to speak and understand Greek. The old TC man was a 65 y.o Alaminion who chated with his GC friends for hours and helped us a lot for translations.
As I said the friendly behaviours and smiley faces of the villagers who we met impressed me a lot and urge me to communicate with them but I mostly failed. I many times intended to visit those villagers with an aim of improving my relationships with them but then I give up because of the language barrier I and they have.
By the way, are you a historian by profession? You certainly have the mindset of a historian.
No I'm not a historian but I have a deep interest for history. Especially history of Cyprus.
Yes, you are absolutely right - the roots must be examined. If you want to be REALLY adventurous, how about considering the effect which the transfer of Cyprus to the British (in 1878) had on the relations of the two communities? Or even more interesting, how about examining the genesis of the TC community as well? All this could be part of your introduction ...
I'm planing to examine those events which you refered and some other issues as well but as you know the written documents and publications of pre-1920s are all written in Arabic. Although there are some books and studies related to pre-1920s period of TC history but examining those existed studies wouldn't be a first hand experience for me to analyze the events of pre-1920s Cyprus and TC community.
Just a few years ago, I experienced studying the daily events of Turkey on the then Turkish newspapers, from 1920s to the present time. It was so amazing and this study gave me the opportunity to analyze and understand many things about Turkey and Turks far better. However there wasn't much about Cyprus in the then Turkish press. Everything I red about Cyprus in the then Turkish press was either known to me or gave no clue about the social, economical, political, psychological state of TC community and Cyprus.
It's a her - and thank you for your wishes - I thank Bananiot also, and everyone else who has wished my family well. As Bananiot wished, let's hope that soon we can all enjoy peaceful social relations as compatriots of a United Cyprus, rather than as the antagonists in a drawn out and largely meaningless dispute. Then we can more easily visit each other, be friends in real life and not just on the internet, and together watch our children grow ...
You, bananiot, turkcyp, jimmy and many other active Cypriot members on this forum speak English as good as your mother language. I have a big language handicap when compared with your language skills. I have to choose my friends among the ones who have an intermediate level of English and at the same match with my characteristics until I improve my English speaking skills to an advanced level. Otherwise I don't think I will be able to deepen and strengthen my relationships with you, bananiot, cannedmoose and jimmy even though we have so many things in common. Upgrading my English speaking skill won't take too long, I think but learning Greek and speaking it at an advance level would take too long, perhaps I will never speak Greek at an adavanced level.
My language handicap is really the biggest obstacle before me to have good relationships with GCs and I'm really very sad about it. Two years ago when the "RoC" anounced the free Greek-Turkish courses, I was excited so much and intended to attend those course but unfortunately I couldn't find a job in Cyprus and returned to Turkey. Now soon I'll be in Cyprus and give it a try one more time. I hope everything goes well, I can permemnantly stay in Cyprus and have good social relationships with some GCs.
- and thank you for your wishes - I thank Bananiot also, and everyone else who has wished my family well. As Bananiot wished, let's hope that soon we can all enjoy peaceful social relations as compatriots of a United Cyprus, rather than as the antagonists in a drawn out and largely meaningless dispute. Then we can more easily visit each other, be friends in real life and not just on the internet, and together watch our children grow ...
