Cyprus-Forum.com

[Cem]

Turkish is of no use to anyone except Turks .... (in remote villages in Anatolia).

And in urban centers such as Istanbul and Ankara ? Should they replace turkish with Sanskrit ?

Our young people should concentrate on the Classics, Mathematics etc ... and forget the Turks and their good-for-nothing language!

Also Psychotherapy as far as you and similar-minded ones are concerned.

The more we are reminded of the presence of the Turks ... the more backward we become .....

So that you can go back to your roots and start filming another "300".

Let's look to Europe ... no other schools in Europe would teach Turkish without a bit of surprise ... why should we accept it?

Let's rather look at the EU member Republic of Cyprus and to find out what we have at :

http://www.hum.ucy.ac.cy/TME/index.php

Turkish Studies deal with Turkish and other Turkic languages, history, literatures and cultures, from the first written evidence of Turkish language in the 8th century up to the present. Various sub-disciplines of Turkish Studies have emerged : Turcology or Turkic Studies are concerned with the entire spectrum of Turkish languages and literatures. Ottoman Studies are devoted primarily to the languages, history and culture of the Ottoman Empire (13th -20th centuries). Modern Turkish Studies deal with the politics, literature, economy and society of Turkey in the 20th century.
Islamic Studies are, on the one hand, an integral part of Ottoman Studies and Modern Turkish Studies, and on the other hand serve as connecting link to Middle Eastern Studies which cover the study of Middle Eastern peoples (mainly Arabs and Iranians), their languages and cultures.

Turkish Studies at the University of Cyprus cover many of the above-mentioned areas of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies.
Thematic emphases are set in particular by the local and regional contexts, the interests and orientations of the staff and professional opportunities for graduates.

Students' meetings with academic advisors

Department of
Turkish Studies and Middle Eastern Studies
University of Cyprus
75 Kallipoleos
P.O. Box 20537
1678 Nicosia
Cyprus
Phone: +357 2289 2150
Fax: +357 2275 6043

Oracle, you can start learning turkish by trying to translate the following one:

Acitti mi , Cicim ?

[Tim Drayton]

It would, in my opinion backfire, if they made Greek and Turkish compulsory lessons. This would only make them unpopular. However, the other community's language should be available as an optional item on the curriculum. This is already the case in Greek Cypriot high schools; the Turkish Cypriot school system should reciprocate.

In a federal Cyprus, there will be very good instrumental reasons for Greek Cypriots to study Turkish, and for Turkish Cypriots to study Greek. The federal parliament and other organs of government will surely be bilingual and will require simultaneous interpreting facilities. All federal legislation and a lot of other documents will be in both languages. There are going to be good government jobs available for translators and interpreters working between Greek and Turkish.

[Nikitas]

I will refer yet again to the Concord project when British and French engineeers were taught to simply understand each other's language. It is much easier to learn to understand than to speak. IN the case of Concord the process took six months for engineers to build up comprehension of complex scientific language.

Understanding each other's language has several advantages. First is the immediate understanding of the mood and climate in the other community by direct reading of the media. This cannot be done if there is a third common language. Secondly there is no feeling of compulsion or belittling, making a concession to the other side by speaking their language (this is a major obstacle for some).

The language in parliament etc is a secondary matter. It is a technical matter which will be worked out in a narrow context.

[Cem]

I will refer yet again to the Concord project when British and French engineeers were taught to simply understand each other's language. It is much easier to learn to understand than to speak. IN the case of Concord the process took six months for engineers to build up comprehension of complex scientific language.

Understanding each other's language has several advantages. First is the immediate understanding of the mood and climate in the other community by direct reading of the media. This cannot be done if there is a third common language. Secondly there is no feeling of compulsion or belittling, making a concession to the other side by speaking their language (this is a major obstacle for some).

The language in parliament etc is a secondary matter. It is a technical matter which will be worked out in a narrow context.

OK, Nikitas, as far as I am concerned, I am commited to learning Greek as a second language conditional upon a solution to CyProb.

[Tim Drayton]

The language in parliament etc is a secondary matter. It is a technical matter which will be worked out in a narrow context.

I would respectfully submit that the matter of the official language/s is of primary and not secondary importance and one which will affect the whole character of the federal state. Questions such as the language or languages to be used in parliament or the law courts, and the language or languages in which legislation is to be framed are of vital significance. Do not forget that the ethnic conflict which has torn Sri Lanka apart can, to a large extent, be traced back to a decision to change the country's official language.

I cannot see either of parties consenting to their language not having official status, so a federal Cyprus will surely be officially bilingual. Simultaneous interpreting facilities will need to be available in parliament. This will cause certain technical problems in the short term. Simultaneous conference interpreting is a highly specialised skill that takes special training to acquire. Sadly, the lack of contact between the communities over the past few decades means that bilingualism is only encountered among the elderly. Moreover, I do not imagine that there are many conference interpreters who specialise in working between Greek and Turkish in the world, let alone Cyprus. I only hope that somebody is thinking of these problems.

[Oracle]

I've thought about all that and I agree; adopting Turkish as another Official language would be a repeat performance in how not to do things.

Greek is the one and only rightful Official language of Cyprus.

[Tim Drayton]

As a matter of interest, what language or languages were used for debates in the RoC parliament before the Turkish Cypriot deputies abandoned it?

[halil]

DISI delegations in soldarity with Turkish Cypriot teachers.

A visit with to the Cyprus Turkish Secondary Schools Teachers union (KTOEÖS) by a delegation from DISI last weak raised much interest in North Cyprus.The meeting ,the first official one between the two organisations was attendet by Katy Cleridis,Fivos Nikolides, Andros Karayannis,Akis Filipidis,Pios Usmanii and Andreas hacipanayi .