Cyprus-Forum.com

[cannedmoose]

Surprised no-one posted this already... interesting comment piece from Cyprus Mail 26th June.

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Feature - Could Bilingual Cypriots bring the borders down?
By Simon Bahceli

‘In the second half of the 20th century, the Muslims and Christians of Cyprus often spoke both each others’ languages’

People have much greater respect for those who make the effort to speak their language

THE dialogue goes something like this:

Greek Cypriot: “How long have you been back in Cyprus?”

Me: “14 years”

Greek Cypriot: “How’s your Greek?”

Me: “Non-existent”.

Greek Cypriot: “Shame on you! Fourteen years here and you still can’t speak Greek”

Me: “Can you speak Turkish?”

Silence…

The saddest thing is that just about all the people I’ve had this exchange with (and it must be around ten times now) have turned out to be perfectly nice, intelligent people. It is just that even Cypriots forget that Cyprus has two native languages.

Of course, the idea that Greek is the only language on the island did not spring from nowhere, but stems from over four decades of forced division. In fact, before nationalism – of both the Greek and Turkish kind – raised their ugly heads in the second half of the 20th century, the Muslims and Christians of Cyprus often spoke both each others’ languages.

As Chairman of the Turkish Studies Department at Cyprus University Niyazi Kizilyurek points out, “In the 18th, 19th and early 20th century in what can be term traditional society…Muslims often spoke two languages. For socio-economic reasons Muslims were obliged to learn Greek”.

This did not mean Greek speakers never learnt Turkish, but it has to be acknowledged that even before the two communities split there was less of an impetus for Greek speakers to learn Turkish.

“Greek speakers were more numerous and generally wealthier. So Turks would learn Greek in order to speak with the majority and do business with them,” Kizilyurek says.

In the 20th century the linguistic separation widened as the advent of centralised education emphasised separate cultural and language identities. This was not helped by the fact that under the British Muslims and Christians administered their own schools.

By the time the British left Cyprus, Kizilyurek says, “Turks and Greek no longer had one common perspective” – something that resulted in reduced contact between them; and while Greek speakers increased their outward signs of Greekness, leaders of the Turkish Cypriot community began a campaign of forcing Turkish Cypriots to speak Turkish, even to the extent of fining them from using Greek words.

The failure of the newly-established 1960 Cyprus Republic to bring the communities back together resulted in what Kizilyurek describes as a “radical break”, after which “interaction was almost impossible”. And the final blow to bilingualism came in 1974 with the division of the island along ethnic lines.

“After that interest among Greek and Turkish speakers in speaking each other’s languages hit zero level”.

But there are positive signs that things might be changing. Recent political developments, most notably the referendum on the Annan plan and the opening of crossings between the two communities, have given a new impetus to the learning of Turkish and Greek as a second language.

In north Nicosia lessons in Greek have suddenly become popular, with Turkish Cypriots showing a keenness to learn Greek that just a few years back would have had them branded as traitors.

Selen Mesutoglu, who works in the north’s Management Centre, a non-governmental body that aims to foster economic and social links between the two communities and holds twice-weekly Greek lessons says, “Enrollment is increasing and each new class opening has more in it than the last”.

Like Kizilyurek, Mesutoglu believes it is socio-economic factors that are driving Turkish Cypriots to learn Greek.

“The fact the there are job opportunities in the south means Turkish Cypriots feel they need to learn Greek. I’m less sure Greek Cypriots feel a similar need to learn Turkish,” she says.

Kizilyurek, however, says he has found many Greek Cypriots keen to learn Turkish.

“Many young men and women have started becoming more interested as they focus on the possibility that the future may hold a federal solution like Canada or Switzerland,” he says, adding that although his Turkish Studies course can only take on only 25 students each year, he gets between six and seven hundred applications.

But while most who actively try to promote bilingualism in Cyprus also believe in mending the island’s long-running division, they luckily do not believe the progress of bilingualism need necessarily be held hostage by failure to solve the political impasse.
“Whatever happens - whether it is federalism, or some other form of solution based on separateness – one thing is clear: Cyprus will, socially and economically, be an interactive space in which people will need to communicate,” Kizilyurek says.

He adds, however, that “bilingualism as a policy will help a lot to develop a multi-cultural society”

Highgate International School headmistress Maria Theochari agrees.

“I’m against monoculture and monolingualism. Differences bring a wealth of experience that should be used for the future of our children,” she says.

Theochari believes the opening of crossings between the two communities has presented an opportunity to begin repairing the damage of half a century of rampant nationalism.
“I feel it is so important to have Turkish speaking students here. Next year we are expecting children from between eight and ten Turkish speaking families”.

She is so keen that Turkish Cypriots feel welcome at her school she is taking Turkish lessons so that she can “greet them in their own language”.

The fact that parents and students are usually able to speak English, Theochari says, is not a valid reason for not learning Turkish, as speaking someone’s mother-tongue shows respect for that person’s language and culture. And there are other reasons she cites why Greeks and Turks in Cyprus should learn each others’ tongues.

“Our food, dance, family values and a hundred other things are related. Even our jokes are the same. Therefore it is silly to communicate solely in a language that does not appreciate Mediterranean culture”.

Kizilyurek strongly believes this to be the case and says, “I doubt if English gives Cypriots effective communication, as English bypasses cultural exchange. It is not possible to effectively talk about Greek and Turkish Cypriot culture through English”.

“Speaking each others’ languages is a much easier way to deconstruct prejudice. People have much greater respect for those who make the effort to speak their language. It creates a completely different atmosphere. Even if you want to criticise, the best way to do it is in their language,” he adds.

Sadly however there are few signs that the education authorities on either side of the Green Line are planning to introduce ‘the other side’s’ language into their curriculums.

Just this week the Turkish Cypriot education ‘ministry’ announced the outcome of a major overhaul of the education system in the north. No mention was made of introducing Greek. Likewise, the government in the south has made no move to introduce Turkish lessons for Greek Cypriot children in the south.

Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005

[Yiannis]

A very interesting article moose, thanks for sharing it with us.

[Agios Amvrosios]

Turbolax is the fast solution

[cannedmoose]

Turbolax is the fast solution

What?

[jojomojo]

coming from a family which spoke both i would say it has got to be the best route to unify us lot

[Lala_Mustafa_Pasha]

Its a waste of time and resources, why should I be forced to learn "Greek" in a Turkish school, if I want to learn Greek I'll enroll in a Greek Language school. The time wasted Learning Greek could be spent learning languages which would really help like English, Spanish, Chinease, Russian, Arabic etc

Unify who?

There is somthing which will never change

Greek and Turk

Unless one is prepared to assimilate into the other there will nether be a Union, but we can all pretend to ourselves yeah we love each other and be Pollitically Correct but we'd just be decieving ourselves, try be a little more realist.

My Grandparents new a bit of Greek, my parents new a few words, I know absolutel no Greek what so-ever.

[cypezokyli]

i would really like to learn turkish.
i hope i will finally begin.
i believe it can offer tremendous advantages, in all respects.

[Agios Amvrosios]

I thought this was a post about a lesbian 69ner

[sadik]

Speaking each others language is the best way for us to understand each other. Imagine a Greek Cypriot calling in a Turkish Cypriot radio program, and expressing his/her frustration over the recent developments or vice versa. We will not be able to ignore each other any more.

[Michael]

Its a waste of time and resources, why should I be forced to learn "Greek" in a Turkish school, if I want to learn Greek I'll enroll in a Greek Language school. The time wasted Learning Greek could be spent learning languages which would really help like English, Spanish, Chinease, Russian, Arabic etc

Unify who?

There is somthing which will never change

Greek and Turk

Unless one is prepared to assimilate into the other there will nether be a Union, but we can all pretend to ourselves yeah we love each other and be Pollitically Correct but we'd just be decieving ourselves, try be a little more realist.

My Grandparents new a bit of Greek, my parents new a few words, I know absolutel no Greek what so-ever.

Dont worry Mr Lala Pasha no fear of Turks being loved. Turk and Love is what you call an oxymoron. Yes go and check it up. Do you have dictionaries in Turkey? Anyway its quite apt, Moron that is.