Cyprus-Forum.com

[crumpy]

“Famine”, a joint Irish-Turkish production looks set to be in the cinemas sometime next year. Starring Sean Bean and Colin Farrell, alongside some well-known Turkish actors, the film will be shot in both Ireland and Turkey on a budget of $50 million.

Besides telling how the Ottomans brought ships of food against the wishes of the British government during the 19th century famine, the screenplay also includes a love story between an Ottoman sailor and an Irish girl.

Is it just a coincidence that Ireland will take on the EU Presidency in 6 months' time …

[B25]

Guaranteed to be a shit film then. Sean Bean and Farrell on a 50m shoestring, bloody cheapskates.

It the irish knew what was good for them, they would stay well clear of anything Turkish. Next they will have to be making apologies ha ha ha .

[supporttheunderdog]

According to one article there is no real evidiece any ships took aid, but the Ottomans did send cash

http://www.thepenmagazine.net/the-great ... o-ireland/

The story of Drogheda's coat of arms containing a pacman image in honour of the Turk's visit is a myth as the the coat of arms with that symbol is older and linked to Richard the Lionheart.

[GreekIslandGirl]

Fantasy sums up the Turks!

Reeks of desperation.

[crumpy]

Re : Supporttheunderdog wrote "According to one article there is no real evidiece any ships took aid, but the Ottomans did send cash" - My understanding from the article is that the Ottomans were somewhat lacking when it came to recording their acts of generosity. It should be noted that their generosity was certainly appreciated by Drogheda's football club, just click on this wikipedia link to see the club's emblem:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drogheda_United_FC

[Piratis]

The Ottomans were responsible for many famines in the Ottoman empire, including Cyprus. The way they let a big portion of the Cypriot population starve to death would be called a genocide today.

If they did give some aid to others, there is no doubt that this aid didn't come from the work of the Ottoman rulers, but from the sweat and blood of the people that the Ottomans have been exploiting for centuries.

[crumpy]

"Genocide" ?
Typically harsh words
I'm sure the Ottomans could have been better landlords, but they didn't drive the Greek-speaking Cypriots from the island, quite unlike what happened to the Turkish-speakers on Crete and what would have eventually happened here if Nikos Sampson had got his way ...

[GreekIslandGirl]

"Genocide" ?
Typically harsh words
I'm sure the Ottomans could have been better landlords, but they didn't drive the Greek-speaking Cypriots from the island, quite unlike what happened to the Turkish-speakers on Crete and what would have eventually happened here if Nikos Sampson had got his way ...

The "Turkish-speakers" of Crete were not native to Crete. They came and they went! Greek-speaking Cypriots are native to Cyprus so they are victims of Ottoman invasion, subjugation and ritual temporal slaughter - part of the well-known act of Ottoman Genocides. As for "what would have eventually happened if Nikos ..." - more Turkish fantasy!

[Piratis]

More than half the Cypriot population was driven in the graves and you are telling me that calling it a genocide is "harsh"? According to the census by the Ottomans themselves there were 197.586 people in Cyprus when they took over the island in 1571. The number obviously does not include the 10s of thousands of Cypriots butchered during the Ottoman invasion of 1570 (20.000 were murdered in Nicosia alone). By the 18th century (again by Ottoman records) the population was reduced to 80.000.

The Turkish speakers in Crete were part of the population exchange between Turkey and Greece. The exchange of population involved 3 times more Greeks than Turks (1.5 million Greeks vs 500 thousand Turks).

Asia Minor became Turkish with genocides and ethnic cleansings of the native population (Greeks, Armenians, Kurds etc), by the Turks who were invaders who came from the east. This is what you are trying to do now with the north part of Cyprus, by ethnically cleansing the native Cypriot people and replacing them with foreign Turkish imports. And all you have as an excuse is "would have..." theories, when you are the ones who have been actually committing such crimes.

[crumpy]

Re : "The Turkish-speakers of Crete were not native to Crete"
With your logic GreekIslandGirl Britain should be given back to the Welsh and the Scottish, after all, the invading Saxons, Normans etc pushed the original Britons to these areas of Britain.

Re : "Turkish fantasy" and "would have... theories" relating to Nikos Sampson :
According to http://www.conservapedia.com/Henry_Kissinger Sampson, in 1974, told the Greek newspaper Eleftherotipia "Had Turkey not intervened, I would not only have proclaimed Enosis but I would have annihilated the Turks in Cyprus as well."

Re : "More than half the Cypriot population was driven into the graves" - Such figures are disputed elsewhere Piratis.

Re : "Well known acts of genocide" - yes well=known to you GreekislandGirl

Undoubtedly the Ottomans could have been better landlords here, as the British could have been in Ireland and elsewhere, but as I wrote earlier, the Ottomans didn't force the Greek-speaking Cypriots off the island. And hopefully this new fim in some small way will enable more people to realise the kindness of Turks and Turkish Cypriots. I should know - I married one