Cyprus-Forum.com

by **theCAF** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:35 pm

I find it very interesting that people are so quick to assume that GC's and TC's are so different.
From a religious perspective yes we have different religions but people all over the world live harmoniously and with understanding when it comes to differing religions.
From a perspective of language yes we both speak different languages but again that is not a barrier to living together peacefully; especially when in our modern world where english is more and more becoming the dominant common language.
From a cultural perspective again yes we have differences but we also have many shared attributes which are dirrectly related to our history of living together in peace.
This brings us to the topic of ethincity, meaning being either Greek or Turkish on a genetic level and here is where many seem to have either ignored history, don't want to bring it up or simply don't realize. Yes there are ethnic TC's and yes there are ethnic GC'c but there's also another group which gets overlooked.
During Ottoman rule there were many GC's who converted to Islam to either avoid persecution or to make their lives easier. These "Greek Muslim Cypriots" are now a part of what we consider TC's. GC's and TC's are much closer related to each other than many believe or want to admit.

Being Greek or Turkish really has nothing to do with the current problem in Cyprus, these labels are just the simplest way to define us and an excuse to continue the bitterness between countrymen who used to live together in peace.