Cyprus-Forum.com

[joe]

Why Cypriots need to break the silence of their unofficial history
Interview by Alkan Chaglar

http://www.toplumpostasi.net/index.php/ ... me/English

One of the greatest intellectuals of the Turkish Cypriot community, Aydın Mehmet Ali who is an international education consultant, author and trainer spoke to Toplum Postası about the need for Cypriots (both Greek and Turkish Cypriots) to break the chains of their silence over unofficial history that has for so long been swept under their Cypriot carpets. Rather than relying on the elite who impose their official history, Aydın explains why it is imperative that Cypriots take ownership of their past to heal past wounds and make peace with themselves. Aydın asks: “if we are not at peace with yourself then how are you going to face the other person, the other whom you demonise for so?”



Q. Why exactly is unofficial history?

A. Firstly, we need to recognise that there are different pasts. There’s the formal history that is spoken about, written about and celebrated, but there’s the unspoken history that people have actually lived through, but it never surfaces. If it does it surfaces in unofficial corners or it is hidden in some way.

It is only when you are talking to somebody that they might mention something to you that is not in the history books. It is not in the arena of the official history that is being perpetuated. It puts into the question how much of official history actually took place and why a small minority of people are imposing that history, as the only history that exists.



Q. Why are Cypriot silent of this?

A. Many Cypriots today are silent about the unofficial history, the acts and events that had not only been created for them but they have created for themselves. Because every single person, who had to go through a number of wars, or conflict situations were in some way or another involved.

Whether you were a teacher, shepherd, woman or even a hitman, everybody played a role. There are women who talk about taking apart and cleaning guns, or making bread using crushed macaroni. There were women who were raped that are never spoken about; there were Cypriot Turkish people who were killed by other Cypriot Turkish people. It is a part of our unofficial history!





Q. Why is it important to unearth an otherwise forgotten history?

A. I think the importance of unearthing unofficial history is important from a number of angles, firstly to complete the picture presented to us, which is in favour of the power elites in many ways, but also in taking ownership in what we actually did and how we did it. Unless we come to terms with some of those and complete the picture then we will always be living with a lie and I think that does not really create for a healthy society.

So if we want to face some of those issues that are very painful and those who were perpetrating some of those horrific crimes against fellow human rights. We need to find way to come to terms with that to find a way to heal many of the wounds we have created.





Q. But why does it need to be discussed now?

A. I think it needs to be discussed for a number of reasons to complete the picture, to and lay to rest some of those wounds, which are still bleeding and they are not just going to heal from the point of view of the relatives of those people whose loved-ones have disappeared or killed. It is also important for those who committed those killings to say, “I can’t sleep at night for what I’ve done. “The person I killed is still in front of my eyes” or even just to say, “I did it.”

This is necessary so that we can begin to complete the jigsaw. It’s also important to begin to forgive the people who committed these atrocities and to help these people heal themselves for having done that.





Q. How will taking ownership of our past benefit people in our community today?

A. If you are not at peace with yourself then how are you going to face the other person, the other who you demonise for so long and had blamed for some of those atrocities you had committed against your own people? If you haven’t come clean within yourself and healed, some of your own wounds and face your own realities and find a way of dealing with it.

We could offer trauma counselling to those people who were rounded up or those women who were raped, or relatives of people who actually came and found their people murdered in a room by killers who they knew were Cypriot Turks.

If we as Cypriot Turkish people claim that we are a separate entity, we have a particular language, we have a particular history and social relations, and then if we are claiming all these things because we are different then we have to claim this too.

[Issy1956]

Agree 100% with the sentiments of the article. We desperately need truth and reconcillation on both sides to confess to our crimes and make peace with our selves first and then with each other. No one side has a monoploy on the truth here and is entirely innocent.

[Pyrpolizer]

What Aydin said is absolutely correct. Sevgul Ulutag already tried recording this "unofficial history" congratulations to her.I don't know if any GC has started any work in this direction though.

So is this newspaper leftist? Here it has the flag of AKEL
http://www.toplumpostasi.net/index.php/ ... ame/Kibris

[cypezokyli]

What Aydin said is absolutely correct. Sevgul Ulutag already tried recording this "unofficial history" congratulations to her.I don't know if any GC has started any work in this direction though.

So is this newspaper leftist? Here it has the flag of AKEL
http://www.toplumpostasi.net/index.php/ ... ame/Kibris

i also agree with Aydin. this was indeed a great post.

as for gcs... well there are a couple who tried to work with our "unofficial hostory" but we all saw how they are treated (this forum included)

[Sotos]

Why say that we should write the unofficial history and not just write it? The article would then be more interesting