Cyprus-Forum.com

[shahmaran]

Since one of the moderators asked me why i kept refering to the GCs as Greeks and to my self (TC) as Turkish, and reading a few older threads with disputes of similar kind, it got me wondering...and plz correct me if im wrong....

The moment someone even thinks about mentioning the word TRNC or showing the flag here, they get attacked from every direction with accusations such as Occupied lands, and Ethnic cleansing and Not-Really-Cyprus, Illegal nation etc.
So it seems like most ppl here feel very strongly about the fact that we are all Cypriots, or that we should be, but i must say i had never actually seen it that way, not because i hold any grudge or any anti-greek feelings, but simply becase i have never associated myself with the nationality "Cypriot" nor with the RoC flag, when ppl ask me where i am from i simply say North Cyprus, and i feel i have to because if i do say i am Cypriot then everyone assumes i am Greek, which i am definately not i am Turkish.
Everyone in my village is Turkish, everyone in family is Turkish and i dont believe at any point in our family history we have mixed with a Greek family, so i dont see the logic nor the reason of me suddenly having to start calling myself Cypriot when hardly anyone knows that we (TCs) exist on this island as Turks, so technically the moment i become Cypriot, in the eyes of most people, i will be Greek! I dont speak Greek (tho id like to), i dont look Greek and frankly i think Ouzo is for girls!

So it seems like all the Greek propaganda has payed of very well, now all they have to do is get the Turks to join them and we become one big lovely family of "Greeks" with a few ethnic minorities that hardly anyone knows about. (assimilation anyone?) How is this fair? And in the case of a united Cyprus, is anyone going to do anything about it, ie. get a new flag maybe? hehe

Discuss.....


ps. im sure a lot of the "emotional" GCs out there have hundreds of lovely comments to make about the many different aspect of this text but plz lets just try to stick to the main point...oh and no name calling!

[Piratis]

First of all the word "TRNC", when used without quotes, can be very offensive because it represents the illegal occupation and our ethnic cleansing. If you support "trnc" it mean you support our ethnic cleansing, and you really shouldn't expect the victims of this crime to like you in return.

Secondly, being Cypriot doesn't necessarily mean being Greek. However even if we assume that a person without much knowledge about Cyprus assumes that you are Greek, then why can't you just correct him?

If some people assume that all Cypriots are Greeks this is not due to any propaganda, but for some simple facts: 82% of the population is GCs, and Cyprus has a longer Greek tradition on this island. Another factor could possibly be that Greek Cypriots, when asked, they say they are Cypriots. If Turkish Cypriots, like you, say they are Turkish instead of saying that they are Cypriots, then this can confirm in the minds of some foreigners that all Cypriots are Greek.

Therefore if you want, you can change the perception, but even if you can't do this to the degree you want, this doesn't mean you have the right to support the violation of the human rights of others.

[shahmaran]

Right, but u see thats the thing about this conflict, i think YOU are the guilty side not ME.

Basically what you are saying is that if i want to sound "legal" then i should be supporting the side that tried to exterminate my ethnicity very recently and i should just deal with the other details it in my own time?

This is exactly why i dont say im Turkish nor im Cypriot, but im from North Cyprus, the UN does not make me feel like im a part of you, so i dont care what they say about me, im from TRNC! u cant just stick nationalities on people through politics, or maybe u can but its just plain wrong! my god i felt like a Kurd there for a moment....

[Eliko]

Shahmaran, in the older part of Larnaka there are streets named for Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, one next to the other, the people lived harmoniously there for many years. There is a Mosque and a Church in close proximity to each other, the area illustrates the Cypriot culture that existed before all the political upheavals and those people made no distinctions between themselves. A wedge has now been driven between the two faiths and the result is what we have now come to. While we ordinary people are at each others throats, the politicians are rubbing their hands with glee, we are expendable they are safe. The term T/C or G/C is an offence to Cypriots when it is used as a descriptive tool for separation, Cyprus is our country and we are the people it's as simple as that until politics raises it's ugly head, I personally look back and feel great sadness at the loss of those days.
Cyprus is now a military base, it will remain so and politicians have achieved their objectives, there is little need for us all to be engaged in hurling abuse at each other as it is of no constructive value to our future. Regardless of all the foregoing, in my opinion we are all still Cypriots.

[cypezokyli]

shahmaran , there is no way for me to convince you to become "a cypriot".
if you dont feel like it, then you might as well continue to call your self whatever you want.

more appropriate answers you should get from other tcs...

[zan]

Secondly, being Cypriot doesn't necessarily mean being Greek. However even if we assume that a person without much knowledge about Cyprus assumes that you are Greek, then why can't you just correct him?

First the above:

Then:

If some people assume that all Cypriots are Greeks this is not due to any propaganda, but for some simple facts: 82% of the population is GCs, and Cyprus has a longer Greek tradition on this island. Another factor could possibly be that Greek Cypriots, when asked, they say they are Cypriots. If Turkish Cypriots, like you, say they are Turkish instead of saying that they are Cypriots, then this can confirm in the minds of some foreigners that all Cypriots are Greek.

Contradiction or what.

[zan]

Shahmaran, in the older part of Larnaka there are streets named for Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, one next to the other, the people lived harmoniously there for many years. There is a Mosque and a Church in close proximity to each other, the area illustrates the Cypriot culture that existed before all the political upheavals and those people made no distinctions between themselves. A wedge has now been driven between the two faiths and the result is what we have now come to. While we ordinary people are at each others throats, the politicians are rubbing their hands with glee, we are expendable they are safe. The term T/C or G/C is an offence to Cypriots when it is used as a descriptive tool for separation, Cyprus is our country and we are the people it's as simple as that until politics raises it's ugly head, I personally look back and feel great sadness at the loss of those days.
Cyprus is now a military base, it will remain so and politicians have achieved their objectives, there is little need for us all to be engaged in hurling abuse at each other as it is of no constructive value to our future. Regardless of all the foregoing, in my opinion we are all still Cypriots.

I am sorry mate but that is not strictly true. If you put together all the arguments that have been had on this and other forums a lay person would look at them and ask the question "Have these people ever lived in harmony". The answer would be “no not really”. What with accusations of Ottoman brutality and Greek oppression, of which my family have experience and many more that were treated as second class citizens in the 60s then how do you account for living together in harmony. The Buildings you describe were built with strength not out of love for one another.

[miltiades]

It seems to me that Cyprus does not belong to us , the Cypriots , but to foreign nations. Had we been born in any other part of the world and had our forefathers also , there would be no argument as to our ethnicity. The people of Malta , Jamaica , Philippines , Italy and of every other nation on earth are the people of their respective countries. In 100 years from now the people will look back at us and wonder what was so terrible about being Cypriots , we are by far more advanced than either Turkey or Greece in proportion to our size.What is it about Greece or Turkey that draws us to to them ,and why does any one find it hard to understand that the reflection of the 82% is more evident than that of the 18% .

[eracles]

What is it about Greece or Turkey that draws us to to them ,and why does any one find it hard to understand that the reflection of the 82% is more evident than that of the 18% .

Manipulation and politics...

[StuartN]

Militiades wrote:

we are by far more advanced than either Turkey or Greece in proportion to our size

What does this mean exactly? - advanced in what? - what evidence do you have?