Cyprus-Forum.com

[insan]

http://www.stwing.upenn.edu/~durduran/h ... _2004.html




Who will write "The People's History of Modern Cyprus"? Please Stand Up.

Sometimes I wish I was not a physicists but a freelance writer. If only I had the patience and talent, I would have gone ahead and get trained in doing just that. It bothers me to be a relatively passive participant in using this potential to learn and teach. We need "The People's History of Modern Cyprus" and we need it badly to uncover the hidden past, to reconcile, to resolve our conflicts.

Turgut Durduran

[Saint Jimmy]

I used to hold very strongly the view that any conversation concerning the past are not constructive in any way, at this point in Cyprus's history. Digging up the past can only resurrect the tensions, hatred, bigotry and controversy of the past.

In time, it struck me that maybe the reason I held this view was that, somewhere in my subconscious mind, I felt like the whole thing really was our (meaning, the GC's) fault. So, I set out to find out what the hell had happened during 'The Troubles', as a brit would say. So, I found out so many accounts pointing to both sides' being at fault, that I can only say that such conversations or quests can only blow things up again...

Discussions about the past are pointless, for Cypriots in 2005. Very few people on each side will agree with anyone on the other side. Discussions about the future are a totally different issue. Maybe they should be in another thread.

[insan]

For me history is a tool to learn; get the experience of past, broaden my perspective over the issues, improve my ability to understand, improve my ability to see, hear.. etc etc..

I don't afraid of facing with the realities and truths. It may give me pain, it doesn't matter. I'm addicted to knowledge. I don't care whether both parties had guilt in any degree or not. All I want to know is under what circumstances for which reasons the things had happened or been done...


But what you said is true jimmy. Most people don't like to talk about past becuse their past is either full of pains or shames; or both.

[turkcyp]

History....

I think history of one man's own society should never be thought in the schools. If it is going to be thought it should be thought by the same man's enemies. I believe that is the only way one could benefit from his/her own history.

In contrast the only history that I think should be thought in schools and the only history people can benefit from is world history or the history of the people that are not related to you as friends or foes.

If own history is thought by your own people it is always biased. It always lists the society’s grand achievements downplaying its shameful parts. It always distorts the truth towards nationalistic aims. It always shows us how our enemies prosecuted us, (so grooms hate in ourselves), but never tells what we have done to our enemies (so prevents us from humbling ourselves). We are always the saint and they are always the devil. And at the end, we never and never actually benefit from our own history.

On the other hand learning the world history in general (about the societies which are neither your foe nor your friend). Because you can actually learn from these histories how international politics work (without prejudice), how other societies operate (learn more about others), and one can actually improve yourself by obtaining examples from history.

When I was in high school, I loved world history, but I hated Turkish history especially Cyrus Turkish history. Those books were basically designed to tell me how Greeks are my eternal enemy and how they killed us, or invaded our country, etc. etc. Even back then I sense that something was wrong with what they were teaching me, and even back then I knew that there have to a another side to the same coin.

Later on in life when I start meeting Greeks, I started learning that it was the same scenario for them as well. How all the Turks all their annihilated them, and most of the are dogs (actually a friend of mine swore to me that he read the word “dogs” related to Turks during his studies).

I hardly believe that this is a conducive approach for creating a peace in the world.

On the other hand, I was fascinated by the world history, and I still am. So much can be learned from others history than your own.

So I say, forget about the Cyprus history. Let other’s (non Cypriots) write about it and study while we write and study other’s (non Cypriots) history.

Have great day,

[insan]

turkcyp, either we want or not; the official history of our own is taught us when we were little kids. But when we have grown up and become an adult, we start to question the things have been taught us. We find the other side's views and even the alterantive views from many other nations regarding the things have been taught us. The whole history does not comprise of the comments and interpretations, there are also so many facts which are well documented by reliable sources. I believe that how much data and knowledge you got about an issue; that much you are closer to the truth...

[Piratis]

History is not an exact science. There are always different versions and black spots.
A quite objective history could be written if some people were willing to accept that there are cases were their version of history is mostly wrong (intentionally), but usually people are not willing to do that.

For example in the case of Greek Cypriots I will admit that the events of 63-68 are silenced and not taught at schools correctly. At the same time, TCs have to admit that in 74 Turkey simply took the great excuse that some stupid GCs gave her to occupy part of Cyprus for her own strategic purposes, and that a true peace operation would have acted in a much different way (restoring order in accordance with the 1960 constitution) than the full scale invasion/occupation that they have actually committed in Cyprus.

[insan]

For example in the case of Greek Cypriots I will admit that the events of 63-68 are silenced and not taught at schools correctly.

TCs knew this long before you admitted it. All official GC web sites don't refer just a single word regarding the events of 63-68. Furthermore TCs have read many articles about this issue so many times in TC dailies. So, try to admit something TCs don't know.

[Piratis]

admit = accept as valid

I never said I was revealing something new, and this is not what I asked from you either.

[Saint Jimmy]

For me history is a tool to learn; get the experience of past, broaden my perspective over the issues, improve my ability to understand, improve my ability to see, hear.. etc etc..

Yep, totally agree! I used to think I was doing pretty well in that respect till I joined this forum... Some people in here just amaze me with their knowledge and their open mind.

I don't afraid of facing with the realities and truths. It may give me pain, it doesn't matter. I'm addicted to knowledge. I don't care whether both parties had guilt in any degree or not. All I want to know is under what circumstances for which reasons the things had happened or been done..

With you, again! I'm not saying we shouldn't search. I'm saying we shouldn't talk about it at this particular time, because the risk of old behaviors coming back is too high a price to pay.

But what you said is true jimmy. Most people don't like to talk about past becuse their past is either full of pains or shames; or both.

My past is neither full of pains, nor shames! I am barely 26. That's not why I prefer to stay off the subject. The reason is that talking can/will not bring any definite conclusions as to what really happened. One will say this and the other will say that, none willing to budge. It's a lost cause, and so it will be until time enough has passed.

[KELEBEK]

The T/C govt under Talat has recently introduced revised history books into Schools encouraging free thinking and objectivity, but the G/C admin still hasn`t achieved this.

Its as if 1963-1974 was time unaccounted for, but in truth T/Cs know what happened as does foreign journalists, diplomats and UN peace keepers who were present then.