Greeks of North & Turks of South

Greeks of North & Turks of South ,by Ulus Irkad
Leaderships of both Turkish and Greek sides see the ethnic minorities living under their administration as potential spies. The leaderships constantly declare that they treat them really well for propaganda purposes but in reality they keep them under tight control and investigate every single move they make. There are also other "dramas" being played in both sides. The democracts of both communities suffer through similar pressure. For example, in Greek side a democrat criticizing the leadership is labelled as a "Turkish spy" and a democrat in Turkish side is labelled as a "Greek spy", and is subject to all kind of pressuring and investigations. Not only that, if any of these democrats ever pass the line, their party buildings receive gun-fires and their cars are bombed. If they go even further one night they would be intervened by a certain group and receive the needed treatment . (This was like that in the past too, anybody who lived 1957's or 1963's would know that). Let's say the Turkish Cypriot one of these democrats would go to the Greek side and criticise Greek chauvenists just to receive the reaction of Greek Cypriot extreme right-wing. In Turkish side they would surely find a right situation to start making propaganda as "You see this is the end of traitoring your country", just to make sure people would forget what they done in the past to that person.Turkish democrats who criticise heavily pressuring of and the wrong policies of the Turkish Cypriot ruling class receive a campaing of attacks against themselves. When Alpay Durduran criticises the Turkish Cypriot leadership he is suddenly labelled as a "traitor", whereas when Zennon Stavrinides criticises the Greek Cypriot leadership he is labelled as a "hero", with his book being published in hundreds. However when Alpay Durduran criticises Greek Cypriot leadership, or Zenon criticises the Turkish Cypriot leadership, they receive an unhappy silence or a wave of attacks from the ruling class. Niyazi Kizilyurek is a progressive, democrat scientist. One of the duties of being democrat is to criticise your own leadership before anything else, therefore he had mostly criticised the Turkish Cypriot leadership, and no-one could have thought the opposite. This does not, however, take away the right to criticise the Greek Cypriot ruling class, and in his book "Olikn Kypros" (Unifiying Cyprus) Niyazi criticised both ruling classes. This led him to receive the heavy reaction from Greek chauvenists, and the Turkish Cypriot right that had been accusing Niyazi as a "traitor" for years commented on this as "the drama of a traitor". Some democrat wanna-be's who use their democratship as merely criticising the Greek side, improved their cariers along the ruling class in the Turkish side by attacking the Greeks side with a wave of declarations and speeches. We have to analyze the situation very carefully and put it into practice; Turkish Cypriot democrat and progressive people should criticise their ruling class heavily towards unification with the Greek side, at the same time being careful to avoid giving points that would strengthen or promote the policies of the right-wing ruling class. Greek Cypriot equivalents should promote the right to "diverge/divide" (here "division" should not be taken as the division of the states, or unification with other countries, rather it should be taken as a "division/diverging form the common path to unite" ) , while criticising the wrongs of their ruling class harshly. A federation that fill follow this will be much more healthy, more based on roots, much willingly. The fake demoracts who do not go by this principle by take it as their primary duty to criticise the other side only will always be the tools of the fachist and opressing ideologies. The famous "Askeroglu Case" was also under the similar situation. A Turkish Cypriot from Famagusta, Salih Askeroglu who met and married a Greek Cypriot women , Yiota, was arrested when he rejected doing his military service when he crossed to the Turkish side. Later on when he fleed back to the Greek side he was under investigation by the Greek Cypriot authorities. When Askeroglu was in prison in North, the Greek Cypriot press immediately started doing anti-propaganda and accusing Turkish side. When Askeroglu was under oppresion in the Greek side , this time the Turkish side, as it was not her who had put him in jail previously , begun defending Askeroglu and attacking the Greek side. There is only one thing that would put an end to these nasty and ridicilous events; a federation that would involve the fair participation of both communities. The left should gain more power in both sides and lead their communities to shout "stop" to these nasty events.
ODE TO A TROUBLED ISLE O troubled isle of Aphrodite, Thy verdant beauty has become For others a supreme delight, But not for thee, for enmity Has come between surrounding lands That vie each with the other one For favour from thy bounteous hands. O fabled isle of goddess' birth, Where classic temples proudly stand And mythic heroes walk the earth; 'Tis from the sea she came to be, As told with all the poet's charm, To bring the joys of love that man Might live in peace and do no harm. O ancient isle of copper's fame, How much of history hast thou seen: Of foreign kings who often came To taste thy fruit but stayed to root Their restless hearts within thy soil And give their children what has been A legacy of tears and toil. O blessed isle of Barnabas, Apostles trod upon thy shores, Which saw the martyrs' blood, alas, That spilt with pain, but not in vain, To keep the faith delivered once From persecution's cruel force And fast against its bold affronts. O lovely isle of fruitful vine, Would that thou wert elsewhere placed: A thousand miles away would thine Abundant fields their produce yield To satisfy thy people's want, Who never more would have to taste The turmoil of the old Levant. O thou, my father's native isle, Thy very heart is rent in twain And subject to severest trial, For on this day are cast away Thy people from their pastures green And left to gather what remain Of brighter days that once have been. O troubled isle of Aphrodite, Thy verdant beauty has become For others a supreme delight, But not for thee; for Amity, Who once among thy people dwelt, Has fled before the tyrants' gun But yet shall make her presence felt. David T. Koyzis Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Greeks of North & Turks of South ,by Ulus Irkad

Leaderships of both Turkish and Greek sides see the ethnic minorities living under their administration as potential spies. The leaderships constantly declare that they treat them really well for propaganda purposes but in reality they keep them under tight control and investigate every single move they make.

There are also other "dramas" being played in both sides. The democracts of both communities suffer through similar pressure. For example, in Greek side a democrat criticizing the leadership is labelled as a "Turkish spy" and a democrat in Turkish side is labelled as a "Greek spy", and is subject to all kind of pressuring and investigations. Not only that, if any of these democrats ever pass the line, their party buildings receive gun-fires and their cars are bombed. If they go even further one night they would be intervened by a certain group and receive the needed treatment . (This was like that in the past too, anybody who lived 1957's or 1963's would know that). Let's say the Turkish Cypriot one of these democrats would go to the Greek side and criticise Greek chauvenists just to receive the reaction of Greek Cypriot extreme right-wing. In Turkish side they would surely find a right situation to start making propaganda as "You see this is the end of traitoring your country", just to make sure people would forget what they done in the past to that person.Turkish democrats who criticise heavily pressuring of and the wrong policies of the Turkish Cypriot ruling class receive a campaing of attacks against themselves. When Alpay Durduran criticises the Turkish Cypriot leadership he is suddenly labelled as a "traitor", whereas when Zennon Stavrinides criticises the Greek Cypriot leadership he is labelled as a "hero", with his book being published in hundreds. However when Alpay Durduran criticises Greek Cypriot leadership, or Zenon criticises the Turkish Cypriot leadership, they receive an unhappy silence or a wave of attacks from the ruling class.

Niyazi Kizilyurek is a progressive, democrat scientist. One of the duties of being democrat is to criticise your own leadership before anything else, therefore he had mostly criticised the Turkish Cypriot leadership, and no-one could have thought the opposite. This does not, however, take away the right to criticise the Greek Cypriot ruling class, and in his book "Olikn Kypros" (Unifiying Cyprus) Niyazi criticised both ruling classes. This led him to receive the heavy reaction from Greek chauvenists, and the Turkish Cypriot right that had been accusing Niyazi as a "traitor" for years commented on this as "the drama of a traitor". Some democrat wanna-be's who use their democratship as merely criticising the Greek side, improved their cariers along the ruling class in the Turkish side by attacking the Greeks side with a wave of declarations and speeches.

We have to analyze the situation very carefully and put it into practice;

Turkish Cypriot democrat and progressive people should criticise their ruling class heavily towards unification with the Greek side, at the same time being careful to avoid giving points that would strengthen or promote the policies of the right-wing ruling class. Greek Cypriot equivalents should promote the right to "diverge/divide" (here "division" should not be taken as the division of the states, or unification with other countries, rather it should be taken as a "division/diverging form the common path to unite" ) , while criticising the wrongs of their ruling class harshly. A federation that fill follow this will be much more healthy, more based on roots, much willingly. The fake demoracts who do not go by this principle by take it as their primary duty to criticise the other side only will always be the tools of the fachist and opressing ideologies.

The famous "Askeroglu Case" was also under the similar situation. A Turkish Cypriot from Famagusta, Salih Askeroglu who met and married a Greek Cypriot women , Yiota, was arrested when he rejected doing his military service when he crossed to the Turkish side. Later on when he fleed back to the Greek side he was under investigation by the Greek Cypriot authorities. When Askeroglu was in prison in North, the Greek Cypriot press immediately started doing anti-propaganda and accusing Turkish side. When Askeroglu was under oppresion in the Greek side , this time the Turkish side, as it was not her who had put him in jail previously , begun defending Askeroglu and attacking the Greek side.

There is only one thing that would put an end to these nasty and ridicilous events; a federation that would involve the fair participation of both communities. The left should gain more power in both sides and lead their communities to shout "stop" to these nasty events.

 ODE TO A TROUBLED ISLE 
 
 O troubled isle of Aphrodite, 
Thy verdant beauty has become 
For others a supreme delight, 
But not for thee, for enmity 
Has come between surrounding lands 
That vie each with the other one 
For favour from thy bounteous hands. 
  
O fabled isle of goddess' birth, 
Where classic temples proudly stand 
And mythic heroes walk the earth; 
'Tis from the sea she came to be, 
As told with all the poet's charm, 
To bring the joys of love that man 
Might live in peace and do no harm. 
  
 O ancient isle of copper's fame, 
How much of history hast thou seen: 
Of foreign kings who often came 
To taste thy fruit but stayed to root 
 Their restless hearts within thy soil 
And give their children what has been 
A legacy of tears and toil. 
  
O blessed isle of Barnabas, 
 Apostles trod upon thy shores, 
Which saw the martyrs' blood, alas, 
 That spilt with pain, but not in vain, 
  To keep the faith delivered once 
 From persecution's cruel force 
 And fast against its bold affronts. 
  
O lovely isle of fruitful vine, 
Would that thou wert elsewhere placed: 
A thousand miles away would thine 
Abundant fields their produce yield 
 To satisfy thy people's want, 
Who never more would have to taste 
The turmoil of the old Levant. 
  
 O thou, my father's native isle, 
 Thy very heart is rent in twain 
And subject to severest trial, 
For on this day are cast away 
 Thy people from their pastures green 
And left to gather what remain 
Of brighter days that once have been. 
  
O troubled isle of Aphrodite, 
Thy verdant beauty has become 
For others a supreme delight, 
 But not for thee; for Amity, 
Who once among thy people dwelt, 
Has fled before the tyrants' gun 
 But yet shall make her presence felt.

David T. Koyzis Hamilton, Ontario, Canada