"I believe that sincerity is essential in bestowing value on a poem which takes it beyond its own time, enabling it to be experienced as a shared and common emotion with many others…"

That was Neshe Yashin’s opening sentence at a seminar which was held in London on 21 June, 1987 to study the question of "Turkish Cypriot Identity In literature". *

Neshe Yashin, a Turkish Cypriot poet and a journalist was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, in 1959. After completing her primary and secondary education in Cyprus, she went to Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey where she read sociology. Her work is well known to both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. She writes in Turkish. Many of her poems and articles have been translated and published in Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Holland, Germany and England. Some of her poems have been used as lyrics to songs composed in Cyprus and Turkey.

As a Conflict Resolutionist, naturally, she is deeply involved in peace-building activities in Cyprus. At present, she is a lecturer at Cyprus University in The Department of Turkish Studies. Also, she hosts radio programs on ASTRA and PIK. In addition to her native language, she knows English and French.

Some international conferences attended:

Young Struga Poetry Nights (1992-1993)

International Poets Festival-Jerusalem (1994)

NGO Forum on Women, Beijing (1995)

Struga Poetry Nights (1996)

Mediterranean Poets Meetings-Pergamon (1993-1996)

Habitat NGO Forum (1996)

World Conference on Culture (1997)

Mediterranean Poets festival-Kavala (1998)

Meeting of Turkish and Greek Cypriot Artists. Gotland (1999. As organiser)

Awards:

Artist of the year (special award)-Republic of Cyprus (1978)

Artist of the year-Turkish Bank (1980)

Necati Taskin Foundation Award (1993)

POGO- Woman Day Honorary award (1997)

Anthias-Pierides Cultural Award (1998).

Publications:

Sumbul ve Nergis-poetry (1979. Cem Publications, Istanbul)

Savaslarin Gozyaslari-poetry (1980 Yeni Turku Publications, Istanbul)

Kapilar-poetry (1992. Cem Publications, Istanbul)

Edebiyatta Kibrisli Turk Kimligi-research (1989. Varlik Publications, Istanbul)

Turkish Cypriot Identity in Literature-research (1990. FATAL Publications, London)

Nicosia-poetry (1995. Nicosia, Cyprus)

Ay Aşktan Yapilmistir-poetry (To be publıshed soon)

Professional Societies and Organizations:

A member of International Pen-Turkish Section, Turkish Cypriot Artists and Writers Union, Bi-Communal Trainers Group, co-editor of HADE (a bi-communal magazine), representative of Alforja magazine (Mexico)