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The
article titled 'Common conscience of both sides "Kıbrıs'ın Turuncusu" ' is
part-quoted courtesy of the
Turkish Daily News (TDN)
 'Kıbrıs'ın
Turuncusu" (The Orange of Cyprus) is a book written by four Turks and four Greek
academicians. It reflects different views of the academicians on the Cyprus
issue
The reason why the book
was written is the following: 'To create a work on binational independent
political models, and to create a common conscience for the Cyprus issue in
Turkey, Greece and both sides of Cyprus'
If someone asks "What is famous
in Cyprus?", we first say bitter orange. Then we say its olive, or maybe its
blue. Basically, what makes Cyprus famous is that it is a long-term
international problem. Besides its bitter orange, blue or olive, Cyprus is a
political problem. When Cyprus is mentioned, maybe because of the fact that we
are from the Turkish side, we first remember Makarios and then 1974 Cyprus
Conflict. Of course we say all these by standing in one side of the "line". The
other side of the line describes Cyprus in its own way. "Kıbrıs'ın Turuncusu" is
a book which reflects different views of the two societies.
"Kıbrıs'ın Turuncusu" is a book
written by four Turks and four Greek academicians. It reflects different views
of the the academicians on the Cyprus problem. It is research on the facts of
the Cyprus problem, the things in our near history that we've forgotten and
criticisms on inconsistencies in policies from the past. It supports to develop
positive policies. With its alternative solution proposals in the framework of
current problems, "Kıbrıs'ın Turuncusu" is a book that must be read. It is a
plain book which can guide you when you want to know everything about Cyprus or
the perspective on the other side of the line.
At the same time "Kıbrıs'ın
Turuncusu" is the first book in which Turkish-Greek authors commonly worked to
write the history. Despite they have a different point of view, it is nice to
learn different views of the Greek side other than their known views. One of the
Greek authors Nicos Trimikliniotis mentions a multi-national citizenship
potential in Cyprus. Caesar V. Mavratsas searches Greek nationalism in Cyprus in
a wide perspective and explains its effects on the Cyprus problem. Yiannis
Papadakis mentions separateness between the two societies in Cyprus. Andreas
Panayiotou criticizes the patriotism concept of the Cypriot left. One of the
Turkish authors Prof. Dr. Bakir Çağlar
makes judicial and political balance sheet of the Cyprus problem clear.
Ümit İnatçı
draws attention to sociological, cultural and psychological dimensions of
identity crisis. Young researcher Muhittin Tolga Özsağlam,
analyses the evolution of Turkish nationalism. Ass. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Hasgüler
points out the facts of the Cyprus problem and difficulties in its solution.
Additionally, his "balance model" proposal in the framework of a
multi-dimensional crisis management is an open question.
Canakkale 18 Mart University
Biga Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Department of
International Relations Ass. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Hasgüler states that their new
goal is to publish a common book on the history of Cyprus in three languages.
Stating that they will publish it in three months, Hasgüler says that the number
of such works should be increased in order to understand and re-evaluate the
history and that he will go to Greece to continue his research. August 16 is the
anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus. TDN talked to Ass.
Prof. Mehmet Hasgüler on "Kıbrıs'ın Turuncusu".
TDN: Why did you name
your book "Kıbrıs'ın Turuncusu".
Hasgüler: Bitter orange is the
association of Cyprus, it is a nice association; this is the first association.
Secondly; the colour of the flag of the Republic of Cyprus, which was
established in 1960, was orange. It is the forgotten flag of Cyprus. It is the
flag recognized by Turkey, Greece, Cypriot Turks and Greeks,
Dr.
Fazıl Küçük and
Makarios. A Turkish painter drew it. We wanted this fact to be known. In the
official flag of Cyprus olive branches were green and Cyprus was orange in that
time. We always say the green of Cyprus, the blue of Cyprus. We wanted to stress
invisible and inaudible orange of Cyprus.
TDN: How did the
readers evaluate the issues that you mentioned in "Kıbrıs'ın Turuncusu"?
Hasgüler: If we wrote this book
in 1996 or 1998, we would encounter very different problems. It was a chance for
us to write it in 2003. I had been thinking about mutual works performed by
Greeks and Turks since 1998. I thought that it would be useful to work in a
civilized environment where Turks would be informed about Greeks and Greeks
would be informed about Turks. We discussed this with friends. We decided to
write a book with eight authors, four from both sides. We wanted the book to be
written by academic people with a PhD program. This book is the meeting of
academicians; we can say that it reached its goal. In this book we mentioned
problems after the Annan Plan meetings. It is a work which seriously criticizes
the problems of Greek society, Helen nationalism, the role of the church, its
views on Turkey, and it objectively examines the two sides. The book was
published in Turkish. We went to Greek Cyprus after its publication and met with
academicians and journalists there. The book has been requested to be published
in Greek and English.
TDN: Did the common
work of authors, who consider the Cyprus problem from different perspectives,
create a common place of meeting?
Hasgüler: The point where we
met, is that the problem was handled from the point of Cypriotism. They thought
as a Greek nationalist and a Cypriot Greek in the past. The attempt to write a
common book created a conscious of Cypriotism. When considered from their
perspective, they could understood the issue of Cypriotism with the trauma in
1974. If they could have understood before, the problem would not be so
complicated; this is the first advantage of the book. The second advantage is
that the book was published in Turkish. We learn in this book that the Greek
have different views, everyone -- Greek intellectuals -- do not consider the
event from a formal perspective. We see that they try to understand Turks. On
the other hand, we try to understand the Annan Plan. We bring up the plan
without refusing it, this is very important. We see that the common points of
Muslims and Christians who had lived together for 4-5 centuries, are more than
the different points. When we handle a short history like 30-40 years, I think
it was not scientific to regard 4-5 centuries as it is composed of 30-40 years.
The results of the book reveal
that there are many common points. We hope that the number of such bi-national
and bilateral work will increase. Because the solution of the Cyprus problem is
possible with the increase of mutual works but not with agreements. It is
necessary to see that 4-5 centuries of togetherness can be understood with
multi-language works. If we try to understand Cyprus only with Turkish language,
we understand the half of Cyprus. A Turk should get excited when s/he hears
Greek and a Greek should get excited when s/he hears Turkish, too. It is
necessary to love languages in order to understand histories. These languages
are integrated and this is richness.
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June Review
/ Haziran