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"Liberty". When Margaret approached me
with this title for a speech I thought, so much can be included under this
title, and I can talk about anything I want. Liberty is such a descriptive and
huge word covering vast and varied aspects and aspirations.
I'm afraid I will have to disappoint those of you who came here to listen to me
speak from a professional standpoint.
Today is Thanksgiving. It means being with God
and thanking him for all that is good and right in the world and asking him to
help us amend that which is not. What I express here tonight are purely my own
personal feelings, experiences and views. I am the first female judge on this
island and today I am the first and only female sitting on the Supreme Court,
the highest court in the TRNC. A court being where people come to seek justice
and equality before the law. I was born and raised in England. I had the chance
to continue my education here in Cyprus in 1962 but was one of the first
children that had to leave the island on the outbreak of the December 1963
troubles. I am presuming that you are aware of the islands history. As you know,
we are always being told to forget it anyway. So I don't intend to go into the
past in too much detail. I came back to Cyprus for all the right and idealistic
reasons...To help my people, to contribute through my profession to my country's
welfare. I was given a chance to help my people by being appointed a judge and I
still today try to do so with independence, restricted only by my conscience and
the laws of this land... the laws of the TRNC that grant us democracy and
freedom.
What does Liberty mean for us as Turkish
Cypriots? I will expound on this a little later on. My professional standing
inhibits me to go into the political reasoning behind the subject. What
interests me on this subject tonight is the human side to the concept, nothing
else. No blame is meant to be apportioned. The expressions of historical facts I
may refer to are merely used as examples of why liberty is important for us.
While preparing this presentation, I decided to
look into a legal dictionary I had bought from the USA. There
"Liberty" was referred to as:-
"....freedom, the ability to enjoy all the rights granted by the United
States and a particular States constitution, as well as other rights such as the
right to earn a living, the right to acquire knowledge, the right to marry, etc.
Refers to the fullest scope of freedoms one has but at the same time limits
those freedoms so as not to interfere with another person's exercise of
them"
I found it strange that such a concept as liberty
was restricted in this dictionary to "rights granted by the United
States" states only.
Liberty in its widely used expression is the
basis of human rights. Human rights in return form the basis of most, if not
all, liberties. Such liberties include the liberty of the people to live in
their own land free from oppression, and persecution, the right to
self-determination; the right to live in a country of ones choice, the right to
a fair trial, freedom of thought, speech, expression, conscience, and includes
as well spiritual, philosophical and religious matters such as being able to
lift up ones hands in prayer to God, it includes relieving the burden of the
soul in confession...
People all over the world are suffering because
of who they are and what they want, for example the Chechnyan, Bosnack and
Palestinian people, what they have to go through today as we approach the new
millennium, shows that mankind still has a long way to go before it allows
liberty for all humans. Liberty has many shapes and forms. It is around us, like
air….
Life, the most basic and biggest liberty of all:
The gift and the liberty of life that God has given to all of us. To those who
know how to use it, a blessing; to those who don't, a curse. Some live well,
some suffer pain, heartaches, sorrow and deprivation. Some live the liberty of
life in health; some suffer the agonies of sometimes-incurable illnesses or in
the form of oppression from others.
When I think of liberty, I think of the beauty of
nature seen in all its glory on the colourful wings of butterfly flying from
flower to flower and the sunlight flickering through the trees, the autumn
leaves that rustle beneath my feet. The smell of the Eucalyptus trees in harmony
with the breeze of fresh air in the early hours of a cool summer evening on my
island, in reflecting on how good it is to be alive and well and in my own home,
free from harm from others and, secure.
Liberty means different things to different
people young and old. To the very young it is the freedom to play in the garden
with your favourite toy when you should have gone to bed hours ago. For youth,
it is the music and expression that is found in listening to the beat of a rock
band... for those who love it is being able to pour forth ones love to the
objects of ones love without hindrance or fear of ridicule, to cherish and to be
able to give and share. To the old, it is the ability and the strength that is
found in being able to get from one place to another without help, without being
a burden to ones loved ones or to strangers.
Sharing this moment, this atmosphere, this place,
this land, this beauty with all of you is the greatest gift that I can have at
this very moment in time and I take this opportunity to thank all those who have
made my participation possible.
But freedom, as the dictionary states, is not
limitless. Freedom has a price. There are restrictions imposed on us by society,
people, and circumstances. Perhaps a necessity; since unlimited freedom can be a
dangerous thing because as we all know, sooner or later it is bound to infringe
on the liberty and rights of others.
Freedom, according to the poet and philosopher
Kahlil Gibran comes from within the self. We are our own liberators and our own
jailors. One has to believe in freedom in order to be free. In his book
"The Prophet" he expresses his views of "freedom" partly
like this: - "Verily all things move within your being in constant half
embrace, the desired and the dreaded, the repugnant and the cherished, the
pursued and that which you would escape.
These things move within you as lights and
shadows in pairs that cling. And when the shadow fades and is no more, the light
that lingers becomes a shadow to another light and thus your freedom when it
loses its fetters becomes itself the fetter of a greater freedom."
Liberty, what does it mean to Turkish Cypriots?
The answer to this question is very simple; it's not as complicated as some
would make out... Ask yourself what does "liberty" mean to me and
which "liberty's or freedoms can "I" not live without and you
will see that we as people are not asking for much more than what others more
fortunate then ourselves have.
Turkish Cypriots live freely within their own
defined territory. What else do they want? Everybody knows the answer, the
liberty to take their place in the world, recognised as a legitimate entity, to
stand up on their own feet. Liberty for Turkish Cypriot people encompasses the
right to self-determination, to self-government, the right to live their own
lives in their own way, and not the lives others want them to live, the right to
be a part of the world. We really don't need to rely on others, or be attached
to other people to be able to do it. How do other countries do it? We are
willing to try on our own if the world permits us to keep on using that right.
We don't mind the struggle, we never have, neither do we mind the fear of
falling and then getting up again and continuing on he way to achieving
political, economic, social and cultural prosperity .We are constantly in a
learning process, learning also from the past as we build for the future, we are
doing it on our own land, in our own way and, if you forgive the expression
"stewing in our own juice" as we go along. We don't mind, since we
believe that we deserve the right to determine our own future, the least that
should be done is not to make an already difficult task more difficult to
achieve. We as a people know what we want.
Even though in our society different routes are
taken on the road to reaching liberty; different political views, different and
sometimes conflicting paths, we all want the same thing in the long run…our
identity.
Are these any different than what was claimed way
back when the Declaration of Independence was signed: - "We hold these
truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."
What did liberty mean to the founding fathers of
the American Constitution? Liberty was a basis on which the constitution was
built, but it was liberty for all...The Preamble which states. - " We the
people..." i.e. the people of the United States. As one, they moved
together. They saw what was needed to take them into the future and stop the
strife amongst their own kind.
If one uses this analogy for Cyprus, why, we
always ask ourselves, cannot Greek and Turkish Cypriots work together for the
common good of the inhabitants and peoples of this land as the equal owners of
this island? In this process the acknowledgment of separateness and distinct
identity is what is asked for by the Turkish Cypriots. These are the differences
between the liberty you wanted and achieved and the liberty we have but cannot
get acknowledged.
Many of you were not here or perhaps not even
born in the early days of Cyprus' recent history. To understand us I cannot help
but make a brief reference to the past. What did liberty, or should I say 'lack'
of liberty, mean for the Turkish Cypriots back in the 1950s and1960's especially
after 1963?
Turkish Cypriots were not allowed to leave the
enclaves in which they had to live There was lack of all amenities, of very
basic commodities. Milk for children, medicine for the ill or dying, not even
nails for buildings or cement could be obtained. Men were more restricted then
the women and one could not even visit friends or relations in other parts of
the island or even the sick; those who were able to travel did so under peril of
their life and dignity subjected to thorough searches, humiliation and the
breaking of their spirits. When on the rare occasion of going to Girne then a
mixed town, just so as to able to take a look at the sea, children were told by
their parents to whisper so that the Greek Cypriots could not hear that they
spoke Turkish. I remember the same thing happening to me when walking in the
street, when my parents told me not to speak so loud, I didn't understand why,
so I spoke louder. After 1974 when the children went to Girne in freedom, such
had been the psychological effect of those years that they again spoke in
whispers until they were told that they didn't have to anymore...
There were so many basic rights and liberties
that were not granted to Turkish Cypriots then. I will not go into any more
examples, since my words, and the time I have with you tonight is not enough to
express all that happened. Blaming anyone for all that happened, serves no
purpose and as I stated before, is not something I condone, but I strongly feel,
if I had not mentioned them, my words would not carry any meaning to you as to
why I am here today making this speech on the subject of "Liberty" on
your Thanksgiving Day. The psychological trauma such experiences caused exist
till today. It is the foundation upon which we have built what we have to day,
the TRNC. It is not possible to disassociate or disjoint oneself from the past,
because all nations, big or small, including the USA, have learnt and
constructed their countries and Constitutions upon the ruins and ironically upon
the achievements of their own past.
The TRNC today reflects the very essence of the
Turkish Cypriot struggle for liberty. We have a democratic constitution - just
like you do. We have the separation of powers- just like you do, we have basic
fundamental rights and liberties relating to the political, legal, social,
cultural, religious and economic aspects of our lives - just as you do; we have
the rule of law and the due process of law- again just like you do, (a fact that
has been acknowledged in the European Human Rights Commission) - We have
internal liberty. However, we all still have a long journey to make since there
is no easy way to pursue true universal liberty.
I personally don't think we are asking for too
much. We want to live on this island in health and security. We want to prosper,
we want to be respected and considered an equal. This is all it is. It's not a
numerical problem associated with the size of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, it
is a question of "status". A question of not being subservient. For
me, it means being able to hold my head up high wherever I go, proud to be a
Turkish Cypriot respected for who and what I am and to be able to respect in
return, wherever I go and whoever I am with. I don't want what belongs to
someone else, just my share, this is liberty for me.
Even if today it only appears as an illusion to
some, in the due process of time which comes after the establishment of true
equality and the gaining trust and confidence in the other, certain liberties
may come to be shared in some ways between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. It works
both ways and is not just a one-way traffic.
Everyone knows of the embargoes that have been
imposed on us. Unfortunately it has become a part of our daily lives and affects
every aspect of life in the north of the island. Who is it being done against,
we, Turkish Cypriots, former constituent partners, not slaves or oppressors, not
Turkey either. We see embargoes, we live embargoes: in all forms: in sports we
are not allowed to play official matches with international teams. The trade
embargoes and international court decisions has made trade and commerce
intolerable, it has made the cost of living higher than in many European
countries and we have a high inflation rate; we have no direct lines of
telecommunications, we have to go via Turkey to reach the rest of the world; the
same is true for postal services, we have to put "Mersin 10, Turkey"
so that any correspondence from the rest of the world can reach us; we cannot
fly direct to anywhere in the world unless we go through Turkey. Anything, any
connections, acts or words with the outside world that gives even a glimpse of
acceptance of our existence as an entity, prevents our universal human rights
and our liberties from being implemented. This is the biggest restriction on our
liberty. It does not come from within as some may make out. It comes from
without. Whose truth justifies such treatment?
How therefore, can Turkish Cypriot people, even
as individuals, like other people, be able to exercise or implement their
internationally recognised human rights granted to them under international
treaties and conventions, when they themselves are not so considered by the
international community to be a member of a state they say they belong to i.e.
considered "stateless". When and how then can Turkish Cypriots
exercise their human right to nationality of choice? International law, it
appears has a vacuum and cannot answer on this point.
At this point it seems fitting that I should
adopt the words said in context to Turkey, to the quest of Turkish Cypriots, by
a Prime Minister of Turkey, Ismet Inönü, addressed to the then U.S. President,
Lyndon B. Johnson some 35 years ago, - "One day there shall emerge a new
world and the Turkish Cypriots will take their place in it."-
Before I close I would like to wish you all a
happy Thanksgiving and to thank you for giving me the liberty and honour of
addressing you tonight on the beautiful, but perhaps much misused concept of
"liberty". I thought it appropriate to end with a famous prayer which
means a lot to me personally and I want to share it with you on this special
evening: -
"God grant me the Serenity,
To accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And the Wisdom to know the difference".
Thank you
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