Historical Journeys Personal Narrative
Cyprus: Existence in a Divided Island of Contrasts The past and present of Cyprus interwoven with personal memories and anecdotes of the poet and writer Neşe Yaşın by Luise Meerheim
“My father says: Do you love your fatherland? A History of Coexistence, Colonial
My fatherland has been split in half, which part Intervention and Escalating Conflicts must I love?” – Neşe Yaşın After 400 years of peaceful coexistence beCyprus, often touted as the European island tween Turks and Greeks, Great Britain colonised paradise, is paradoxically one of the most mil- the island in 1925. The British colonial dominitarized places on Earth. This article explores ion used a divide et impera strategy to fuel conthe intricate history and current state of the is- flicts among the two communities, positioning land, highlighting the deep-rooted division be- themselves as mediators. This tactic aimed to tween its Greek-speaking Orthodox majority create dependency and prevent a united front and the Turkish-speaking Muslim minority. As against foreign domination. The consequences we explore this complex history, the article in- of this plan manifested dramatically after Cytertwines historical insights with the poignant prus regained its independence and had to face personal narratives of Neşe Yaşın, a poet and several socio political crises, some of them still writer who lived through the tumultuous events not solved. Makarios, the first President of Cythat shaped Cyprus and has been the first Turk- prus after the end of colonial rule, pursued an ish Cypriot to run for the parliament of the Re- independent policy, while many Greeks on the island preferred the union with Greece. Simulpublic of Cyprus in 2006. taneously, there were different positions within the Turkish population, with some advocating for cooperation and an independent Cyprus, and others supporting separation. Tensions between the two ethnic groups escalated, leading to an intra-Cypriot civil war between 1963 and 1964. A climax of these disputes was the Bloody Christmas, during which Greek nationalists killed many Turkish Cypriots and imposed blockades around Turkish Cypriot enclaves, cutting off residents from vital resources.
Neşe Yaşın
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