By Chris Elliott……..
Living in Northern Cyprus as an expat is idyllic with good weather most of the year and great shopping centres with most that you would find in the European high streets. Laws and regulations take some getting used to but at the end of the day there is always something to complain about wherever you live.
Perhaps the biggest problem is language with the mother tongue being Turkish and for most of the time it’s no problem talking to people and getting what you want. We try very hard on cyprusscene and northcyprusforum the friendly forum, to spread news of life in the TRNC to a worldwide audience in English and we are slowly finding ways to share Turkish language event news so that communities here can come together to enjoy these great occasions.
Whilst not a local event, we are delighted to be able to write about the First North Cyprus Festival which will be held in the Business Design Centre in Islington, North London on Friday 5th May from 9.00am to 20.00pm and on Saturday 6th May 2017 from 9.00am to 17.00pm and entrance is free for all visitors.
This festival has been arranged by Zorlu Cezaroğlu, the director of North Cyprus UK Ltd, and through this festival it will be possible to introduce and promote not only the TRNC tourism industry but all the other sectors of the country as well.
Among the exhibitors will be hotels and resorts, tour operators, universities, private hospitals, industrialists, and construction companies that are providing services in Northern Cyprus so this is a must event to visit.
To learn more of this event, please visit the North Cyprus Festival website click here and Facebook page click here and you can even view the online catalogue by clicking here
And to tempt those would be visitors further, we have added a promotional video below.
I wondered what this was. There is poster advertising it on the Nicosia-Kyrenia road.
One days perhaps we shall see more effort taken to promote the TRNC in English to a international audience.
Is this a joke??
Do you not know or care that north Cyprus is an illegally occupied territory?!
Apart from the Turkish Cypriots, only a fool would holiday there and only a bigger fool would emigrate there.
Either of those options is to defend and legitimise the illegal occupation and more importantly support a corrupt and despicable country that is Turkey and Erdogan. It is no different to supporting someone like Mugabe, Gaddafi or Saddam Hussein. Wake up!
The current Cyprus situation was created way back before 1974 by those who wanted Enosis with Greece and used any means to achieve that even if it meant killing Greek and Turkish Cypriots so let’s get the facts right for a change.
Of the hot potato issue of property, this seems to consume some people with an intensity and strangely with the Annan plan it was proposed to hand back land but the offer was rejected by the Greek Cypriots.
Let’s take another look at just one property case and perhaps if land on Larnaca airport is given back or compensated for, click here that may be helpful.
I am sad to read your comment and hope that one day you will be able to emerge from your mental state of Cyprus denial, and come to terms with how the world has changed and Northern Cyprus with it.
Some may regard me as a fool but I am a busy fool telling the truth of Cyprus and how wonderful it is.
This conversation with you has now finished and thank you for visiting cyprusscene.
Yeh we loved Northern Cyprus too…until our homes and land was stolen from us in 1974!
Enjoy our land that you illegally own, unless of course you found the rightful owner and purchased the land deeds prior to 1974 then you are in possession of stolen property!!
The current Cyprus situation was created way back before 1974 by those who wanted Enosis with Greece and used any means to achieve that even if it meant killing Greek and Turkish Cypriots so let’s get the facts right for a change.
Of the hot potato issue of property, this seems to consume some people with an intensity and strangely with the Annan plan it was proposed to hand back land but the offer was rejected by the Greek Cypriots.
Let’s take another look at just one property case and perhaps if land on Larnaca airport is given back or compensated for, click here that may be helpful.
I am sad to read your comment and hope that one day you will be able to emerge from your mental state of Cyprus denial, and come to terms with how the world has changed and Northern Cyprus with it.
This conversation with you has now finished and thank you for visiting cyprusscene.
GC refugee – I dont know when you became a refugee, nor which place you had to leave. I have never been a refugee so therefore cannot share your feeling exactly. However I have met and spoken with both Turkish and Greek Cypriots who have become refugees. All the Greek Cypriots I met became refugees in 1974. Turkish Cypriots on the other hand became refugees in 1963.1967 and in 1974. From 1963-1967 Turkish Cypriots were forced to flee from more than 100 villages! and withdraw from the ROC Government organs. They were forced to leave for fear of their lives and lived in around 3% of the island in enclaves, suffering from restrictions of every sort till the 1974 intervention of Turkey.
The question Greek Cypriot refugees need to ask themselves is WHY? Why did Turkey come to Cyprus ? Answer – Because the Greek Cypriots, supported by Greece decided they had waited too long to impliment their aim of uniting the island with Greece (ENOSIS). They decided that President and Archbishop Makarios’ ‘ SLOWLY BUT SURELY’ ethnic cleansing method was taking too long and decided to overthrow his government and attacked on 15th july 1974 forcing Makarios to flee the island. The coupist continued to kill Makarios supporters and communists! Makarios even begged the International Community to intervene to restore the ROC. Guarantor Countries are Turkey and United kingdom as well as Greece. but as Greece was the agressor Turkey visited the UK to discuss a joint intervention however the UK didnt fulfill her obligation and Turkey was forced to unilaterally intervene.
It was then that Greek Cypriots became refugees- a situation caused entirely by their OWN people. People of both sides were forced to live in camps mostly in terrible conditions. After intensive negotiations with the United Nations there was a population exchange in 1975. The population exchange was under the auspices of the UN and was a permanant one!
Since then there have been negotiatins between the two sides and despite the fact that the Turkish Cypriot side have agreed to many of the ‘plans’ most recently the ANNAN PLAN. but the Greek Cypriot authorities and people have rejected each and every one !!
Sooo GC Refugee, instead of attacking everything to do with the Turkish Cypriots please read about the events in Cyprus from independant sources and put pressure on your leaders to accept the EQUALITY of the Turkish Cypriots so that an agreement can be reached.
There is soooo much more to say but no time!
Thank you Hatice for your very comprehensive explanation of how the Cyprus impass developed.
This article is now closed to comments due to some individuals trying to post comments not related to the subject. Its sad, but thats life.