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DON'T LOSE THE BALL IN THE SEA
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Nov 14 2013
TANIL BORA
Last year in June, I wrote about the Cyprus national team that was
made up of Greeks, Turks and Armenians in the 1950s. And also, that
the Cypriot Turkish football was desperately seeking to be isolated.
There was an important development last week; the Cyprus Turkish
Football Association (KTFF) "joined" the Cyprus Football Association
(KOP). Expectation: To open doors of contact for Turkish Cypriot
teams and football players.
In an inquiry from the daily Yeni Duzen, 12 of the 14 presidents of
the teams playing in the Super League of Northern Cyprus said they
supported this initiative in principle. Only one said he would consult
the executive committee and Lefke was against it. Teams of the first
and second league also supported this move unanimously. Chair of the
Kucuk Kaymaklı team Ali Başman said the sustainability of Turkish
Cypriot football was in question otherwise. Mormenekşe club's poetic
chair Metin Menekşeli and head of Genclik Gucu team Mehmet Yenice
both refer to "belonging to the world." Head of team Cihangir,
Karavezirler said, "We are fed up with playing internally." Head
of Bostancı Bağcıl team Besim said the football they were playing
internally was no longer motivating.
Researcher Okan Dağlı, Ph. D., said, "Sports fans, players and the
clubs are all fed up with the status quo. They are giving messages that
they would consent to everything." He added that people are totally
outraged, especially when Turkish teams are playing with Greek Cypriot
teams, saying "Why are we the spectators all the time?" They believe
that, in football, if the status quo is overcome, this will bring us
one step closer to realizing the hope that "Greek and Turkish Cypriots
achieve something together one day."
As can very easily be guessed there is a nationalist reaction
against this development. Daily Volkan published a headline,
"Political treason."
Okan Dağlı mentioned the expectation arising from the cooperation
between KOP and KTFF could create a platform for inter-club relations.
When I hear this I remember that in Cyprus, football has developed
into a politicized network.
APOEL and Anorthosis were the teams of nationalists. Omonia of
the Communist Party played with a mixed squad of Turks, Greeks and
Armenians. You can still see today the swastika in the stands of one
and the hammer and sickle in the other.
This divide also existed among Turkish society. Doğan Turk Birliği
and later the real Cetinkaya were the national teams of the Turkish
"partitionists." Turk Eğitim Kulubu and Limasol Turk Ocağı were left
inclined. The Turk Ocağı was even raided by the Turkish Cypriot
counterinsurgency because its roots were from a dock worker-labor
union base. It was relegated from the Super League last year. I don't
know their current inclination. The world of hope: Would the newly
formed political friendships and solidarity be reflected among the
clubs as was done so previously?
Serkan Seymen, who I owe my interest and knowledge of the history of
Cyprus football, told me a little anecdote: when the British rule ended
in 1960 in Cyprus, one of the colonial administrators was consoling
himself, saying, "This island is so small to play football that we
always lose the ball in the sea."
I hope the Cypriots are able to see that they can play without losing
the ball.
Tanıl Bora is a columnist for daily Radikal in which this piece was
published on Nov. 13. It was translated into English by the Daily
News staff.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/dont-lose-the-ball-in-the-sea-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=57867&NewsCatID=396
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Nov 14 2013
TANIL BORA
Last year in June, I wrote about the Cyprus national team that was
made up of Greeks, Turks and Armenians in the 1950s. And also, that
the Cypriot Turkish football was desperately seeking to be isolated.
There was an important development last week; the Cyprus Turkish
Football Association (KTFF) "joined" the Cyprus Football Association
(KOP). Expectation: To open doors of contact for Turkish Cypriot
teams and football players.
In an inquiry from the daily Yeni Duzen, 12 of the 14 presidents of
the teams playing in the Super League of Northern Cyprus said they
supported this initiative in principle. Only one said he would consult
the executive committee and Lefke was against it. Teams of the first
and second league also supported this move unanimously. Chair of the
Kucuk Kaymaklı team Ali Başman said the sustainability of Turkish
Cypriot football was in question otherwise. Mormenekşe club's poetic
chair Metin Menekşeli and head of Genclik Gucu team Mehmet Yenice
both refer to "belonging to the world." Head of team Cihangir,
Karavezirler said, "We are fed up with playing internally." Head
of Bostancı Bağcıl team Besim said the football they were playing
internally was no longer motivating.
Researcher Okan Dağlı, Ph. D., said, "Sports fans, players and the
clubs are all fed up with the status quo. They are giving messages that
they would consent to everything." He added that people are totally
outraged, especially when Turkish teams are playing with Greek Cypriot
teams, saying "Why are we the spectators all the time?" They believe
that, in football, if the status quo is overcome, this will bring us
one step closer to realizing the hope that "Greek and Turkish Cypriots
achieve something together one day."
As can very easily be guessed there is a nationalist reaction
against this development. Daily Volkan published a headline,
"Political treason."
Okan Dağlı mentioned the expectation arising from the cooperation
between KOP and KTFF could create a platform for inter-club relations.
When I hear this I remember that in Cyprus, football has developed
into a politicized network.
APOEL and Anorthosis were the teams of nationalists. Omonia of
the Communist Party played with a mixed squad of Turks, Greeks and
Armenians. You can still see today the swastika in the stands of one
and the hammer and sickle in the other.
This divide also existed among Turkish society. Doğan Turk Birliği
and later the real Cetinkaya were the national teams of the Turkish
"partitionists." Turk Eğitim Kulubu and Limasol Turk Ocağı were left
inclined. The Turk Ocağı was even raided by the Turkish Cypriot
counterinsurgency because its roots were from a dock worker-labor
union base. It was relegated from the Super League last year. I don't
know their current inclination. The world of hope: Would the newly
formed political friendships and solidarity be reflected among the
clubs as was done so previously?
Serkan Seymen, who I owe my interest and knowledge of the history of
Cyprus football, told me a little anecdote: when the British rule ended
in 1960 in Cyprus, one of the colonial administrators was consoling
himself, saying, "This island is so small to play football that we
always lose the ball in the sea."
I hope the Cypriots are able to see that they can play without losing
the ball.
Tanıl Bora is a columnist for daily Radikal in which this piece was
published on Nov. 13. It was translated into English by the Daily
News staff.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/dont-lose-the-ball-in-the-sea-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=57867&NewsCatID=396