The Road to Free Cyprus

  Over its history, Cyprus has been under constant rule and occupation. For many years Cyprus was under the Ottoman Empire which why the population is made up of Turkish individuals along with Greeks. The British declared it under its powerful empire from 1878 to 1915. After Britain annexed Cyprus from its rule, Cyprus finally gained independence on the 15th  of February 1959. This momentous day is important to the Cypriots as it celebrates the first time the country was independent for the first time in its history. Independence Day parade in Cyprus.

  It was during these times that the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority lived in peace and harmony. My grandfather Nick recalls a time where he grew up in his village with Turkish peers and even got to learn the Turkish language along with his native language of Greek. My grandfather grew up on his country farm, where they grew potatoes and sold them in the town which is how his parents established a sustainable living for their children. Considering Cyprus was a poor country the population lived simply and did not need much. This way of life is what brought people together no matter the circumstances.  My grandfather at 16. My grandfather and his grandmother (my great-great grandmother)!

  Although my grandfather grew up in a loving household, he learned from a very early age about the idea of hard work and having   a strong work ethic and drive. Being the only son and having two sisters, he was born with an instinct to be a protector of his family which was tested when the dark day of the 20 th  of July 1974 came around, Invasion Day. This is the day that Cyprus entered a new chapter of its history and the lives of the Cypriots changed forever It seemed like another day for the Cypriots until the Turkish ships anchored on the shores of the beautiful island. Turkish troops stormed the villages one by one establishing their rule. The heartbreak that the population experienced from that day on is unimaginable. The Cypriot population was treated inhumanely by the Turkish soldiers, and it forced a large majority of the population to leave the country because being under Turkish rule simply made living in Cyprus unbearable being a Greek Cypriot. My grandfathe...

  My grandfather served in the Cypriot army from ages 18 to 21. In the years he served in the Cypriot army he fought for his country against the Turkish forces with everything he had. In the last year, he served in the army and when the tensions between Turkey and Cyprus were at an all-time high, my grandfather and his family decided to leave Cyprus to live out better lives. Although he loved his country my grandfather was an ambitious man. He knew that Cyprus was not going to be the place he would be able to achieve his goals of being a successful man, that could provide for his family and live the comfortable lifestyle he craved after so many years of having to work tooth and nail for the bare minimum that he got in Cyprus. My grandfather and his family on the boat to Australia So, they originally planned to go to Canada, but they missed the boat, which in retrospect is lucky for me! The second option was to move to Australia; the country of opportunity for European immigrants ...

Growing up as a Greek Cypriot and having a strong connection to my culture, learning about my grandfather’s past and the heartache that he has gone through I feel a very strong connection to my country. With so little talk about what has happened in Cyprus and the illegal occupation still standing today, I believe it is incredibly important to educate others about freeing Cyprus. Cyprus is no one else’s country yet it is constantly under some sort of occupation. Being raised by Cypriot immigrants I strive to continue to not only educate my peers about the tragedy that has swarmed my country, but I also want to uphold the traditions I was raised in and to eventually raise my children around this rich culture that I hold so close to my heart. By keeping the Cypriot culture alive the conversation will always be spoken. Hopefully, it can eventually be spread wide enough for people to act and free Cyprus.