Sude Doğan - Weekly Articles (Haftalık Yazılar)

Hello, I'm Sude. I was born about 23 years ago in Nicosia, the northern part of the island of Cyprus. I'm just a regular university student. In fact, I wasn't even interested in politics until recently. So, what changed suddenly, making me so interested in politics? It wasn't a matter of choice; I was actually forced into it. They were in their own play, a play they had written, and their sole purpose was to keep this play going. They had to, so that no one would notice the real world outside. They had to, so that no one would think this disconnected play was "fake". They wore beautiful masks on their faces, as if to hide the ugliness in their souls. People were enchanted, without questioning the true face behind it all. Then I saw an actor, and suddenly it felt like his mask was about to fall. I suddenly glimpsed his true face. No! This game was a trap for our people, for our nation, and it had to end immediately. But those playing the game had no intention o...

One of the venues where Turkish Cypriots can be represented and have their voices heard globally is the position of 'Turkish Cypriot community leadership,' commonly known as the presidency of the TRNC. However, I think we all know after the election interventions in 2020 that the current president does not reflect the will of the Turkish Cypriots, and we frequently express that he does not represent us. Although this situation may weaken our voice on the international stage, there is still an important platform where our representation can be found: the European Parliament. All EU member countries are working diligently for the European Parliament elections to be held on June 9th, so what are we, the Turkish Cypriots, doing about this, or what should we do? In my previous article, I shared with you that research indicates the rise of the right-wing in the EU after these elections. I also explained that the current system in the EU is dysfunctional, and depending on whether the ...

There’s not a day without a new crisis in the north of the island. From the fake diploma crisis to the citrus crisis, even to the president on trial for sheep smuggling, our agenda is occupied by a variety of incidents. But this is only our agenda within the echo chamber of the north of the island. Unfortunately, we have more serious issues beyond this. There are greater dangers ahead for Cyprus, Cypriots, and even the European Union... As you know, the European Parliament elections are approaching. All Turkish Cypriots who are citizens of the Republic of Cyprus will be able to vote in these elections. Every election period, Turkish Cypriots living in the north of the island are automatically registered in the electoral roll with the initiative of the EU. Through ballot boxes set up along the Green Line, they can vote in these elections without having to go to distant polling stations in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus. However, the turnout of Turkish Cypriots in the 2019 Euro...

 As the voices for a 'fully independent Cyprus' continue to grow stronger, the intensity of 'interventions' also increases just as much. If you are fighting the 'right' struggle in Cyprus, it means you are or will be a target of the culture of lynching. These lynchings don’t always come from 'above'; the culture of lynching within our own community can sometimes be overwhelming too. I know, trying to speak up, trying to do something for the future of our Cyprus under constant pressure and criticism is tough, your motivation can break, and sometimes you might feel like leaving and going far away. But if you don't fight, if I don't fight, who will fight for our Cyprus? Let’s say you went abroad, distanced yourself from Cyprus. Will you be able to watch Cyprus slip through our fingers from afar? I probably don’t know you, but I know that anyone who has placed Cyprus in their heart once cannot easily remove it. Loving Cyprus is unlike anything else. ...

"Cyprus is too important to be left to the initiative of the Cypriots.” I don’t think I will be able to get this sentence out of my mind for a long time. And other sentences that say ‘Cyprus does not belong to the Cypriots’ like this one. For example, someone told me, “ Did you think you would determine the future of Cyprus just because we allow you Cypriots to express your thoughts? ” According to them, the land where I was born, grew up, and live is no different from a piece of property or a product, and determining its fate shouldn’t be in my hands anyway. In Cyprus, the voice and belief of the Cypriots should be considered worthless. Being a Cypriot is a crime, wanting peace in Cyprus is an even bigger crime (!), they said, so I should be lynched. What happened to almost all the Cypriot intellectuals eventually happened to me too. It’s strange that eight months ago, a documentary I made in another country has surfaced today. It’s even stranger that it happened just two days ...

When I was a newborn, politics had already started affecting my life. Yet, I smiled and cried just like the other babies. Perhaps I should have cried more as a baby, should have been sadder than anyone else. I should have been sadder because I was born into the lap of a huge problem that would cast a negative shadow over my entire life. Before I even had a sense of reality, political issues and interests had begun to 'other' me. "Welcome to the world, baby. Yes, you were born in the TRNC. How does it feel to be born in a place where you will have to fight for even your simplest rights, where politics will never be absent from your life, and where societal interests are disregarded for the sake of personal gains?" Around this time last year, I shared a post on my social media account. I was once again overwhelmed. I only mentioned how much the mixed marriage issue had affected me and hoped that the authorities would take various initiatives to solve the problem as soon...

Cyprus is a unique island with its air and water, nature and history. However, the problems experienced within it are equally 'unique'. One of these is the problem of mixed marriage. This problem, which only belongs to a special geography like Cyprus in the world, has turned thousands of young people into a 'problem that disconnects them from the world'. The problem of mixed marriage occurs when the spouse of a citizen of Turkey or a third world country who marries a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus in the TRNC and the child born from this marriage in the TRNC are not accepted into the citizenship of the Republic of Cyprus. It is clear that this problem cannot be solved by individual means. As a society, we must embrace this problem, internalize it and fight against it. This problem has a political, legal and sociological aspect, and it is also a problem in which propaganda and lobbying activities are of great importance. “The problem of mixed marriage is a social prob...

I have been living for 21 years; But actually I don't exist. I have been living for 21 years; But no one knows my existence, no one knows me... Because I was a baby born from a mixed marriage in an unrecognized country, in the last divided capital of the world... Today, I went to the Identity Office of the Republic of Cyprus with my grandfather. I approached the officer at the door: “Hello, I come from the north of Cyprus,” I said. “I had an appointment, I was going to apply for an ID,” I added. “Why didn't you have an ID until now?” the guard at the door asked me. “I was born in Cyprus. My mother is Cypriot. "I couldn't get an ID because my father is of Turkish origin," I said. The guard at the door suddenly stood up and said to me: "You don't belong here." My hopes were dashed again. I couldn't get my job done. So what, am I not a 'Cypriot' now? My grandmother, grandfather, mother, and even many of my elders always lived in these lands;...