Cyprus-Forum.com

[Pumpy]

And this is the ridiculous yet unwavering conviction that GCs labour under. That they (we?) are Greek, when they clearly are not.

As I may have explained before, I am half English, half GC. Yet as I have sought to educate and inform myself, I am under no false illusion as to my actual real ancestry.

The hellenic link to GCs is tenuous at best. Go to any genealogist or respected historian, and they'll tell you that "Greek" Cypriots have little in common with Greece, other than by the language of course, and a fairly rocky recent political history.

Our blood lines are tied to the Venetians, the Ottomans, the Assyrians, the North African tribes and other conquerers over the centuries. A huge element of our DNA is linked with Asia Minor, which we would now actually call Turkey, ironically.

There is some link with Greece obviously, but not enough for GCs to accurately and definitively call themselves Greek.

In short, Greek Cypriots are not Greek but derived of a fascinating melting pot. Something to be proud of, and as soon as we drop the prefix (Greek or Turkish) the better things will be, and the more truthful to history we'll be.

We are Cypriots (in my case, British, but half Cypriot).

Why is that a problem, unless you have ulterior political motives?

I embrace The Turkish Cypriots and I embrace their attitude, which is far healthier, as on the whole, they see themselves as Cypriot FIRST. "GCs" should learn something from their lead.

[Piratis]

Speak about yourself. You of course are not Greek nor Cypriot. You don't speak Greek, you didn't serve in the army of Cyprus, you don't care about Cyprus (in fact you hate it), and I doubt you have the Cypriot citizenship. So what would make you Greek or Cypriot?

Cypriots are as Greek as it gets. Cyprus was Hellenized at the same time when most other Greek islands did, and just a few centuries after mainland Greece. All this happened long before the Greek civilization became the great civilization everybody admires today. Cypriots believed in the Gods of Olympus, one of which was Cypriot, and later became Greek Orthodox, again in line with the rest of the Greek world.

Greeks of Cyprus belong to the first Greek tribe, the Myceneans, and the spoke the most ancient Greek Language which became known as ArcadoCypriot since it was spoken in Arcadia (Peloponnese) and Cyprus. In fact Athenians and northern Greeks are mostly Dorians, a Greek tribe which arrived in the area later.

Cyprus did have many invadors and rulers since, but so did the other Greek islands and the Greek mainland itself.

Cyprus is not different, no different at all, than any other Greek island. The reason Cyprus today is not part of the Greek state is exclusively due to the fact that the British colonialists did not want to allow to the Cypriot people their freedom and self-determination and they have used the Muslim minority in Cyprus (turning them into "Turkish Cypriot community") as the excuse to deny to Cyprus its self-determination. All "Turkish Cypriots" before that spoke Greek, and in fact many of them had Greek as their mother tongue.

By the way Pumpy, you said you are "half English". Shouldn't you say a mix of Latin, Germanic and some other tribes?

[Piratis]

And to answer to your title "The trouble is, "Greek" Cypriots aren't Greek":

The trouble is that foreign invadors do not allow Cypriots to be what they really are, and instead they are trying to force on us their own will to serve their own interests.

[phoenix]

Pumpy ... you have failed to grasp the true essence of being Greek.

It is the mentality of course.....

In that sense, perhaps you never were, nor ever will be Greek.

Genes have less to do with it and "memes" everything.

[Nikitas]

Pumpy, I am half Greek Cypriot and half mainland Greek. Speaking from that experience I can tell you with some authority that being Cypriot is being Greek plus. In effect we are more Greek than the mainlanders not less. We have retained traditions and language sctructures that they purged or forgot. Oddly enough the same goes for TCs, they are more Turkish than the mainlanders. It is no accident that both mainland cultures often poke fun at ours, maybe they cannot stand the reminder of how they used to be.

[humanist]

Pumpy am with you on that one I really do not understand the greek thing either. I would like to be Cypriot if I can.

[Simon]

Double post.

[Simon]

How many times has this forum debated this? As if it is important in the face of 40,000 TURKISH troops and over a hundred thousand TURKISH settlers on our island.

In reality, each individual will have his own opinion. I am an ethnic Greek of Cypriot nationality. That is how I am recognised in the Republic of Cyprus' constitution. My religion is GREEK Orthodox, my language is GREEK, my ancestors fought in the GREEK Independence movement and fought the Italians in Epirus, I listen to GREEK music, watch GREEK television and celebrate OXI day like the majority of Cypriots. Indeed, I do everything that a Greek man from Rhodes or Crete does. So who gives you the right to deny me my self-identity, that is given to me in my nation's constitution? Nobody!

It has nothing to do with genes. If genetics were everything, then what does English mean? Or American? French? All these peoples have mixed genetics.

Cyprus has always been a predominately Greek island, with several minority groups. That is how it is today.

[denizaksulu]

Pumpy am with you on that one I really do not understand the greek thing either. I would like to be Cypriot if I can.

No fear Humanist. As long as you fall within 'Piratis' definition of being Greek/ Cypriot you are ok

[humanist]

your so naurty :):) I love it