What the papers say
THE Greek Cypriot side “cannot even tolerate” a list of suggested alternative words for journalists on both sides of the island to use, so wrote Kıbrıs columnist Akay Cemal on Tuesday.
Mr Cemal was referring to the recent launch of a new guide called Words That Matter: A Glossary for Journalism in Cyprus which was produced by two Greek Cypriot and two Turkish Cypriot journalists and supported by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
He said one of the authors, Maria Shiakalli, had received death threats and been called an “agent of Turkey” for participating in the exercise.
The glossary, Mr Cemal wrote, advises journalists against using terms such as “occupation”, “border”, “Greek Cypriot administration”, “illegal port”, “motherland”, “occupation troops” and “peace forces”, among others. He said the 56-page document — produced in English, Greek and Turkish — had created a “heated debated in the Greek part of the island”, citing Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades as saying that the Cyprus problem would be solved “by deeds, not by words”.
“So was it only Anastasiades who objected to the project?” the writer pondered.
“The [Greek] Cypriot Journalists’ Union also stated that they would not adopt the contents of the glossary.
“Greek Cypriot political parties also reacted against this study and its outcome, expressing bitter criticisms on the matter.”
Mr Cemal said the glossary had been produced with “good will” and should not be “discarded right away with obsessed ideas”.
He said a “healthy evaluation” of it should come only after “it has been examined and discussed thoroughly”, which would entail “tolerance and assimilation” of the subject.
“The glossary is the product of an effort to find the middle road, not giving particular weight to one side,” he said.
“Acting with such prejudice is the result of lack of tolerance . . . Why should we shy away from passing on to coming generations the realities of Cyprus in an objective manner? Why should we paper over the cracks in the realities of history?”
Mr Cemal then recalled how, as the then leader of the Turkish Cypriot Journalists’ Association, he had established a committee in 1975 with his Greek Cypriot counterpart with a view to “preventing racist attitudes and encouraging objective reporting”, but which eventually disbanded when “some Greek Cypriot journalists” ignored warnings from the committee.
“Is it not interesting and thoughtprovoking that, despite the passing of so many years, there is still prejudice, no change in mentality and an attempt to immediately discredit a joint piece of work?” he concluded.