Maronite /Latin origins of Turkish-Cypriots

Bullika

On the subject of Turks in Cyprus, I recently read in a book by the famous and well respected historian Prof Ronald Jennings who has written many books on Cyprus. He is an Arabist and reads old Ottoman archives esp firmans.

Anyway according to him what the Turkish historians tell us is only half the truth, yes Muslim Turks from Caramania settled in Cyprus, but what they dont tell you is how many returned.

According to Jennings most Turks returned to Anatolia within the first ten years by bribing harbor masters, escaping in other ways or just legally leaving. He argues you that Cyprus then was not seen as a healthy place to live on account of its frequent famines caused by locusts and malarial swamps. In short he argues few people wanted to settle in Cyprus as it was then a backwater, and since those who returned were never punished, settlers would have certainly tried their luck to get back to their province.

Jennings also criticizes Greek historians claiming that conversion was strictly Catholics > Muslims. While studying the names of witnesses in Ottoman court cases, Jennings points to the fact that that about 1/3 to a half of the Muslim Cypriots were converts and were Maronites or Latins whose former names were recorded next to their newly adopted Muslim names.

He lists my village as Latin, and mentions that few people spoke any Turkish and even had both Muslim and Christian names. This view is consistent with the fact that none of my family spoke a word of Turkish before 1960, and many people in my family had Christian names whose origin is unclear, Zako, Istefan, Gavriel etc... My great grand mother whom I remember always used to say to me while we kids tried to wind her up, "Ben Turkce bilmem manamu" -I dont know turkish my dear.

Bullika · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 9:23 pm Post subject:

if only my great grandma knew that her little boy was going to grow up to make the first Cyprus foot fetish websites, she would have alot to say I`m sure...

Dhavlos · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 9:43 pm Post subject:

Ive got a maronite friend at uni. (a bit random)

do you know that the catholics(maronites) in cyprus do not do military service because of their religion or something....it was brought in by Clerides, and instead of being some kind of good thing, it seems to me as being racist.

Apparently it was because there were racist attacks against the maronites in the armed forces Sad

garbitsch · Mukhtar/is Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 767 Location: Cyprus

Mehmet, do you have any info about Limombakis?

Bullika · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 9:50 pm Post subject:

garbitsch · Mukhtar/is Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 767 Location: Cyprus

Dhavlos, your army is created only for Greek Cypriots in 1964. That's why Latins, Maronites, Armenians and Turkish Cypriots do not serve in that army.

Dhavlos · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 9:58 pm Post subject:

the maronite guy i was talkiing about said that the law changed only a few years ago

Bullika · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:02 pm Post subject:

I`ve read tons of information about the Linobambaci, I`m partial to it as its kind family history!

Theres an article by R.L.N Michel obtainable on this website: www.cypnet.com/.ncyprus/people/linobambakis/linobambaki.pdf

A book called "Cyprus, As I Saw It In 1879" by Sir Baker, Samuel White, which has abit on the Linobambaci

Please read what George Jeffery F.S.A wrote about Louroujina in his book called "Historic Monuments of Cyprus"

Also read Ronald Jennings book entitled Christians and Muslims in Ottoman Cyprus

Bullika · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:04 pm Post subject:

Dhavlos · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:08 pm Post subject:

no he was happy to miss military service...only problem was, that all his friends(ie Greek Cypriots) all went to the military service, so he was 'all alone' as such,

I too would miss military service if i could...thankfuly i live in the uk.....gotta be careful tho when i go to cyprus or they will try to get me to go cos my g'dad was born in cyprus

Bullika · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:11 pm Post subject:

Dhavlos · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:14 pm Post subject:

yep....my cousin was held back at the airport cos he didnt have any documents to say he was exempt....luckly they let him off cos his litle sister and gran were travelling all together

garbitsch · Mukhtar/is Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 767 Location: Cyprus

Dhavlos, is the same regulation applied to you guys too? For example, the Turkish Cypriots born in UK are required to fulfil their military duties in north Cyprus. They automatically become citizens and they are only allowed to stay in Cyprus for upto 90 days. If they stay for the 91st day, then they are taken to the military.

brother · Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 11:32 am Post subject:

That was very interesting mehmet, keep that info coming. Wink

Dhavlos · Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 9:41 pm Post subject:

I think that they dont force you to go(or at least i hope not!) if you go to cyprus on holiday etc, and you dont have a form exempting you from service, then you would have to do it....
most of the time, you can get a form wen your out there.

It applies if your granddfather was born in cyprus, even if you wernt. - I think anyway