The exhibition titled "The Artistic Traces of the Turkish Cypriots' Existence Struggle" held in cooperation with the Near East University and Gazi University for the 21-25 December National Struggle and Martyrs Week, was opened at the Irfan Günsel Congress Center by the Minister of Economy and Energy Hasan Taçoy.
According to the press information released by the Near East University Press and Public Relations Directorate, Economy and Energy Minister Hassan Taçoy, representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Nicosia, Near East University Rector Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan, Rector of Özay Günsel Children's University Prof. Dr. Filiz Meriçli, Rector of Gazi University Prof. Dr. Yaşar Aydemir, Kyrenia District Governor, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister Ahmet Savaşan, Founding Chairman of Cyprus Turkish National History Museum Prof. Dr. Ali Efdal Özkul, deans, department heads, lecturers, artists, relatives of martyrs, guests and students attended to the opening ceremony.
At the exhibition titled "Artistic Traces of the Turkish Cypriots' Existence Struggle", following the reading of the National Anthem and the screening of the documentary film The Cypriot Heroes of Gazi realized. Later, the Near East University Rector Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan, Gazi University Head of the Department of Painting Education Prof. Dr. Alev Çakmakoğlu Kuru, Acting Rector of Gazi University Prof. Dr. Yaşar Aydemir and Minister of Economy and Energy Hasan Taçoy made a speech each.
Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan; "Our artists have left their marks for tomorrow"
Rector of Near East University Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan said in his opening remarks that by linking the intersection and overlap of the two educational and cultural paths of the unity between Gazi University and Near East University, standing out for its pioneering role in quality and courage in education, have made two important attempts. The first one is that Gazi University eternalized its Turkish Cypriot sons in the struggle of existence. And the second one is that it has carried all the human values, cultural and spiritual dimensions of the Turkish Cypriots to the future, whereas the Near East University has dedicated all its facilities to Fine Arts and brought new dimensions in the art world. He also underlined that it is the establishment of the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts, designed and developed by Suat Günsel himself.
Prof. Dr. Hassan; "With the sensitivity of Gazi University, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Uslan, Prof. Dr. Alev Çakmakoğlu Kuru, who is the first authority in the design and realization of this exhibition under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Yaşar Aydemir, the very esteemed Vice-Rector who is with us now, Prof. Dr. Ali Efdal Özkul, who is responsible for every meaning and scope of this project, left a mark for tomorrow by providing the environment to our artists who actually are the main owners of the day."
Prof. Dr. Hassan also said; "When we talk about martyrs, it is not possible not to bring Mehmet Akif to the agenda in terms of cultural belief, faith, and of course, refer to him through our literary intellection. Akif had an impact on the history of the country and Turkish history with his outstanding willpower based on a solid poetic faith as reflected in the poem of Çanakkale Martyrs."
Prof. Dr. Alev Çakmakoğlu Kuru; "The historical events of the Turkish Cypriots have been expressed in the language of art"
Gazi University, Head of the Department of Art Teaching Prof. Dr. Alev Çakmakoğlu Kuru in her speech said; "Turkish leaders Rauf Denktaş, Dr. Fazil Küçük, Dr. Burhan Nalbantoglu the founder of TMT, Colonel Riza Vuruşkan, Vehbi Mahmutoğlu who first delivered the arms to Erenköy from Turkey, Asaf Elmas, Cevdet Remzi, Major Nihat Ilhan's brutally slaughtered wife and three little innocent babies... All these heroes of the Turkish Cypriots' struggle for existence, martyrs....Do you feel that we are in their spiritual presence? Yes, they are here ... "
Prof. Dr. Kuru mentioned that there were many Turkish Cypriots among the graduates of Gazi University, which started education in 1926, and the Turkish Cypriot martyrs who gave their lives for the unity and existence of the Turkish nation were among the graduates. Prof. Dr. Kuru; "The respect, love, and devotion we have for our martyrs brought us together in a joint project with the Near East University, which is in an attempt to establish the Turkish Cypriot National History Museum. We have realized this project with the cooperation of Gazi University and the Near East University. The Turkish Cypriots who paid the price of reunification with their martyrs, veterans, casualties and heroes expressed their historical events with the language of art."
Prof. Dr. Yaşar Aydemir; "Today, as a nation, we are standing upright as a result of the efforts made for the sake of homeland on the way to freedom."
Gazi University Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Yaşar Aydemir said, "Having a homeland requires a price. If we are meeting today in this beautiful hall of the Near East University in Cyprus, we owe it to the people who martyred for a crescent. In the case of Cyprus, we have seen how a nation that puts the same ideal in the face of all difficulties has succeeded by confronting all kinds of difficulties in our recent history, for example, on July 15, in Afrin and today in Tel-Abyad within the scope of the Peace Spring operation. Today, as a nation standing upright, this freedom is the result of efforts made for the sake of homeland sacrifices. As the grandchildren of a great heritage, we have to analyze what we experienced yesterday, the situations we are in today, and learn from history. A moment of blunder we had, and the cost of losing has been quite expensive for us."
Prof. Dr. Aydemir; "Either the state has an authority, or the raven gets on the corps... We have to keep our unity, our dignity, and keep our differences in order to increase our common points. As the deceased Âkif said: "Without first putting a conspiracy into the nation, no enemy can enter; The more the hearts beat together, no cannons can overcome them."
"The Turkish Cypriot who survived many challenges and faced many difficulties in the struggle for existence is a source of pride with his acumen"
Prof. Dr. Aydemir in his speech referred to a saying of German philosopher George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel; "When we tie a knot on a rope, that tie is the most solid part of the rope, but every time you touch the rope, it is the part that hurts us most. In our history, we have strengthened our ties, but we also had knots that hurt us. The Turkish Cypriots' struggle of existence is one of these knots. Therefore, each time we remember this, one side of us is thankful and proud, and one side of us is proud and grateful for our brothers and their legacy they left for us. Some of the Turkish Cypriots have been killed in Cyprus for the sake of homeland in this national struggle."
Prof. Dr. Yaşar Aydemir; "Turkish Cypriot is a source of pride for he has survived many challenges and faced many difficulties in the struggle of existence. The Turkish Cypriot people continue to struggle for peace, security, and prosperity in order to exist and live as honorable people in the world. In order to explain this struggle and make it public, our artists transformed their emotions into works of art in the light of information and documents about the events and heroes constituting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. These works are the monuments of those who marched to the way of God in this honorable struggle. We are very pleased to explain the historical events experienced by the Turkish Cypriots who paid the price of independence through their martyrs and veterans in establishing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. I believe that this project will play a big role in raising the awareness of future generations and not forgetting the dark events, I congratulate those who contributed, and I salute you all."
Minister Tacoy; "They sacrificed their lives without thinking anything so we could live these days today"
Minister of Economy and Energy Hasan Taçoy, referring to the documentary film, said, "A very beautiful thing that can leave a mark in history and that enable us to move forward this very emotional day, and can leave a very literally trail to the future, a documentary to be taken to the future" he said.
Minister Tacoy; "We have many young people who have lost their lives by freezing from the cold in Sarıkamış years ago, and then the War of Independence ... Thousands of people lost their lives and we are still struggling for years on this tiny island for independence. We are a nation that sacrificed many people from our families in order to have a homeland. We have always faced a feeling, a phenomenon, a struggle for life to be carried forward with these feelings and thoughts which have always been felt. The martyrs may not know what these days will be like when they were the path of God, but they sacrificed their lives without thinking anything for us to live these days with confidence. We are now living with the feelings that a Mujahideen gave to us, a Turkish soldier Mehmet gave to us. In this environment we are in today, we are thankful for the blessing that we have already found, and sometimes this is regarded as a crime to talk about this emotion for some people, but for others, it is to express fatigue, to look cute and to express feelings of gratitude. We acted without knowing that this region would come to this day, but we established a second Turkish state and its name became the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Everybody, from the veteran, the little baby to the oldest person, worked hard to keep this feeling alive, and as the owner of this phenomenon, they gave us this responsibility to plan our future. This beauty established by Near East University, which tries to contribute to this responsibility, has a great meaning in myself and in my country. It will have a tremendous impact on those who will see, live and listen to those who will follow these documentaries you have left."
Certificates of Appreciation presented, the exhibition ribbon cut...
After the speeches, Rector of Near East University Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan and Vice-Rector of Gazi University Prof. Dr. Yaşar Aydemir mutually presented remembrances. Subsequently, the Minister of Economy and Energy Hasan Taçoy presented the certificates of appreciation to the artists who contributed to the group exhibition. Then the exhibition ribbon was cut. The exhibition will be open until January 10, 2020, in the exhibition hall of İrfan Günsel Congress Center.
