Prof. Dr. Fevzi Kasap, Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Near East University, discussed the history of Turkish Cypriot cinema and its importance in the Turkic world at the Turkic World Filmmakers Forum.
The “Turkic World Cinema Forum and Award-Winning Documentary Film Screening,” which aims to strengthen the cultural heritage of the Turkic world through cinema, was held at Istanbul University with great enthusiasm. As part of the event, Prof. Dr. Fevzi Kasap, Dean of the Faculty of Communication of Near East University, made a presentation titled “Cinema in Cyprus,” providing a comprehensive overview of the historical development of Turkish Cypriot cinema and its importance in the Turkic world.

The forum, organized by the Turkic World Journalists Federation, with the support of the General Directorate of Civil Society Relations of the Ministry of Interior, aimed to increase cooperation in the field of cinema and strengthen cultural interaction in the Turkic world. The event brought together numerous filmmakers from 10 different countries, including Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Gagauzia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The well-attended program included Renan Bilek, President of the Film Actors Professional Association; Menderes Demir, President of the Turkic World Journalists Federation; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sait Türkhan, Deputy Director of the Istanbul University Institute of Turkic Studies; Erdoğan Erdoğdu, President of the Turkic World Culture, Arts, and Cinema Foundation; and members of the foundation’s board of directors. The program, attended by numerous academics and cultural figures, served as an important platform for strengthening cultural and artistic collaboration in the Turkic world.

The social and cultural impact of Cypriot cinema from 1960 to the present was discussed.
Moderated by Amasya University Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nazan Kahraman, Dean of the Faculty of Communication of Near East University, Prof. Dr. Fevzi Kasap, addressed the historical development of Turkish Cypriot cinema from 1912 to the present in his presentation titled “Cinema in Cyprus.” Prof. Dr. Kasap addressed the first film screenings by filmmaker Ali in Nicosia, and the use of cinema as a propaganda tool during the British colonial period. He provided examples of significant developments in the process, from film screenings organized for the registration of Greek and Turkish Cypriot soldiers under the British during World War II to the Cyprus-themed films of Yeşilçam in Turkey in the 1950s and the cinematic exploration of the 1974 Peace Operation.

In his presentation, Prof. Dr. Kasap emphasized the critical role of cinema in the construction of the identity and culture of the Turkish Cypriot community. He emphasized the vital role of short and documentary films, in particular, in keeping social memory alive and transmitting cultural heritage to younger generations. He also emphasized that Cypriot cinema strengthens cultural dialogue with other communities in the Turkic world through the shared history and linguistic heritage.