The “Turkish Cypriot Literature Panel” hosted by the Near East University Grand Library was held on Friday, October 6, at Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan Republic Hall.

The session chairperson of the panel, which started with the National Anthem and a moment of silence, was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yeniasır, Head of the Turkish Language Teaching Department of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Near East University.

The opening speech of the panel, which started with the reading of Turkish Cypriot Literature Poems by the students of Near East University Atatürk Faculty of Education Department of Turkish Language Teaching, was made by the President of the Cyprus Research Center, Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur.

In the panel held with intense participation, Researcher – Writer Bülent Fevzioğlu discussed the life story of Pembe Marmara, one of the important names of Turkish Cypriot poetry, with the title “A Story of Sorrow from Turkish Cypriot Literature”. Poland Krakow Jagiellonski University Oriental Languages Institute Turcology Department Lecturer Prof. Dr. Grażyna Zajac gave a speech titled “From Poland to Cyprus: A Look at Turkish Cypriot Literature”.

After the panel, Near East University Atatürk Faculty of Education, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Dr. Ali Efdal Özkul and Near East University Student Dean Prof. Dr. Dudu Özkum presented plaques to the participants of the panel.

Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur: “Education is not just about the lessons given in the classroom, we want to tell you about the social and cultural life in Cyprus.”
Near East University Faculty of Arts and Sciences Lecturer and Head of Cyprus Research Center Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur said “In the first panel of the 2023-2024 academic year we organized a panel with Prof. Dr. Grazyna Zajac from Poland and Bülent Fevzioğlu, one of the doyen writers of Turkish Cypriot Literature, that will broaden the horizons of our students.”

Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur emphasized the importance of promoting Turkish Cypriot Literature and Turkish Cypriot people abroad and said, “The Turkology studies that Prof. Dr. Grayna Zajac has carried out so far are very important and valuable for Turkish Cypriot Literature. He is almost like our Polish ambassador in terms of promoting the Cypriot people and culture.”

Emphasizing that Researcher – Writer Bülent Fevzioğlu has made many achievements, Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur said, “Bülent Fevzioğlu, one of the important writers of Turkish Cypriot Literature, has written many essays, poems, compositions and research books so far. He will share with us an important topic of Turkish Cypriot Literature today.”

Prof. Dr. Şevket Öznur addressed the students and said, “In our new academic year, we will host many esteemed writers, researchers and academicians of our country here. Education is not just about lessons given in the classroom. We want to convey to you the social and cultural life in Cyprus.”

Bülent Fevzioğlu: “The roots of Turkish Cypriot Literature are nourished by Anatolia.”
Explaining the historical process of Turkish Cypriot Literature in the panel, Researcher – Writer Bülent Fevzioğlu stated that the roots of Turkish Cypriot Literature are nourished from Anatolia. Fevzioğlu said, “Turkish Cypriot Literature is a literature that was nourished by Anatolia, adopted and applied the trends in Turkey, albeit with a delay, and is naturally structured on the Turkish Language.”

Fevzioğlu, who read poems from Turkish Cypriot Literature, also gave information about the historical process of poetry and poets in the TRNC. Explaining that many poets have contributed to Turkish Cypriot Literature since the past, Fevzioğlu said that especially among the young poets of the 1940s, four female poets whose main profession was teaching, Engin Gönül, Urkiye Mine Balman, Pembe Marmara and Nejla Salih Suphi are notable names. Fevzioğlu stated that these names are also the first female poets in the syllabic romantic field of Turkish Cypriot Literature.

Prof. Dr. Grazyna Zajac: “I introduce my students to Turkish Cypriot culture with the Turkish Cypriot Literature course I teach at Krakow Jagiellonski University in Poland.”
Speaking about his studies on Turkish Cypriot Literature, Krakow Jagiellonski University Eastern Languages Institute, Department of Turkology faculty member Prof. Dr. Grażyna Zajac made a presentation about the Turkish Literature.

Prof. Dr. Grazyna Zajac continued her speech by saying, “Krakow Jagiellonski University is the oldest university in Central Europe and Poland. The first Turcology studies at our university started in 1918,” and gave brief information about the history of Poland and Krakow Jagiellonski University.

Stating that she teaches Turkish Cypriot Literature at the master’s level of Krakow Jagiellonski University, Prof. Dr. Grazyna Zajac said, “I worked hard to include this course in the curriculum and I succeeded.” Prof. Dr. Zajac said that in this lecture they discuss topics such as the Classification of Turkish Cypriot Literature Periods, the Most Important Events of the History of Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot Folk Literature, Divan and Lodge Literature, the birth of the first novels and stories, contemporary poetry, contemporary prose, selected columnists and touristic places in Northern Cyprus.

Stating that the students love Turkish Cypriot Literature and show interest in its authors, Prof. Dr. Grazyna Zajac said, “I share the essays, research, poems and stories of many writers such as İsmail Bozkurt, Gürgenç Korkmazel, Bülent Fevzioğlu, Hikmet Afif Mapolar with my students.” She also emphasized that she enjoyed telling İsmail Bozkurt’s Northern Cyprus Travelogue Book.