Cyprus and the politics of memory: history, community and conflict

TitleCyprus and the politics of memory: history, community and conflict
Publication TypeBook
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsRebecca Bryant, Yiannis Papadakis
PublisherI.B. Tauris ; Distributed in the U.S. by Palgrave Macmillan
CityLondon; New York; New York
ISBN Number978-1-78076-107-7 1-78076-107-4
Abstract

The island of Cyprus has been bitterly divided for more than four decades. One of the most divisive elements of the Cyprus conflict is the writing of its history, a history called on by both communities to justify and explain their own notions of justice. While for Greek Cypriots the history of Cyprus begins with ancient Greece and Hellenistic culture, for the Turkish Cypriot community the history of the island begins with the Ottoman invasion of 1571. The singular narratives both sides often employ to tell the story of the island are, as this volume argues, a means of continuing the battle which has torn the island apart, and an obstacle to resolution.

Short TitleCyprus and the politics of memory