Sports in Cyprus has always been carried out separately among the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. First athletics was organized ; the Greek Cypriots established their District Athletic organisations and the Turkish Cypriot established their athletic Meetings late in the 19th Century or early in the 20th Century; but there were no inter-communal sporting activities or meetings! During the same period Greek and Turkish Cypriot established their separate football clubs but did not organise tournaments. Mixed Turkish-Greek town soccer team matches were turned down by the Greek Cypriot as in the case of a friendly Nicosia-Larnaca match early in 1920's when the Larnaca Greek Soccer Team refused to play a mixed soccer team from Nicosia- this friendly match took place only after the exclusion of the Nicosia Turkish Cypriots players!
All the District Greek Cypriot Athletic Organisations were affiliated to the hellenic athletic Organisation of Greece, known as sages; and their primary aims were to foster hellenistic national instincs and they openly propagated for the Union of Cyprus with Greece = ENOSIS , the Greek Cypriots refused to allow Turkish Cypriot athletes to compete in their competitions.
Prior to 1934, the only Greek and Turkish Cypriot sporting contact was limited to one or two so called "friendly" football matches which usually took place during the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot religious holidays. During the same period whilst athletics and football (the only two popular sports branches) were mainly limited to Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot and foreign secondary schools; a very limited number of clubs were also active. In any case, the secondary schools were the main sources of athletes and football players .Hockey, Volley-ball and lawn tennis were played on a very limited basis. With the improvement of relationship between the Turkish and Greek nations and the ensuing Ataturk-Venizelos initiated Greece-Turkish Friendship Pact,sporting relationship between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot clubs were started and Turkish and other athletes were allowed to participate in the Pancyprian games. Turkish Cypriots athletes were able to compete against athletes from the Greek Cypriot and scored excellent results.
Unofficial football tournaments started with first among the Greek Cypriot and later on Turkish Cypriot clubs joined in. (As a result of these developments, and mainly due to the differences among the Greek Cyprus football clubs, "the cyprus football association", better known as K.O.P., was established on the 23rd day of september 1934 with 8 "founding members" - 3 all greek cypriot clubs, -1 all Turkish Cypriot club and 4 clubs with Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot players.) After this "land-mark" development, the sporting relationship between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot clubs and spectators steadily improved, the standart of football was raised and 1948 The Cyprus Football Association was affiliated to F.I.F.A. as a British Colonial F.A. Turkish Cypriot were given a seat on the executive Committe of Cyprus F.A. However,as all the stadiums were Greek Orthodox Church owned, Turkish Cypriots was never allowed to serve on these stadium committees. During the period of 1934-1955, the sporting feelings,relationships and solidarity,the pancyprian athletic events and competitions gathered strength; and the people of Cyprus (Greeks and Turks) as a whole were rewarded with first class competitions. Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot umpires and referees also increased in number and improved greatly in standards.Lawn Tennis,Table Tennis, Football and Athletics became the leading sports; but great strides were also registered in such other sports as hockey, volley-ball,wrestling, boxing etc. Cypriot athletes(Greeks and Turkish) excelled in their fields of sporting events.
Turkish Cypriot athletes and players excelled in short distance field events, football, lawn tennis, wrestling, boxing etc. Turkish Cypriot referees were in the fore-most and officiated in most of the key matches.
The unfavourable state of affairs of pre-1934 were turned into fruitful developments and the Turkish Cypriots and Greek were enabled to act and watch sportsmenlike competitions and the inter-communal relationships were also favourably influenced.
Unfortunately, all these pleasant sporting developments were ended abruptly in April 1955 when E.O.K.A. (Greek Cypriot Terrorist Organisation) struck with the sole aim of uniting Cyprus with Greece. As a result of the E.O.K.A. activities and the Greek Cypriots Orthodox Church (who owned all the Greek Cypriot stadiums) ;
a. Turkish Cypriot clubs/teams were forced out of the jointly established Cyprus F.A.; and
b. All Turkish Cypriot athletes and players entrance were refused into the Greek Cyprus stadiums. Thus, once again, after the lapse of only 21 years Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriots.
When E.O.K.A. struck and the Turkish Cypriot were forced out of the jointly established Cyprus F.A.(better known as K.O.P.)-
a. of the 10 division I. clubs,one was a Turkish Cypriot club;
b. of the 11 division II. clubs, four were Turkish Cypriot clubs; During this period of 21 years' joint sporting competitions Turkish Cypriot clubs and players secured the following Pancyprian championship and/or results:-
c. in football Chetinkaya were league, cup and shield champions on numerous occasions in division I; Turkish Cypriot secured excellent results in division II; of the then "combined teams" either of Nicosia or Cyprus, very many Turkish Cypriot players were capped.
d. in athletics Turkish Cypriot athlets were the leading athletes and record holders in almost all the short distance events;
e. in lawn tennis for very long periods Turkish Cypriot tennis players were the Pancyprian champions in singles, doubles and mixed doubles;
f. in Secondary School football championships (which were given up because of the attitude of the Greek Cypriot) the Turkish Cypriot Secondary School were the Pancyprian champions on numerous occassions;
g. in Hockey Turkish Cypriots team reached the finals on very many occasions; and numerous Turkish Cypriot players were invited to take part in the "select" Cyprus teams;
h. Turkish Cypriot referees and umpires were among the leading ones in their respective fields ; and
i. in wrestling and boxing only Turkish Cypriots were active!
In view of the ENOSIS dreams of the Greek Cypriot and in the light of what had happened during the period of 1955-1959; and because of the London and Zurich International Agreements, the newly born Republic of Cyprus was handed over jointly to the Greek Cypriot and Turkish by the departing Colonial Government of the United Kingdom. And the Constitution of the short-lived Republic of Cyprus provided for Bi-communal government and joint administration. In view of the serious tension among the two communities and because of the impossibility of joint and/ or mixed sporting activities the Constitution exclusively provided for Independent Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sporting federations and/or sporting clubs; but also leaved "an open door for mixed sporting activities and/or federations if the Turkish Cypriot and the Greek Cypriot so desired! And indeed until today, separate clubs laws are in force in the Greek and Turkish sector of Cyprus.
During the very short period of 1960-1963, neither the Turkish Cypriot nor the Greek Cypriot were able to form their respective federations for seperate recognition by the International Federations and the I.O.C.
The Greek Cypriot aided and abetted by the Helenic Governments of Greece, embarked on a fresh onslaught on the Turkish Cypriot between 1963-1968 the period Cyprus was occupied by Greece; Although the Hellenic Occupying Army Brigade was eventually forced out of the Island, all sporting activities had ceased for a period of five years: After the offical evacuation of the Mainland Greek Army Units from the Island sporting activities were stated again - but this time on a more lasting "separation" lines. The Turkish Cypriot established their independent sporting federations (as per the mandatory articles of the Constitution which the Greek Cypriot had destroyed; and the Turkish Cypriot federations began appliying for affiliation to the international federations. Below is a short picture of the Turkish Cypriot sporting federations;-
a. The Cyprus Turkish F.F. was established in 1955, soon after the Greek Cypriot refused to allow Turkish Cypriot clubs to take part in the football activities; the Turkish Cypriot F.F. has been organising annual events and international events even since; though FIFA granted a Special Permission, no formal FIFA affiliation has been forthcoming;
b. The Turkish Cypriot Wrestling Federation was established in 1967 and was affiliated to F.I.L.A. in 1971 and continued as a full member up to and including 1977;
c. The Turkish Cypriot Volley-ball Federation was established in 1970 and was affiliated to F.I.V.B. in 1972 and continued to be a full member upto and including 1977;
d. The Turkish Cypriot Cycling Federation was established in 1970 and was affiliated to F.I.A.C in 1971 and its affilation continued upto and including 1979;
e. The Turkish Cypriot Amateur Athletic Federation was established in 1970 and in 1971 became a provisional member of I.A.A.F. but this provisional status was terminated in 1972;
f. The Turkish Cypriot Table Tennis Federation was established in 1971 but its affiliation to I.T.T.F. is still pending; this Turkish Cypriot Federation was semi-officially established in 1944 and its Teams were the Pancyprian champions for four consecutive years when activities came to an end;
g. The Turkish Cypriot Shooting Federation was established in 1971 but its affiliation to U.I.T. is still pending;
h. The Turkish Cypriot Aquatic sports Federation was established in 1971 and its affiliation to F.I.N.A. is still pending;
i. The Turkish Cypriot Gymnastic Federation was established in 1972 but its affiliation to F.I.G. is pending;
j. The Turkish Cypriot Lawn Tennis Federation was established in 1979 but its affiliation to I.T.F. has not as yet been entertained;
k. The Turkish Cypriot Basketball Federation was established in 1981 and is fast becoming one of the most popular branch of sports. Its affiliation to FIBA is being considered.
l. The Turkish Cypriot Teakwondo Federation was established in 1977 and became a full member of the W.T.F. and E.T.U. in 1977 and continued its full membership right up to and inculuding 1990; but since then its membership has been "frozen";
m. The Turkish Cypriot Chees Federation was established in 1985 but its affiliation to F.I.D.E. is still pending.
n. The Turkish Cypriot Ameteur Boxing Federation was established in 1990 and arrangements are being made for the submission of formal application for affiliation to A.I.B.A.
Most of the Greek Cypriot federations were established after the establishment of the Turkish Cypriots federations (except Greek Cypriot TTF which was established in 1963); and through all sorts of unsportsmanlike "tactics", "intrigues" and "political nachinations" the Mainland Hellenic Federations and Greek Cypriots Federations "managed" to become affiliated whilist the affiliation of the Turkish Cypriots Federations were either "Frozen" or "terminated pending a final political solution to the Cyprus Problem".
For purely political reasons, the Turkish Cypriots athletes and players and indeed sporting administrators are being prevented from joining the international family of sporting youth. The occupation of the whole of Cyprus by mainland Greek armed forces from 1963 to 1974; the overthrow of the Greek Cypriot Makarios Regime by the mainland Greek Armed Force in July 1974; Partial occupation of Cyprus by the mainland Greek armed force in July 1974 to date for the only purpose of uniting the whole of Cyprus with Greece are the real reasons for the present dayu stale mate in sports !
Because of the joint unsporting attitude of the Hellenes and Greeks, the Turkish Cypriots sporting Federations were not and are not given the right To explain their position and defend their constitutional sporting rights and Defeat the Greeks' accusations. Knowingly or not the International Sporting Federations and the I.O.C. (contrary to their Statues) are discriminating against the Turkish Cypriots on national, racial religious, social, language and political grounds.
The Turkish Citizens, and The Greek Citizens, as per the 1960 Constitution, belong to different racial, national, religious, language, social and political groups. It is because of these major differences that the offical languages of Cyprus are Turkish and Greek.
Had it not been for timely treaty intervention of Turkey, the whole of Cyprus would have been forcefully united with Greece and as a result this day there would not have been any Greek Cypriot Sporting Federations affiliated to any world international sporting federation because the Greek Cypriot would have become part and parcel of Hellens - The Mainland Greece.
The Turkish Cypriots sporting establishments are here to stay - as they have been carrying on independently for the past 100 years. And any future "political solution" for Cyprus will entail two separete Federal Republics and two sepatare representation in sports (as in the case of the U.K., U.S.S.R. etc.).
The Hellens and the Greek Cypriot are to such an extend anti-Turkish that when-
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a full-fledged independent country with its boundaries, population of about 170,000 with all the democratic institutions of a democratic country. There are about 140 sporting clubs, 14 national sporting federations with about 15,000 registered athletes and players. Most of the Clubs own their free-hold premises and sporting grounds.
One of the 10 Ministeries in the TRNC is The Sports and Youth Ministry. Major national stadiums and indoor games halls are under the control of the Ministry; the national stadium in Nicosia is on Olympic Standards and it has a capacity of 20,000. There are also major stadiums and in the main towns with 2,000 to 5,000 capacities.
Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides: "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political and other opinion,national or social origin, birth or other status.
Furthermore, no discrimination shall be made on the basis of the political jurisdicton or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it is independent,trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty."
On the other hand, the rules of The International Olympic Committee state, inter alia, that "no discrimination shall be made at all contests organised by national federations on grounds of race, religion or politics; and that where countries or federations make such discrimination such countries or federations or the I.O.C."
The Turkish Cypriot youth is the sole exception in the whole world that is being denied from activities. Our population may be small but its interest in sports is great; and our Youth is anxious and impatient for having sportive contacts with the world youth and for solidary with it on EQUAL basis.
[TOURISM] [ANIMALS] [ENVIRONMENT] [BRIEF] [PHOTO GALERY] [MAPS] [FOOD&DRINKS] [A-Z GUIDE] [HISTORY] [SPORTS] [CYPRUS PROBLEM] [GUEST BOOK] [LINKS]