To participate in international sports events, Turkish Cypriots are forced to ignore their identity and depending on situation they are forced to get the consent of an administration, which is not chosen by their own political will, and to compete under the name and the control of this administration. This confronts individuals with the situation of denying their identities and additionally it is a bad and humiliating treatment. Whereas, these rights, guaranteed by both constitution and international pacts during the times of previous partnership in 1960s, invest Turkish Cypriots with the power to regulate some domains, which are outside the realm of the central government’s authority, but under their own autonomy via community assembly; and at the top of these domains, there were some subjects such as education, religion, sports and culture. For these issues each community’s Community Assembly was doing legislative process. Aftermath of association’s collapse, in all the solutions, which proposed by the UN, these powers were still left to the both communities. Namely, the issue of sports, as an established implementation, the Turkish Cypriots can make organization on their own, without the consent of the Greek Cypriots. Therefore, in such activities Turkish Cypriots should be able to participate without the consent or control or the license of the Greek Cypriot administration. Besides the on-going situation today is contrary to the “Republic of Cyprus” constitution which is the international community has accepted. It is not possible that one of the societies has a say in other society’s area like sports. Turkish Cypriots should not need TRNC to be recognized in order to attend to international sport events without permission from Greek Cypriot administration. TRNC’s regulation specially regarding sports must be taken into consideration whether TRNC is recognized or not. Otherwise, an administration that does not represent Turkish Cypriots will continue to rule based on non-democratic principles and steal the future of Turkish Cypriots’ young generation. Putting this generation in a situation where they need to deal with being isolated from the world and require Greek Cypriot administration’s permission to participate in any international event deteriorates Turkish Cypriots’ identity and it is not acceptable. The most recent two examples are the cooperation of KOP-KTFF and the requirement of obtaining license from the Greek Cypriot administration for the most recent rally event
Latif Akca is the Founding Director of the Rauf Raif Denktas and his Ideologies Association.