Niyazi Kızılyürek

Niyazi Kızılyürek (born 19 February 1959[3]) is a Turkish Cypriot political scientist. He is, as of 2016, a professor of political history in the University of Cyprus, specialising on the political history of Turkey and Cyprus,[4] and the Dean of the School of Humanities there.[5]

Niyazi Kızılyürek MEP
Member of the European Parliament for Cyprus
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 July 2019[1][2]
Personal details
Born	19 February 1959 Nicosia
Nationality	Cypriot
Political party	Cyprus: AKEL EU: GUE-NGL

Biography

Niyazi Kızılyürek born in Potamia , fled to Louroujina along with his family due to the intercommunal violence of 1964. After completing high school in Northern Cyprus, he went to University of Bremen,[3] where he graduated with a BA and MA in Sociology, Politics and Economics in 1983. He completed his PhD at the same university, with a thesis on the Cyprus dispute.[3][6]

He produced a documentary called Our Wall with Panicos Chrysanthou, later winning the Apdi İpekçi Peace Award for the documentary in 1997. In 1995, he entered the University of Cyprus as a lecturer. Upon his entry, he was targeted by fascists, nationalist politicians and media, facing a year-long campaign for his expulsion from the university. He resisted with the support of his co-workers and the university and remained there. He related that over the years, the working environment became much less hostile. In 2013, he was elected Dean of the School of Humanities.[7][8] In 2014, Kızılyürek became one of the advisers of President Nicos Anastasiades on Turkey in the Geostrategic Advisory Council.[7]

Kızılyürek has authored around 20 books, including Glafkos Clerides: The Path of a Country. He is a columnist in the Turkish Cypriot left-wing newspaper Yeni Düzen and the right-wing Greek Cypriot newspaper Simerini. He commands five languages, Turkish, Greek, English, German and French.[7]

Politics

Kızılyürek entered politics in 2019, as a candidate for the 2019 European Parliament election with the left-wing Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL).[9] His candidacy has proved controversial; Averof Neofytou and Eleni Stavrou of the centre-right Democratic Rally claimed that it only serves to reward Turkish intransigence and to normalize the presence of the occupying Turkish Army in Cyprus.[10][11]

He was elected to the European Parliament with 25,051 votes, coming second among AKEL's candidates, behind Giorgos Georgiou.[12] [13] [14] His election led to renewed controversy because he said that he will promote the Turkish language as an official language of the European Parliament (because it is an official language of the Republic of Cyprus).[15] On the other hand, his supporters have repeatedly praised Kızılyürek's positions about a peaceful reunification of Cyprus and his explicit condemnation of the Turkish invasion and military occupation, as well as the ethnic cleansing and theft of property committed against Greek Cypriots since 1974.[16]

References

1. "Key dates ahead". European Parliament. 20 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
2. "Key dates ahead". BBC News. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
3. "Niyazi Kızılyürek". İletişim Press. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
4. "Department of Turkish Studies and Middle Eastern Studies". University of Cyprus. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
5. "View from the Other Side". Cyprus Weekly. Archived from the original on 26 April 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
6. "Academic Staff" (PDF). University of Cyprus. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
7. "Rum liderin beyin takımında bir Türk". Milliyet. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
8. "İstenmeyen adamdı dekan seçildi". Hürriyet. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
9. "Turkish Cypriot on Akel ballot for EU elections". Cyprus Mail. 2019-01-19. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
10. Απασφάλισε η Σταύρου κατά Κιζιλγιουρέκ και ΑΚΕΛ - H ανάρτηση της Sigmalive.com, May 4, 2019
11. Αβέρωφ προς ΑΚΕΛ: Να αποκαλύψουν τι τάζουν στους Τ/κ Kathimerini.com.cy, May 4, 2019
12. Turkish Cypriot poised to win seat in European parliament elections theguardian.com, April 21, 2019
13. First Turkish Cypriot MEP envisions himself as division healer ekathimerini.com, June 3, 2019
14. Οι σταυροί προτίμησης όλων των υποψηφίων στις ευρωεκλογές Politis.com.cy, May 27, 2019
15. Διαμάχη Τσουρούλλη-Νιαζί:Ενοχλητικές ερωτήσεις & ακατανόητη γλώσσα Sigmalive.com, May 27, 2019
16. Νιαζί: Έχω την ΤΜΤ να με λένε προδότη – Έχω και τον ΔΗΣΥ να με θέλουν να λογοδοτήσω Dialogos.com.cy, May 6 2019

Books

• Glafkos Clerides: The Path of a Country, Rimal Publications, Nicosia, 2008, 278 p. ISBN 9789963610341