The Mayor of the Nicosia Turkish Municipality, Cemal Bulutoğluları wrote a letter to Ms. Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism, Sport, Media and Youth of the European Commission, and mentioned about the unfairness and wrongness of the unilateral nomination of Nicosia for European Capital of Culture of 2017. Stating that Nicosia is being governed by two separate municipalities, Bulutoğluları highlighted that, thanks to its existence in 1960 constitution, the Nicosia Turkish Municipality, the local government of the Turkish Cypriot Nicosians, cannot be ignored and that this legal right cannot be used unilaterally. Emphasizing that in case of having the title “European Capital of Culture of 2017”, works should be jointly implemented, Bulutoğluları said that they will follow the developments.  The letter of Mayor Bulutoğluları is as follows:

Dear Madame Vassiliou,

I am following the developments regarding Nicosia’s candidacy for the 2017 European Capital of Culture with great concern. I am aware that three cities from Cyprus are competing for the title. While we welcome and fully support any efforts that will promote and safeguard our island’s cultural heritage in any international platform, the unilateral bid of Nicosia whereby only half of the city is a candidate to carry the title on behalf of the whole city strikes us as unjust.

The Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot inhabitants of Nicosia have always had separate seats in municipal councils of Nicosia ever since the Ottoman and British periods. The articles 173 and 87 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus state for the establishment of separate municipalities in all major towns of the Republic whereby the councils of the Turkish and Greek municipalities would be elected by Turkish and Greek Cypriot peoples, separately, in each town. Out of all the major towns of Cyprus, Nicosia is the only one that realized this special status with two separate municipalities, the Nicosia Turkish Municipality dating back to 1958. As such, it is a fact that there exist two separate and independent municipalities in Nicosia for more than half a century.

In this respect, it cannot be challenged and refuted that the sole legitimate local representative of the Turkish Cypriot residents of Nicosia is the Mayor and the Council of the Nicosia Turkish Municipality, elected by the 85.000 Turkish Cypriot people living in the northern half of the city. In fact, the Nicosia Turkish Municipality in the north is actually larger in terms of municipal boundaries than its Greek Cypriot counterpart. Hence it is striking that the smaller half is using its EU membership for the benefit of only half of the city.

Neither side in Nicosia has the right or authority to represent, speak and act on behalf of the other half of the city in any international forum as they each represent their half only. The Turkish Cypriot residents of Nicosia are as much owners of this city as their fellow Greek Cypriot residents. While the Acquis Communautaire is currently suspended in the northern part of Nicosia, it is EU soil and the EU has an active presence inside our municipal boundaries. We maintain good relations with the EU officials in both sides of Nicosia as well as all the Ambassadors of EU member countries who come to visit us at the City Hall.

We are an active member of the Organisation of Islamic Capitals and Cities (OICC), Mediterranean Committee of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Eurocities, Euromed Cities, Europa Nostra and Les Rencontres (Association of European Cities and Regions for Culture) along with other international organizations. We have relations with the relevant EU bodies such as the Committee of Regions (CoR). In fact, there is a whole floor in the main building of the Committee of Regions that is named after the most important street of Nicosia known as Lokmacı / Lidras. The local representatives of both municipalities were present at the name giving ceremony and the CoR plenary session was addressed in our mother tongue Turkish. I can continue giving more examples to prove our existence but I do not wish to steal your precious time with matters that I am sure you are already familiar with.

If Nicosia is going to be the 2017 European Capital of Culture, we firmly believe that it has to be the joint effort of both sides of this city, not just one. We know that our city deserves the best with its amazing cultural richness. Yet it is unfair for that richness --most of which is within our municipal boundaries--  to be excluded from becoming part of the European Capital of Culture.

It is not enough to count on the possibility that some Turkish Cypriot artists will be invited for joint arts projects, as we are not looking for individual solutions. What we are looking for is a more inclusive approach that will incorporate the whole community of Turkish Cypriots, not just a select few, and that will include the rich cultural venues in north Nicosia some of which have recently been renovated with the generous funding and support of the EU.

We are aware that the European Capital of Culture is a forward looking programme. We are looking forwards as well. To uniting our divided city at least culturally, and to no longer keep rewarding acts of promoting its dividedness. For this, we need your understanding and support. Until we have a comprehensive solution to our political problem that has to come from our Leaders, we at the local level want to do our best to find alternative solutions within our scope. The 2017 European Capital of Culture is a great opportunity ahead of us that should not be missed. For this purpose, a working group, consisting of artists, cultural workers, volunteers and socio-economical factors from both communities can be convened to develop the strategies of genuine unification of Nicosia through artistic events, collaboration and mobility throughout the whole city.

We need your support to make it possible. Please do not undersign any unilateral bid when there is the possibility to act together and encourage our Greek Cypriot counterparts to join forces with us to make Nicosia a true Capital of Culture with spectacular events in every single corner of the whole city. The duty of the EU should be to unite, not to divide, and we count on your support.

Sincerely yours,

Cemal Bulutoğluları

Mayor of Nicosia

Turkish Municipality