Vol. 16 No. 39 (2010): Journal of Cyprus Studies
Editorial
As the Editor of this issue, it is my pleasure to address the readers of JCS, which is one of the few academic journals, less than the fingers of a hand, that publishes papers solely relevant to Cyprus studies since 1995. As one of the members of the editorial board in the first five years of its publication life, and working as guest editor for the publication of this current issue as well as on the executive board of the Centre for Cyprus Studies, I would express my regrets that due to the recent publication and promotion criteria of the Turkish universities, we have little chance to attract high quality studies pertinent to Cyprus topics. However, it is my duty to thank to all those who selected JCS for their valued studies. The editorial team of the journal, with the aim to publish high quality studies, has selected four articles out of nearly a dozen of articles submitted by researchers for this issue through a refereed process. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our anonymous referees for their serious works to assess and also to give valuable recommendations for the improvements of the papers. As the new team involved in the Centre for Cyprus Studies, it is one of our aims to increase publications significant to environmental issues and architectural heritage of Cyprus alongside the papers in political sciences mainly with a target to contribute to the peace process of the island and other topics to enlighten the island’s culture. In this issue, one of the articles by Aytanga Dener is presenting an interesting workshop case performed with a group of colleagues and
graduate students in the neglected areas of north Lefkoşa (Nicosia), which are mainly located close to the borderline, dividing the historic city into two, where mainly low income immigrants are currently living.
Parallel to the survey which revealed several alterations in the living areas due to the creativeness of the residents with their intuition to create some attachments with limited budgets so as to create better living
conditions, a similar project is performed with humoresque creative ideas by the researchers who took part in the survey and workshop. Ege Uluca Tümer’s article presents an architectural history survey about the improvements and alterations executed in Gazimağusa (Famagusta) historic walled city during the British period. The article of Ali Efdal Öztürk, a historian, is a study to signify the important part of Cyprus in the international trade in the Mediterranean area during the 18th century Ottoman Rule based on research in Sheri Sicils (the Court Registers) of Lekoşa (Nicosia) which bear the most trusted information regarding the socio-economic history of the island. Muzaffer Ercan Yılmaz, in his article entitled as “Analyzing and Resolving the Cyprus Conflict” is presenting a summary of the efforts for the possible solution of the Cyprus problem so as to bring peace through the diplomatic talks while he makes further indications which could be realized as crucial steps that would ensure the continuity of peace. The last part of JCS which is reserved for reviews on noteworthy publications is introducing two detailed works. One of these entitled as “A Constructive Review with Criticisms Derived from the Cypriot Case about the Lijphart’s Politics of Accommodation”, is a contribution by a young talented scholar, Direnç Kanol. The second review is about a historical source, Journal of Cyprian Studies, authored by myself. I believe that this is one of the academic journals born successfully in 1889 although due to unknown reasons, it could not have the chance to survive after the first issue. Journal of Cyprian Studies, which we could relate as an elder deceased sibling to our journal is one of the first attempts to publish a scientific journal merely on Cyprus topics by a group of European origin resident scholars in Cyprus at a time when most of the local people were still struggling with illiteracy and low economic life conditions. It was during the early 1990s that I had discovered an issue of this rarely known work in the British Library and since then, it had become one of the idols to guide me in my studies on Cyprus themes that also urged me to write the first draft proposal for the project to launch a centre for Cyprus Studies at EMU as well as initiating the publication of a similar periodical. As JCS reaches to its 39th issue, it is our hope to contribute to the Cyprus studies so as it could gain a well-regarded position on the international scientific arena with scholarly articles and reviews as it did since 1995. I would also take this opportunity to express my heart-felt thanks to Prof. Dr. Abdullah Öztoprak, the Rector of EMU, Prof. Dr. Naciye Doratlı, the Chair of the Centre for Cyprus Studies, Prof. Dr. Necdet Osam, the Chair of Emupress, and to Nihal Sakarya, our dedicated secretary, as well as to the staff of the Eastern Mediterranean University Printing House. I also acknowledge the kind corroborations and assistance of my colleagues Prof. Dr. Şebnem Önal Hoşkara, Prof. Dr. Adnan İnce, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erol Kaymak and Assist. Prof. Dr. Süheyla Erbilen to the realisation of this issue.
Netice Yıldız
Guest Editor
(Member of the Executive Committee of CCS)
