Information centre opens for Turkish Cypriots

BY OPENING an information centre for Turkish Cypriots in Nicosia, Constantinos Candounas says he is doing something the government should have done long ago.

Candounas’ Information Centre, close to the capital’s popular Ledra Street, opened just two weeks ago to help orientate Turkish Cypriots to life in the south.

“We help people to find government offices, lawyers, schools, medical services, or whatever they help and assistance they need,” says Turkish Cypriot Ercin Fevzi, one of the two full-time staff at the centre.

The Centre is funded completely by Candounas, a lawyer whose law firm is barely five minutes away from the centre. But Candounas insists his motives for establishing the Centre were not purely altruistic.

“This is not a philanthropic gesture because philanthropic gestures are done for the benefit of someone else. This is for the benefit of all of us. I believe we benefit from this as well because if they feel comfortable to live with us, then we benefit too.”

Despite claiming to have no interest in politics, Candounas says he is working actively to promote closer links between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island.
“There is fear and lack of trust, and I believe that something like this will fight it. It’s the only way forward,” he says, adding that his Centre lets Turkish Cypriots “know there are people who care and would go out of their way to help them”.

It is not the first time Cadounas has been involved in bicommunal activities.

“About two years ago my wife and I worked to organise a bicommunal conference in Sweden where Greek and Turkish Cypriot artists came together. Apart from this, we really didn’t have any other way of contacting each other”.

But since the relaxation of crossing restrictions between the north and south last year Candounas said he has been increasing contacts with the Turkish Cypriot community.
“I’ve spoken to most of the editors in the north. And I’ve had people handing out leaflets,” he says, adding that, being a refugee from Famagusta, his family had close links with Turkish Cypriots before the invasion.

Candounas says the idea of setting up the Centre occurred to him after he observed groups of disorientated Turkish Cypriots wandering the streets looking for various offices.

“A lot of people were complaining that they didn’t know where to go. They get sent from office to office,” he says, adding that often the information given to them at the offices was inaccurate.

Asked whether he planned any other bicommunal projects Candounas says: “Obviously, if there is a solution this could grow into something else.” As for whether he believes there will be a solution to the Cyprus problem, he claims to be “cautiously optimistic”.
The service is free to Turkish Cypriots and is available from nine to five, Monday to Friday. It is also open Thursday afternoons.

The centre can be contacted on Turkish Cypriot mobile number: 0533 841 3330