On January 18, in the match between Omonia Nicosia and AE Ypsona for the round of 16 phase of the Cyprus Cup, 17-year-old Tahsin Özler came on as a substitute in the 59th minute of the match. It became the first Turkish Cypriot after 1957 to compete in an official match of the most popular Cypriot team, of Omonia Nicosia. In the politicized and violent Cyprus football, the 17-year-old Tahsin turned the spotlight on him for the wrong reasons, specifically for his Turkish Cypriot origin, while highlighting the division within Cypriot society in relation to the Cyprus issue. At the same time, he recalled the reality of the coexistence of two communities in Cyprus.

A club of the Left, Omonia became the recipient of negative comments from Greek Cypriot fans of Right-wing teams on social media about its athlete. In a league dominated numerically by foreign footballers, the emergence of a talented Cypriot midfielder from the Turkish Cypriot community caused insecurity to all those who identify Cypriot football with the island’s Greek community. On the other hand, the presence of the young footballer on the field brought a wave of messages of peace and coexistence from thousands of ordinary football fans, but also from famous people. Indicatively, AKEL Member of Parliament Aristos Diamianou wrote, among other things, in a post: “Only unions with the principles and values ​​represented by Omonia can accommodate this enormous symbolism. Only pride. A Turkish Cypriot in Omonia’s 11…”.

67 years later

He sent a message of encouragement to the Turkish Cypriot footballer on social media and the later journalist, researcher and political analyst Ibrahim Aziz, who was the last Turkish Cypriot to play for Omonia Nicosia in the 1956-1957 season. Speaking on DW’s Greek program, Mr. Aziz emphasized that he had been expecting the presence of a Turkish Cypriot footballer in Omonia for years. Recalling the history of the division of Cypriot football with the withdrawal of the Turkish Cypriot teams from the Cyprus Football Association in the late 50s, he noted that Tahsin’s presence in the Cypriot league is a symbol of peace and unity, not only for football, but for the divided Cyprus.

Coming from the bi-communal village of Potamia, Aziz had first played football in Aeto Potamia, a team made up of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot athletes. Besides, before the departure of the Turkish Cypriot teams for the establishment of a Turkish Cypriot football federation in the 1950s, Turkish Cypriot footballers had competed with the colors of AEL, Alki, Nea Salamina, Anorthosis, Apollo, PAEK, EPA etc. ok From 1974 until 2004, when contact between the two communities was partially banned, all sporting exchanges were suspended. Since then, two Turkish Cypriots, Ali Imam and Joskun Olusoy, have played in New Salamina, while at least one case of a veteran Greek Cypriot footballer registered with a Turkish Cypriot club, playing football on the other side of the Green Line, has been recorded.

Tahsin is not alone

The highlighting of Tahsin’s talent in Cypriot football, which is poor in the production of footballers, also turned the spotlight on the work of the Omonia academies, where 12 Turkish Cypriots are still studying. Among them stand out the midfielder Tema Gunel, the striker and twice invited for trials by Fenerbahce, Suleiman Hurdeniz, and the left defender Husein Merteroglou.

In the hope that their talent and efforts are not lost in the politically plagued football of Cyprus, the only thing that is certain is that they have many examples of Greek-Turkish friendship to draw from football, starting with the greatest football player in the history of Turkish football and Fenerbahce , the legend Lefter Kucukandonyadis of the 1950s and reaching the championship won by Tasos Bakasetas in Turkey with Trabzonspor in 2022.

Loukianos Lyritsas, Nicosia