Níyazí Kizilyürek

Niyazi Kızılyürek was born in the mixed village of Potamia in Nicosia. His family became refugees during the intercommunal conflicts of 1963-64 and relocated to the Turkish Cypriot ghetto of Louroujina. He studied social and political sciences at the University of Bremen in Germany and completed a dissertation on the Cyprus problem and international relations. In 1995, he was elected as a lecturer in the Department of Turkish Studies at the University of Cyprus, where he currently serves as an associate professor and department chair. In 1997, he was awarded the Abdi İpekçi Peace Prize for his contributions to rapprochement between the two communities in Cyprus, as well as between Greece and Turkey. In 2006, he was honored by the French government with the distinction of "Knight of the Order of Academic Palms" for his scientific contributions and his efforts for peace in Cyprus. He is the author of several books in Greek and Turkish, as well as numerous academic articles in various international scientific journals. His main research interests include modern Turkish history, the Cyprus problem, and nationalism. Besides Turkish, he speaks and writes in Greek, English, French, and German. His works include: "Cyprus, the Deadlock of Nationalisms" (Greek), "Cyprus in the Grip of Nationalism" (Turkish), and "The History of an Unborn State: United Cypriot Republic" (Turkish).