Contesting the Past, Constructing the Future: a Comparative Study of the Cyprus Conflict in Secondary History Education

This study examines the images and representations of Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot perspectives on the Cyprus conflict, transmitted through secondary history education (textbooks and pedagogy) in the two communities. The study also discusses the possibilities for promoting peacebuilding via alternative approaches to history education in this divided society. Using qualitative research, the thesis analyzes selected Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot secondary school history textbooks, focusing on the period of 1955-1974 that led to the de facto separation of the island. Additionally, interviews with five educators and researchers from both communities probe their views and visions of nationalistic and pluralistic history education in Cyprus. Findings indicate that the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot school history narratives cultivate nationalistic collective memory and identity and exclude the voice of the other. Cyprus history education holds the potential to prepare students from both sides of the border to participate in a more diverse and peaceful society.