Summary: The Cyprus Issue as Witnessed by Dr. Ayten

The living legend of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Dr. Ayten Salih Berkalp, recounts her life and the history of her country’s struggle—of which she was an active participant—in a nine-hour oral history documentary. Dr. Ayten is a fearless ‘white-coated’ freedom fighter who practiced medicine under the oppressive conditions of British colonial rule and increasing hostility from the Greek Cypriot community in Cyprus. She completed her secondary education at Istanbul Çamlıca Girls’ High School and earned her medical degree from Istanbul University. A pioneering woman in sports, she founded Turkey’s first women’s teams in volleyball, basketball, athletics, and rowing. In 1958, as Greek Cypriot attacks intensified, Turkish Cypriots organized in self-defense and established the Turkish Resistance Organization (Türk Mukavemet Teşkilatı, TMT). Dr. Ayten embarked on her perilous medical career amid growing violence, practicing under the threat of EOKA weapons while also serving as a member of TMT. Between 1974 and 1975, she held key positions as a regional commander (‘Sancaktar’) and intelligence officer in the southern part of the island. These roles continued until 1975, when, following the Turkish Peace Operation, she was finally able to escape to the north.