Harmanci invokes Greek mythology to slam corruption in north

Turkish Cypriot Nicosia mayor Mehmet Harmanci on Tuesday invoked Greek mythology in a social media post criticising corruption in the north.

His intervention centred on the “fake diploma scandal”, which rocked the north over the first half of the year and saw numerous high profile arrests made, as well as the ongoing trial of the north’s ‘labour ministry’s’ permanent secretary on charges of bribery.

“The ‘demos’, who were excited by the narration of all the stories written by the goddess Athena in a Paphos accent, the fake nationalists’ diplomas, the ministers who were not involved in the circle of bribery, all watched what happened, which embarrassed the pride of the goddess Aphrodite, the greatest result of all these stories,” he began.

“Despite all your fraud, we have and will have an honourable cause for which to sacrifice ourselves on our land.”

Harmanci’s poetic tone could in some aspects be open to multiple interpretations. Athena is in Greek mythology the goddess of wisdom, warfare and handicraft, and also the goddess of peace.

Which aspect of the mythology relating to Athena he is wishing to invoke is not entirely clear, though it is possible that he, as a lifelong supporter of a federal solution to the Cyprus problem, would be stressing the “peace” aspect.

Aphrodite’s historical and cultural association to the island, and the regular personification of Cyprus in the form of Aphrodite, is a longstanding and regularly used metaphor, though the reference to the Paphos accent is also not entirely clear.

Harmanci has roots from Paphos, but at the same time, the north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel is also from Paphos, having been born in the village of Mandria.

The Cyprus Mail contacted Harmanci for clarification.