İsmet Güney

İsmet Vehit Güney (* 1932 in Limassol , British Overseas Territory , United Kingdom ; † June 23, 2009 in North Nicosia ) was a Turkish Cypriot artist and teacher . He is best known for his design of the coat of arms of the Republic of Cyprus , the modern flag of the Republic of Cyprus and the original Cyprus pound from 1960. Güney's design was unique in that the Republic of Cyprus is the first country in the world to have its map on the state flag shows. The Kosovo took over the design for its flag.

biography

Güney was born in Limassol in 1932. He started painting while he was a college student. After graduating from the University of Education, he began working as an art teacher in 1948.

From 1948 to 1977 he taught history and art at Lefkoşa Erkek Lisesi (Nicosia Men's High School). In 1956 he met the artist İbrahim Çallı and worked with him until 1960.

In 1947 he was the first Turkish Cypriot painter to open his own art exhibition. Güney had many solo exhibitions, he also took part in group exhibitions in Cyprus and abroad. In 1967 a scholarship enabled him to study at Belfast Queen's University Stranmillis . In 1986 he had a major retrospective exhibition in North Nicosia. Towards the end of his life he worked on graphics and color separation in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

İsmet Güney died of cancer on June 23, 2009 at the age of 77.

Draft flag of the Republic of Cyprus

According to the constitution, the flag should not contain red or blue colors (the colors of Great Britain, and individually Turkey and Greece), nor a cross or a star. A public competition was announced for this in 1960. İsmet Güney emerged as the winner of the competition, the last word of which was given by the then President of the Republic of Cyprus, Makarios III. and Vice President Fazıl Küçük had.

The white flag was chosen for the young Republic of Cyprus as a symbol of peace between the two communities, the Cypriot Greeks and Turks living there. The map of the island is golden yellow, even if the original color of copper was intended, as the island got its name from this metal. Since brownish-reddish copper is not a color in heraldry , it was changed to gold. It was the first flag to show the outline of a country or an island. Güney's idea was to make the small country better known. The two green olive branches symbolize the peace between the said communities.

Since the Turkish occupation of the northern part of the island, its use has been limited to the south of the island.

Güney received the award and a certificate. According to the Turkish Cypriot media, Makarios III promised him. also an annual payment of 20 Cyprus pounds, which was never made. Güney had hired a Greek Cyprus law firm to take his case and stated that he would go to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Stefanos Evripidou: Cyprus flag designer dies . In: Cyprus Mail , June 25, 2009. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2009.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Güney, İsmet
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Güney, İsmet Vehit
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Cypriot Turkish painter and teacher
DATE OF BIRTH	1932
PLACE OF BIRTH	Limassol
DATE OF DEATH	June 23, 2009
Place of death	North Nicosia

[cm-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Stefanos Evripidou: Cyprus flag designer dies . In: Cyprus Mail , June 25, 2009. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2009.