By Andri Daniel
On the day of Kaiti Clerides’ final farewell, 8 October 2025, her book was quietly released. A collection of final reflections, insights, and deeply personal thoughts. The only daughter of former President Glafcos Clerides never held the book in her hands, but it now stands as her intellectual legacy.
Friends and fellow fighters, visibly moved, placed a printed copy on her chest during the funeral service, her last words now accompanying her to her final resting place. The English-language book, titled “The President’s Daughter, Kaiti Clerides”, was edited by Professor Niyazi Kızılyürek, with whom she had shared years of bicommunal activism.
A life between two communities
In the book, Clerides reflects on her life alongside her father, her own path in politics, and her involvement in bicommunal reconciliation. With honesty and emotional clarity, she recounts experiences, decisions, and regrets, as well as the cost of speaking openly, a section titled “Speaking Out and Paying the Price.”
Her narrative goes beyond the personal. She touches on feminism, love, political maturity, and offers a roadmap for Cyprus: “Moving Forward.” Her words advocate for empathy, shared truths, and the courage to listen to the "other side".
'I didn’t make it in time'
The book’s release coinciding with her funeral was described by educator Rena Hoplarou as a tragic irony. In a moving post, she recalled Professor Kızılyürek holding the book outside the church, visibly shaken, whispering, “I didn’t make it in time.”
Clerides had worked on the book through illness. She began writing in 2023 and completed the manuscript despite her declining health.
Her own voice
In the book’s afterword, Clerides writes of her work with Turkish Cypriots in conflict resolution workshops, describing them as spaces of profound mutual understanding. “I had the opportunity to understand how they saw the conflict,” she writes, “while sharing how we experienced it.”
What began as a political mission turned into a personal journey of discovery: “Each person carries their own version of the truth, shaped by their lived experiences and identity. Real understanding requires the willingness to hear every voice.”
She argues that we are all, to a degree, trapped in our own perspectives, believing them to be the whole truth. “In reality, each story reflects just a part of the bigger picture. Reconciliation begins with listening with open minds and open hearts.”
The book, illustrated with black-and-white photos from her life with her parents, is now available in bookshops. A political memorial will be held in her honour on Thursday, 30 October, 16:00–18:00 at the Home for Cooperation in Nicosia. The official book launch is planned for a later date.