zan wrote:Lena
VP and I have never argued with the fact that if all things were equal that we would argue against unification. The fact of the matter is that so much work has to be done in order to get to a point when either of us could see it as being a viable solution. We see every day and more and more is being done to the detriment of unification that common sense says that that is the only option left. As you say the idea that it could happen is many years away and we can only talk for what is going on today. As quickly as you made up your mind, by speaking to a few young people that it is possible, we have come to our conclusion after, in my case, three years of talking to people on both sides. I am more than happy to accept your version of an isolated event that you experienced and am more than happy for it to happen, it is just that my experience tells me different. Miracles can happen though. I am also more than happy for you and people that think like you not to lose your hope because I have seen too many people turn from how you think to toeing the party line that is sure to impose partition on you whether you like it or not.
The problem I have with many that refuse to see the TC part of this is that you guys have no fear of losing your culture and your identity. At most you are losing a house or a piece of land. We are fighting for our very existence here and the term "Cypriot" simply does not cover this. Whether people like it or not there is no "Cypriot" as a single entity. Yes we have many similarities but we also have many unique qualities that say I am a Turkish Cypriot. Nothing can change that and I don't want it to. No one can take away the fact that the Turkish part of my Cypriotness exists. By taking that word and my identity away dose no justice to who and what I am. You can only add to that as in now, I am a British-Turkish- Cypriot. If I move to the US, I will be an American-British-Turkish-Cypriot and so on. You cannot take away but only add.
No pain, no gain. Zan I agree that there are lots of thing that we need to do. But we have to do them …not sit there and argue because we have to do those things.
You are talking about facts. Well the fact is that GC are more than the TC…that is a fact. What you want us to do…stop getting married, having children and wait for the TC until they become equal with us? Tell me when the TC was equal with GC…and I am only talking in the matter of numbers…TC was a minority in Cyprus since ever
As many years as I have to wait and fight I will sacrifice them but I will not accept the partition…I prefer to stay like that than give up from my country. Because is that how I feel accepting the partition. I am not going to accept the legal division of my country. You can call me too optimistic, dreamer, stupid…anything you want … but that’s how I feel…and since I talk with other compatriots of mine and agree with me…yes I will not change my mind and I will keep dreaming. I usually like to think about the present and what I have at the moment…but I am not going to ignore the future. I will do everything that I can for the best of my country…and trust me I am working on something in my area…If I succeed, I will let you know. But the whole idea of unification, if it will happen one day, we have to work from now. Get along with each other from now. It will be difficult to accept each other one day from one day to the other.
By the way is not the first time that I talk or heart stories and opinion from TC and GC. I lived all my life with GC talking about those things and my dad has lots of TC friends and he is a refugee and he used to invite them home…and he still does since the “borders” opened. But I didn’t pay much attention then. And we have a friendly TC family that live in Potamia…that village has lots of TC. So I had lots of TC around me for years now. But I am talking about young people, the future citizens of Cyprus. People like Shah and some GC friends make me believe that things was more difficult than I was hopping but now my hopes are even more stronger and I believe that one day I might see my dreams come true.
You know what Zan I am Cypriot and in Cyprus we have 3 languages. Greek, Turkish and English. I know two of them…and as Cypriot I decided that I have to learn Turkish as well. That doesn’t mean that I will become Turkish more now than I was before. I don’t change my Cypriotness as you said but I don’t add anything else. I live in UK at the moment and I do speak their language …. That doesn’t add the British part on my nationality, even if I was living here for years. I didn’t born here, I didn’t grow up as British and I will never change the Cypriot part of me…whenever I go. I am sorry but for me there is the Cypriot nation. And I am part of it.
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