Compatriot and friend Insan,
I agree with you that nothing is complicated if it is logical and well defined.
My approach is different and I hope I will manage to convince you in that. It is based on the axiom that we should try to avoid, as much as possible, the division of people (Cypriot citizens in this case) along lines of ethnical origin and /or religion and /or language. Your approach is based on this divisive basis, on an almost absolute degree. In other words, TCypriots registering on separate voting lists and GCs registering on other voting lists, both on the constituent state level and on the federal level.
Why we should try to avoid it as much as possible:
1. As a left-winger that you are and so do I, you should be aware that one of the fundamental principles of any leftist ideology (Marxist, socialist, social democratic and even communist) is that people must not be divided on the basis of ethnicity but on the basis of social and economic interests. Marxist ideology suggests a political struggle on the basis of social classes, irrespective of ethnic background. The Greek Cypriot working class has more common interests with the Turkish Cypriot working class rather than with the conservative capitalist GC class, and vise versa. In a nutshell, the political debate should be based upon ideological differences instead of ethnical or religious differences. Only fascist ideologies attempt to divide people along ethnic lines and the reason is to disillusion them from their real social and economical problems and concerns. It is for this reason that all fascist ideologies promote religious fanaticism, chauvinism and hatred towards other nations. The fascist (extreme right wing) ideologies are vertical (along ethnic lines,) the leftist ideologies are lateral or horizontal (along social and economic interests irrespective of ethnic origins.)
2. If we institutionalize the separation of the people of Cyprus along ethnic origin lines, we will perpetuate the mistrust and resentment of one community towards the other, and we will never be able to promote a common Cypriot identity. Part of the problems that we faced in the past is attributed to the chauvinist circles in each community (Enosis with Greece and Taksim,) but also another part is attributed to this very same institutionalized separation of the two communities that enhanced the mistrust and resentment of one to the other and rented them pray to these chauvinist circles.
3. In Cyprus we do not have only Greek and Turkish or Ottoman and Hellenic people. Being members of the EU, we will also have (already we have) a considerable number of other European origin residents, which can rightfully claim the status of citizenship whenever they choose and upon fulfillment of the relevant criteria. How and under which of the two ethnic groups we are going to classify them? The definition that was offered in the Anan plan as to what constitutes the members of each grouping (TC and GC,) in terms of exercising their political rights on the Federal upper house level, is that irrespective of place of residence (south or north,) TCs (those of Turkish ethnic origin and Turkish maternal language) vote only for the TC senators and GCs (those of Greek ethnic origin and Greek maternal language) vote only for the GC senators. That simply means that anyone (Cypriot or to be Cypriot) who doesn’t belong to any of the above clearly defined groups (thanks god they didn’t ask also for a DNA test,) cannot be entitle to political rights on the Federal level. A German or British origin Cypriot and E.U. citizen, whether he lives in the south or in the north, cannot elect or be elected in the senate because he has no Greek or Turkish ethnic origin. That is simply unacceptable by European Union norms and by any human rights principle.
4. The European Union constitution clearly prohibits discrimination towards any E.U. citizen on the basis of ethnicity. Part II: Charter of Fundamental Rights, article II-81, page 10 (
http://europa.eu.int/constitution/print_en.htm). Further more, it is accepted by all E.U. members that the E.U. constitution or convention super seats the national constitution, and no provision of the latest can be in conflict with the E.U. constitution.
I hope I have offered enough food for thought as to why we should try to avoid this division along lines of ethnical origin. I understand the Turkish Cypriot concerns on this issue. You may feel that this is an indirect way for Greek Cypriots to gain full control of the political ruling and thus gradually dominate and assimilate the Turkish Cypriots in what you fear will become a Hellenisted island. I am willing and more than happy to discuss any and all possible alternative ways, approaches and measures that we can take in order to safeguard that such a thing never happens and that your ethnic, cultural, language and religious identity is protected indefinitely, within the parameters of the E.U. and it’s constitutional provisions.
As for the model of government that we should introduce, I have some suggestions, but I would like first to have your reaction and feedback to all the above. I am not ruling out political equality as such, as long as it is based on a constituent state level (like all other federations in the world) and not on a community or ethnic level. Further more, political equality should not be interpreted to mean an absolute numerical equality. In other words, the Cypriot citizens of one constituent state with 650,000 population should not be expected to share on a 50:50 basis the political, administrative and civil service posts of the federal state with the Cypriot Citizens of the other CS with 150,000 population. This should be more or less proportional to the corresponding size of each CS.
