Cyprus-Forum.com

[Chimera]

You are right, Chimera...I hadn't read your post carefully before I replied.
for that I appologise...But on rereading i found nothing in that particular post to warn me of your true nature...Otherwise i would not have tried to extend you a welcoming hand. I am a Cypriot of Turkish ethnic background,and I find your blanket hatred of the Turkish race distasteful...

And,btw,I did not instruct you,or demand that you drop the "Greek" part. Mine was a playful way of encouraging you to become a True Cypriot...
Not an invitation for you to vent your hatred for humanity. You are free to determine your sense of self and identity...But please show me the same curtesy...I am a True Cypriot and I and many other brothers and sisters in this forum know what that means exactly...And 1000 Chimeras cannot possibly change that...

Birkibrisli.
Thank you for taking the time to re-read the post and for the apology.
Correct; you would not find anything in that passage or any other other regarding my true nature.
The welcoming hand you offered was to "drop" Greek, so it came veiled, and loaded. I've been offered those before by Turks, and Turks-born-on-Cyprus and have learned by trial-and-error to take them as superfluous offerings.
Your idea of True Cypriot and mine are clearly two different things. Although I explained my interpretation you have not explained yours.
It's presumptious of you to judge me as hating Humanity, but I will take it as a low-brow trick to increase favour in your camp. If I "vent", it is towards the Turks, and then purely in relation to what they have done to Cyprus first, and to other sections of my world, second.
Again, if you want to EUPHAMISE call yourself what you like! But if you want to be accurate and scientific about it, then please realise that Nomenclature follows strict rules, even if you don't like the category you are put in.
Finally, thank you for the challenge. Chimeras are ALREADY changing the world.

[miltiades]

Have a look at your ID , if you have one that is and see if it describes you as a Greek Cypriot. In fact No ID or passport in the entire universe would have Greek Cypriot shown as a nationality. The Cretans for instance would have Greek as their nationality. We dont , a very large number might have British as their nationality but Greek Cypriot most certainly not.
I can not see why a Cypriot can not be proud of the Cypriot identity just as our forefathers were, and Cypriot they were and as such the world viewed them.

[BirKibrisli]

Can I point out that the first Cypriot were not of Greek originand the first Turkish Cypriots weren't of Turkish origin and that a lot of Greek Cypriot have latin sounding surnames because of the latin period in Cyprus when a lot of Venetion merchants married the local women in places like Larnaca.
Cyprus is mainly Greek in the reaspect by curlture, but not blood as many different peoples have come to the island over the years. Not just Greeks!

....Except for those of us who have been stigmatised for being, by blood and semantics, TRUE Greek Cypriot.
By virtue of one parent being ethnically Greek and the other a true Cypriot, only then can the description "Greek Cypriot" be used accurately.

This is particluarly frustrating since I abhor the use of the opposite label "Turkish Cypriot" (unless by blood), and support the notion that the true Cypriots nead to be recognised as such, without ties to other countries' names.

Such polarisation due to semantics/politics is a pain when fellow Cypriots make assumptions as to ones loyalties because of the accepted usage of GC or TC. The usual assumption being favouring ENOSIS (which I don't).

I am an ardent supporter of a truly independent RoC for the TRUE Cypriots even if I am a TRUE Greek Cypriot.

We have a True Cypriot's Club in this forum,Chimera...It is for those who feel they are Cypriots above all else...And who believe,like you do,that Cypriots are one people one nation,divided by one or more artificial factors...If and when you are ready to drop the "Greek" part,Our president (miltiades) will be to happy to admit you,i am sure...

Don't bother to read what's written!
Charge on with the usual Turkish force.
You blithering, barbarian, how dare you instruct me in what I can drop!
The label Greek Cypriot stays because that is what I am, by birth, both Cypriot and Greek.
You are clearly neither!
Your sabotage of "TRUE" is again another example of the subterfuge and parasitic qualities displayed by Turks.

The blithering barbarian here is in my opinion very much YOU. How dare you insult a Cypriot man who has advocated all along a peaceful coexistence of our communities based on mutual respect and understanding of each others concerns. Take note that I'm a Greek Cypriot but primarily a Cypriot who proudly proclaims that Bir and my Turkish Cypriot compatriots are far closer to me than those from the foreign lands of Greece , Turkey , Crete Rhodes or from any other part of the Universe. Bir IS my brother my compatriot , a man born a stones throw from where I was born.
Sincerity and truthfulness is his mark , subterfuge belongs to those whose pea brain doesn't allow them to digest the meaning of a true Cypriot.
Only an arrogant individual would describe Bir as parasitic , and you do not appear , on surface , to be such. An apology would be in order .

Thank you for that passionate defence,dear miltiades...
Isn't it sad that Cypriots seem to be the only nation on earth not allowed to become what they are...You can be Turkish. You can be Greek. You can be half Greek and half GC....Half Turkish and half TC...But you can't be a True Cypriot of whatever background...Sums up our predicament in a nutshell...But we are here and our numbers are increasing every day...
We will overcome everything and become a nation..."it is your duty',said the Great Nazim Hikmet,"to live one more day...in spite of the enemy..."
It is our duty to build our nation...in spite of everyone...and everything...

[humanist]

Birkibrisli

Isn't it sad that Cypriots seem to be the only nation on earth not allowed to become what they are..

Dear Birk, I would like to say that whilst I sorta agree on your coment, perhaps it should read Isn't it sad that Cypriots are the only race in the world who choose to be something else but, what they are. Cypriots.

[BirKibrisli]

I do sincerely hope that you , Mr.Chimera , will post an apology for the unwarranted attack on Birkibrislys' person. I also hope that my belief that YOU are not GR in disguise IS correct.

I am almost certain Chimera is not GR,dear miltiades...

From his photos,GR has very kind eyes...He would be incapable of such venom as Chimera spits out...

[zan]

I do sincerely hope that you , Mr.Chimera , will post an apology for the unwarranted attack on Birkibrislys' person. I also hope that my belief that YOU are not GR in disguise IS correct.

I am almost certain Chimera is not GR,dear miltiades...

From his photos,GR has very kind eyes...He would be incapable of such venom as Chimera spits out...

You don't know what we know Bir!!!Tongues have been wagging and stories have been told. Minds have been made up.

[Nikitas]

Epsilon,

Interesting topic, but more relevant to the Greek Cypriots forum readers than others.

Being half Greek Cypriot and half mainland Greek, born in Cyprus but living in Greece since 1975 I can tell you one thing- being Cypriot is being Greek plus.

In the last 30 years Greece has become part of the wider European culture sharing most of the values and goals of a typical European country. Cyprus is still genuinely Greek in ways that are reminiscent of Greece in former times. Oddly enough the keeping of the Greek character has been reinforced by two factors- being small and independent of Greece and having suffered the 1974 invasion. Nothing matures a society more quickly and radically than suffering, and succesfully surviving, a major military setback. To survive such a setback, and come back stronger as a community and economically more robust is a miracle that not many have managed and it shows the inherent strength we owe to the maintenance of our genuine Greek culture. Do not be surprised that some mainland Greeks envy this strangth and resolve!

The assertion that we are not Greek is nonsense. Being Greek does not oblige us to seek union with Greece, or to abolish Cyprus as an entity. The two are unrelated but some people seem to want to confuse the issue. As for the differences that some find between Greek Cypriots and Greeks, such as the dialect and customs, then they should visit some islands like Karpathos, Rhodos, Halki, and Corfu. The dialect there is very much like Cypriot and the case of Corfu shows how much of that dialect derives from Italian and not Turkish as some people erroneously think. Corfu was never occupied by Turks yet they speak a lot like us because of the Venetian influence.

Having been away for 25 years I revisited the island recently and was surprised to see that Cypriots have retained their Greek culture and in some ways reinforced it while the mainlanders are becoming more European and multi cultural.

And for those who think that using the word "Cypriot" to describe themselves shows freedom from racial preoccupations, I will remind them of the phrase used in the old days: "are you a Cypriot or a Turk?" and it was used by both ethnic communities on the island as a genuine inquiry with no ulterior intent. The unconscious meaning of the phrase tells a lot!

[oranos64]

Nikitas
WELL SAID ...speaking to many minorities here in cyprus ..Armenian ,maronties ,etc ...they feel insulted by the label "CYPRIOT " ...Most Armenians are deeply wounded by the past "massacre of their culture in TURKEY"

So they refused to be label as the same identity ....but wish to be recognised as " Armenian cypriot " ...

many Armenians also voted "oxi" ...during the annan vote ....their voice should be heard too.

As for me i have the right to trace and recogise my familys history ..i am proud to be of heleniC blood ...(of jewish and italian too ) most Greek Cypriots from paphos and Famagusta /SALAMINA ..can trace their roots to Greece ...indeed your surnames would be a good indicator of roots

I am Greek Cypriot ..and have no wish to be coupled into a collective catagory ....

anyone wishing to do otherwise is free to be a "CYPRIOT" .... but do some research about your ancesors /name and culture ...especially those of you who live in the U.K and come over and cant speak your mother tongue ...

[Nikitas]

Oranos thank you for mentioning the other communities of Cyprus.

In another thread I attempted to start a discussion about the nature of viable solution to our problem, whether it should be Bi-Communal or Multi Communal and hence Multi Regional. The response is nil, obviously most people on this forum do not regard the other communities of Cyprus, the Armenians, Maronites, Latins and Rom as meriting a mention.

This attitude is unacceptably racist, in my opinion.

If the two main communities of the island have rights that go as far as self government and geographical separation then, logically, so do the smaller communities. And if 9 percent of the island can vote for a president who was to preside over the whole island in the rotating presidency (per Annan plan) then the same right belongs to the smaller communities. That is how the presidency rotates in Switzerland and as the Annan plan mentions in the preamble it is based on the Swiss model. Or was that just decorative bull?

[Neo_Cypriot]

Can I also point out under the agreements of independence forced by outsiders opposed on the Cypriot population so to create tensions in the future. All Chritian Cypriots chose to belong to the Greek Cypriot community as the people of Cyprus were forced to be two peoples rather than one or even six different groups.