Cyprus-Forum.com

[Nikitas]

Political commentary column

As the standard of living rises, so does the desire for a separate state.
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A big shot like the UN Secretary General publishes a report about us and he cannot see the occupation that exists here. He does not see the guns, the city that has been closed for 33 years. He does not see the plunder of properties. He does not see the illegal influx of people to the point they outnumber the locals several times over.

So, what does he see? He sees only the isolation. This is according to him the biggest problem of a country that has been under occupation for 33 years. The residents of the occupied areas are cut off from the world. But he does not attach blame for this on the occupier. He does not seek responsibility.

I am curious if anyone among us will stand up and protest against this Secretary General and ask him:

"Which is the primary problem of Cyprus, isolation or occupation?
To find a solution to the problem, asserts the Secretary General, the two sides must be economically equal. I used to believe this too because I believed that a rich person and a poor person could not strike a fair bargain. But history has demolished this view. As the Turkish side sees its standard of living rise it distanced itself from a solution. It looked inward, and moved away from the goal of a united Cyprus and look more towards a separate state.

How to interpret this development? As acceptance of two separate states by the Greek side. This is the reason that there is a quest for a rise in the standard of living through the lifting of isolation. It is hoped it will force the other side to accept the solution of two separate states. In other words the Turkish side must arrive at a level of prosperity so that no one will be left among us who will babble on about a united Cyprus. This is the point behind the effort to lift the embargoes.

The vast majority of Turkish Cypriots is prepared for this view. But they also have a fear. A separate state might be OK, they think, but how do we get rid of Turkey? And that is a problem that no one can solve in a satisfactory way. That problem remains unsolved.

Naturally I am referring to Turkish Cypriots, not the population of the north in general. In other words to the one fifth of the population, it might even be the one tenth. For no one knows the facts about the population of the north.

If there was a poll among Turkish Cypriots now with the question "which solution do you prefer?" they would respond as follows: "a separate state but independent from Turkey". This is the view that finds supporters among the most progressive people of the Turkish Cypriot side. However, they also recognise that there can never be a separate and independent state in the north.

A separate state means Turkey. It means Turkification. It means a thinly veiled region of Turkey. A region governed by puppet governments. In such a case the population of the north will be multiplied by some millions. More and more people wil arrive from Anatolia and in time genuine Turkish Cypriots will disappear. If now TCs can be counted on the fingers of one hand, by then you will not even need fingers to count them.

The recent report of the UN Secretary General shows that the foreign powers insist on the partition of the island. I have no doubt at all that these reports are written according to the wishes of the USA and the Britain. Even some EU nations go along with these two. And there may even be some Greek Cypriots who consider partition as the best form of solution, which proves that these people cannot analyse in the least future events. If we fall into Turkey's embrace do they think they will escape? Is it easy to have a frontier with Turkey on such a small island?

The uneasy goal of the Turkish Cypriots for a separate state was not defined only by the increase in the standard of living. Another reason was the mistrust for the Greek side. The root of this mistrust is that not one single Cypriot politician has invited a return to the partnership of 1960.

The Turkish leadership would reject immediately this proposal. But even so, if it was made it would allow us to trust each other again.

By Sener Levent in today's Politis newspaper

[Viewpoint]

Political commentary column

As the standard of living rises, so does the desire for a separate state.
--------------

A big shot like the UN Secretary General publishes a report about us and he cannot see the occupation that exists here. He does not see the guns, the city that has been closed for 33 years. He does not see the plunder of properties. He does not see the illegal influx of people to the point they outnumber the locals several times over.

So, what does he see? He sees only the isolation. This is according to him the biggest problem of a country that has been under occupation for 33 years. The residents of the occupied areas are cut off from the world. But he does not attach blame for this on the occupier. He does not seek responsibility.

I am curious if anyone among us will stand up and protest against this Secretary General and ask him:

"Which is the primary problem of Cyprus, isolation or occupation?
To find a solution to the problem, asserts the Secretary General, the two sides must be economically equal. I used to believe this too because I believed that a rich person and a poor person could not strike a fair bargain. But history has demolished this view. As the Turkish side sees its standard of living rise it distanced itself from a solution. It looked inward, and moved away from the goal of a united Cyprus and look more towards a separate state.

How to interpret this development? As acceptance of two separate states by the Greek side. This is the reason that there is a quest for a rise in the standard of living through the lifting of isolation. It is hoped it will force the other side to accept the solution of two separate states. In other words the Turkish side must arrive at a level of prosperity so that no one will be left among us who will babble on about a united Cyprus. This is the point behind the effort to lift the embargoes.

The vast majority of Turkish Cypriots is prepared for this view. But they also have a fear. A separate state might be OK, they think, but how do we get rid of Turkey? And that is a problem that no one can solve in a satisfactory way. That problem remains unsolved.

Naturally I am referring to Turkish Cypriots, not the population of the north in general. In other words to the one fifth of the population, it might even be the one tenth. For no one knows the facts about the population of the north.

If there was a poll among Turkish Cypriots now with the question "which solution do you prefer?" they would respond as follows: "a separate state but independent from Turkey". This is the view that finds supporters among the most progressive people of the Turkish Cypriot side. However, they also recognise that there can never be a separate and independent state in the north.

A separate state means Turkey. It means Turkification. It means a thinly veiled region of Turkey. A region governed by puppet governments. In such a case the population of the north will be multiplied by some millions. More and more people wil arrive from Anatolia and in time genuine Turkish Cypriots will disappear. If now TCs can be counted on the fingers of one hand, by then you will not even need fingers to count them.

The recent report of the UN Secretary General shows that the foreign powers insist on the partition of the island. I have no doubt at all that these reports are written according to the wishes of the USA and the Britain. Even some EU nations go along with these two. And there may even be some Greek Cypriots who consider partition as the best form of solution, which proves that these people cannot analyse in the least future events. If we fall into Turkey's embrace do they think they will escape? Is it easy to have a frontier with Turkey on such a small island?

The uneasy goal of the Turkish Cypriots for a separate state was not defined only by the increase in the standard of living. Another reason was the mistrust for the Greek side. The root of this mistrust is that not one single Cypriot politician has invited a return to the partnership of 1960.

The Turkish leadership would reject immediately this proposal. But even so, if it was made it would allow us to trust each other again.

By Sener Levent in today's Politis newspaper

This is very true as TCs have seen for themselves that they cannot unit with GCs and have like me taken the separate state route, this will overtime increase its support and GC play a very important role in encouraging this thinking to gain momentum.

The only we TCs could move away from Turkey is not to be so financially dependent on them and able to stand on our two feet but of course again the GCs do everything within theri power to ensure we are not allowed the same economic advantages as other human beings and play right into the hands of Turkey. Do GCs understand why their actions alienate us so much and why this breeds even further mistrust.

[Get Real!]

The only we TCs could move away from Turkey is not to be so financially dependent on them and able to stand on our two feet but of course again the GCs do everything within theri power to ensure we are not allowed the same economic advantages as other human beings and play right into the hands of Turkey. Do GCs understand why their actions alienate us so much and why this breeds even further mistrust.

If the democracy, prosperity, and EU membership of the RoC does not provide any incentive for the TC community to want to participate then surely you cannot expect the RoC to believe that by allowing the “TRNC” the tools to wealth will!

[Viewpoint]

The only we TCs could move away from Turkey is not to be so financially dependent on them and able to stand on our two feet but of course again the GCs do everything within theri power to ensure we are not allowed the same economic advantages as other human beings and play right into the hands of Turkey. Do GCs understand why their actions alienate us so much and why this breeds even further mistrust.

If the democracy, prosperity, and EU membership of the RoC does not provide any incentive for the TC community to want to participate then surely you cannot expect the RoC to believe that by allowing the “TRNC” the tools to wealth will!

The problem is the "RoC" that administers democracy and human rights TCs do not trust it in its current form thats why we have been trying unsucessfully to find an alternative