Cyprus-Forum.com

[Pumpy]

Piratis

Can you offer me at least 2, hopefully three, major reasons why the Cyprus Problem is of overiding importance in the modern age?

Apart from the understandable issues of justice and human rights, why is it important that the Island be reunified in circumstances appropriate for the Greek minority? Bearing in mind the other pertinent issues of the day that are urgent and highly important?

[Pumpy]

Humanist: and exactly what is this 'situation'? my understanding is that, besides the obvious loss of land, the Cypriots have done rather well out of the last 2 decades.

So what is it exactly that is holding you back or otherwise causing a problem?

My contention is that small nations must accept the inevitable harshness of geo-strategic politics and the regretable movements made by international players on the world scene. Unfortunately, and in part due to Cypriot politicians, the island of Cyprus is divided. This cannot be solely laid at the door of the Turks, who obviously had to support the interests of the persecuted TC minority.

Today, in a land far removed from the politicised era of cold war Cyprus, people are doing well, and some are doing poorly. This has nothing to do with the Cyprus Problem and everything to do with incompetence, plus of course a shit governmental and civil service system; and greed.

When will people in Cyprus finally wake up? I suggest it will be when they sort out their dire education system, and when people finally learn proper manners.

[Piratis]

So according to you justice and human rights are less important? I don't know how you came to that conclusion. Maybe it is because it is not your human rights which are violated and your country which is occupied?

And I didn't understand your point about the "Greek minority". Can you explain it?

Further to the problems of the individual people, the Cyprus problem is a national problem. Do you know any country which would just gift away its territory? England went to fight for Falklands some decades ago. Not to mention that they go to fight in places like Iraq just for oil and financial interests. And then you tell me that the illegal occupation of our own territory is not a problem?

[Pumpy]

At no stage did I venture that human rights are 'less important' at all. If you read my post objectively this would have become clear.

If you must know, I am half Greek Cypriot and therefore the issue is completely relevant and personal to me. Does not mean I cannot form an informed, intelligent and different opinion on the matter.

You speak about giving territory away and conceding land. You obviously, unwittingly or wittingly, conflate the Cyprus Problem with issues faced by far flung lands in bygone eras.

The 1974 incident, undoubtedly, was in part down to the actions of the Cypriot state itself. Any intelligent person would tell you that, at least a small factor contributing to the Turkish invsation was the antagonsing and violent actions of the popular and well funded EOKA movement - which is known to have engineered pillages and sackings of TC villages.

I know personally of accounts and stories, from Greek Cypriot people no less, where violent unprovoked acts of violence were wreaked upon innocent TC civilians for having the temerity of being of that minority.

Of course, Enosis was a completely ridiculous and inadvisable policy to follow in the circumstances. The supporters and politicians backing the move deliberaly neglected the consequences of such a push. It was obvious what would happen. Only backwards idiots and militants would ignore such a threat. The right wingers did just that, and so we have the split island of today.

My views are balanced and I am part GC. Please pay me the respect of posing a fair viewpoint.

[Piratis]

You don't know the Cyprus history and I doubt you speak Greek. Do you even have the Cypriot citizenship? Did you serve in the Cyprus army? Half Greek Cypriot? Please!!! From what you say you sound like a typical British.

First of all uniting our own island with Greece was the 100% legitimate choice of the people of Cyprus. Why the hell should UK or Turkey force on us their will? Did we tell them what to do with their own countries or how to share power with their own minorities?

The conflicts in Cyprus between GCs and TCs were initiated by the British when they used the TC minority on the island as an excuse to deny to the Cypriot people their freedom and self determination. Here I explain this in detail:
http://www.cyprus-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14652

That conflict was both ways and both sides suffered a few 100s of casualties each. Furthermore that conflict was over by 1968, and it had nothing to do with the Turkish invasion of 1974. In 1974 no TC was harmed until after Turkey with the collaboration of the TC minority invaded Cyprus and started to kill Cypriots by the 1000s.

The occupation of our country is unjust, illegal and inexcusable. No lame excuses can take away from us the lands we existed for 1000s of years. The Turks and the British came to our island uninvited for the sole reason of enslaving us and exploiting our island. Today they continue to violate our rights and occupy our lands and if thats not enough they are trying to blame us on top of it trying to convince us that we deserve to be punished because we wanted to rule our own island.

[Michalism]

I think pumpy is making some good points especially about the Cypriot public education system. I went to public schools in Cyprus myself and when I compare my education to that of my children abroad the difference is from here to the moon. I would invite whoever can read Greek to visit my blog: www.cyprusissue.blogspot.com and read the part about education in the open letter to Dimitris Christofias.

[Bananiot]

I totally agree with your position on education Michael but I think you have only just scratched the surface. There are so many things that need to be changed which nobody will touch because all are scared of the political cost. Changing things is not easy in a phobic and conservative society such as ours either.

[Piratis]

Nobody claims that Cyprus doesn't have other ordinary problems as just about every other country. However the situation is not black as pumpy tried to present it, and most importantly these ordinary problems are definitely not more important than the illegal occupation of our country, which according to pumpy is a non-existent one.

Michael, when you studied in Cyprus it was apparently decades ago. You can not compare Cyprus of 1960s or 70s with another country of 2000s as that would be comparing apples to oranges. In the USA for example most public high schools are really bad and parents that can afford it send their children to private schools. Do you send your children in public or private schools? That said I agree that many reforms should be done in our education since our aim should be to have one of the best systems in the world and not just an average one. But if we are going to discuss that issue this should be done out of the "Cyprus Problem" section.

[umit07]

Pirates

quote:

"That conflict was both ways and both sides suffered a few 100s of casualties each. Furthermore that conflict was over by 1968, and it had nothing to do with the Turkish invasion of 1974. In 1974 no TC was harmed until after Turkey with the collaboration of the TC minority invaded Cyprus and started to kill Cypriots by the 1000s. "

I think it's time you changed your nappy, it's full of shit again.

[humanist]

Pumpy FREDOM TO RETURN TO MY ANCESTRAL HOME AND LIVE FREELY IN MY COUNTRY