Viewpoint wrote:Kifeas I mix with other GCs so I do have a pretty good idea of what they think but after finding out they keep guns at home ……….
Should I assume here that the impression you gained by mixing up with GCs is a rather positive one but it has been ruined or nullified because you found out that some of them keep guns at home?
Viewpoint wrote: ……. after finding out they keep guns at home to use in case of war against me I have decided to not mix with them in the south. If they wish they can visit me any time they want and not feel threatened I dont have arms in my home.
I believe this issue has been answered adequately but I will repeat again why you or your community should not feel threatened by this. The GC side doesn’t aspire to resolve the Cyprus issue by the use of military force. In other words it is not in CCs plans or official policy to attack the north and drive the Turkish army out of Cyprus and simultaneously attack the TC community and force it to surrender. This option has been examined and was rejected many times in the past, for very many valid reasons. On the other hand, Turkey has shown us numerous times in the past that it is an unpredictable state. It is a country in which democracy is not functioning at its best, that the military interferes in politics, that coups are a common phenomena, that force is often used to suppress the opposition inside the country, etc, etc. In other words, GCs feel that the Turkish ruling establishment, not necessarily the people, is a factor not to be trusted. Taking into consideration the presence of such a strong military force in the north and given the political confrontation that Greece and the GC side have with Turkey, GCs feel the need to have a defence mechanism which at least will motivate Turkey to reside into a “second thought” before taking any decision to exercise force against us. This is not to claim that we may be able to defeat turkey, if such an unfortunate event occurs. What we are hoping is that at least Turkey will consider the costs vs. the benefits and the possibility of suffering substantial losses if it chooses to advance south, although in the end she might be the “winner.” GCs do not feel happy that they are obliged to have a gun in their home. Most of them feel quite uneasy about it and also by the fact that it may get stolen or used accidentally by a child and in such a case they will receive punishment for not securing it properly. Unfortunately, our small population size doesn’t allow us to have a sizable regular army to play the role of a preventing force against any possible Turkish adventurism. Therefore it became necessary to have a strong reservist system, which will be composed of civilians who completed their military service and which has to be able to join forces with the regular army in a very short period of time. This is a common practice even in countries that have much stronger armies and /or do not experience any immanent threat. For example Switzerland (???) has a very similar system and also civilians keep arms at home. And yet Swiss people are considered among the most peace loving people in the world. Turkish Cypriots had a similar system in the past as well.
Viewpoint wrote: At most those that want reunification against all odds is no more than 24% and do you know the number of times I have heard well this isnt a avery good example of GCs opinion, where are all these imaginery people who are pro equality with TCs?
This is definately a false conclusion, erroneously based upon the results of a referendum. At the same time there were numerous gallops suggesting a much higher percentage in favour of re-unification, had some basic GC concerns and injustices in that A-plan been addressed in a more logical and conciliatory way. I give very little merit to the outcome of referendums on such trivial and complicate issues like the solution of the Cyprus problem based on the A-plan. Ordinary people (the vast majority of people in both communities) do not have the time nor the adequate knowledge to study in depth, understand and more importantly consolidate what a solution based on this or any other plan would have meant to their “community’s cause” or to their everyday lives. In both communities, the majority of people based their decision upon the arguments presented to them by their leaderships and based on how much credibility each one of their leadership members had for them and how well each opinion was debated for or against and by whom. For example, had the A-plan been “slightly” more favourable to the GC side and had Turkey and the TC community’s leadership not viewed it as a “one last chance” to secure an “acceptable” solution to them before RoCy joins the E.U. “alone” and consequently the majority of influential leadership members in each community had taken a slightly different (to the opposite) stance towards the A-plan, the result could have easily been exactly the opposite. That however wouldn’t mean that the people of one community are more favourable to re-unification than the people of the other community.
Viewpoint wrote: If you think I am a hardliner you dont want to chat to other TCs who have stronger views than mine, I was a YES supporter and converted most of my family more fool me.
No, I do not think you are a hard liner. You wouldn’t be in this forum if you were. You simply feel resentment and also feel as been turned down by GCs for not approving a plan and presumably re-unification that you supported perhaps wholeheartedly. I and I am sure the majority of GCs, understand, sympathise and even justify these feelings on behalf of the ordinary Turkish Cypriots, which also went out in the streets to demonstrate their desire for re-unification. However we do not justify the manipulation and the enhancement of these feelings by the TC leadership, as a way to take revenge against the GCs for not approving the A-plan.
Viewpoint wrote: But your NO have given us time and people read and listen to what comes out of the south which is not positive at all.
Therefore you agree that not enough time was given to the two sides (communities) to read and listened each other and understand their priorities, objectives and concerns and consolidate properly what this re-unification would have meant for them. I also agree with this conclusion. I also believe that not enough time was given for real and thorough negotiations between “good faith” negotiators from each side. With this I simply point the fact that Denktash, who by all accounts was rightfully considered as an “ill faith” negotiator, was the chief negotiator up until the very last moment and before the 5–day Switzerland negotiations took place, in which Turkey took over on behalf of TCs. Even if we assume that Turkey was a “good faith” negotiator, still it was only 5 days available, before the product was “finalised” by the U.N. and rushed to the people to approve or reject it in with only 3 weeks available.
TCs do not receive positive messages from the south during the last period after the referendums, because their leadership and media simply choose to present and enhance the negative ones and completely ignore or ridicule the positive messages, as a way to blackmail the GCs for rejecting the A-plan. I consider it a dirty game to play with people’s feelings in both communities. Unfortunately, I find Talat to be one of them.
Viewpoint wrote: People used to say you cant trust a GCs and before the referendum they younger generation plus those who wanted to give reunification a chance voted yes thought come on times have changed, the old GC mindset must have progressed but to TCs disappointment they found that nothing had changed, same ideas in new bodies.
These are unfortunate generalisations and aphorisms that should not be utilised; at least by well educate people, like you seem to be. What are these “same ideas in new bodies,” any way?
Viewpoint wrote: …...why force matters it will only backfire in the long run, people here have moved on and see the south as a threat with a hidden agenda, theres no trust and normal issues are exaggerated out of all proportion. When the subject of the Cyprus comes up in conversation TCs just say forget the south, they are not genuine and will try to dominate us, we might as well stick with the devil we know.
That shows fatigue and a ”gave up” syndrome. The Cyprus problem is a difficult and trivial issue. It requires stamina, energy and a will to remain focused to the goal, if one believes in re-unification. Unless someone wants to use the undeniable difficulties, as an excuse to justify partition. It is true that the resolving of each one of the issues will not make each side 100% happy. This is well understood by GCs. I hope it is well understood by TCs as well.
Viewpoint wrote: If the south wants to change this tide of negativity in the north they have to be proactive and do something fast otherwise people (TCs) will vote any future reunification plan down however beneficial it maybe.
What in particular do you want or expect to see on behalf of GCs and which will play a role in changing this tide of negativity?
(editing is due to spelling errors)
