bill cobbett wrote:BirKibrisli wrote:Kifeas wrote:BirKibrisli wrote:The Annan Plan had two very important elements for the GCs...
Turkish troops would be largely withdrawn,plus all but 46,000 settlers would return to Turkey...Surely Christofias doesn't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater....
Turkish troop withdrawal -even a complete one, is meaningless if at the same time the so-called unilateral intervention "rights" are not abolished, as it is only a matter of an hour before Turkey lands as many troops as it wishes in Cyprus -more so in view of a completely dismantled National Guard in a demilitarized island! It is only a matter of Turkey finding /orchestrating a pre-text, to do so! The GC community cannot possibly live under a constant and eternal blackmailing environment, both by Turkey and the TC community! The TC community will have no incentive to co-operate, more so when it will be controlled to a large extent by the remaining settlers in Cyprus.
The 46,000 settlers were only adults! If one adds to each family, 3-4 children on the average, the number easily becomes 100,000 people. In a few years, when children would gain voting rights as well, they would have constituted 40% of the TC community's electorate! On this number, one has to add up an additional 5% on the size of the TC "community" (including the remaining settlers,) i.e. another 10-15,000 people of Turkish origin that would have been permitted to stay, and in 5 years would also have gain citizenship! The number is large, to the extent that we no longer may talk about a will of a TC community! Turkey could in practice influence these -to be naturalized- settlers, who can easily join forces with another 20-30% from the TC community itself that have strong pro-Turkish nationalist sentiments (UBP etc,) so that the entire TC "community" is a consolidated permanet captive of Turkey's political aims visa vie Cyprus. The end result, in a political equality partnership with this type of TC "community," will look and taste for the GCs more like a one way partnership with Turkey itself, in ruling the whole of Cyprus through the central government! Cyprus will no longer be regarded as a politically independed country, but only a proxy to Turkey's international political (and not only) choices! The whole of Cyprus, through the central (federal) government, will more or less acquire the status that the “TRNC” currently has in the north, i.e. a subservient entity to Turkey’s political and geo-strategic aims and ambitions, and no matter whether it is or will be an EU member state or not! We may no longer talk about an independent and sovereign country, in any sense!
Had Turkey been a normal modern country, characterized by its sound political, democratic and social culture; and a country that respects international legality, human and civil rights; perhaps our concerns may have been somewhat lessened, even though it would still have remained to be a matter of principle! Unfortunately, not even this aspect can be satisfied, since Turkey is not able to safeguard its own people’s civil, cultural and human rights, set aside to respect or safeguard those of another country and another people! I say this not becasue I want to discredit Turkey and its people, but because it is a fact of life
Well,dear Kifeas,it all comes down to TRUST in the end...
GCs do not trust Turkey and point to the events of 1974 to justify their fears and suspicions...The TCs do not trust the GCs,and point to the events between 1963 and 74 to justify theirs...How on earth are we going to find a solution which will leave most Cypriots with a sense of justice and security???? No one is prepared to give an inch...No one is trying to foster trust and understanding...Everyone is in their bunkers busy with fortifications...How on earth are we going to get out of this hole we find ourselves????
Gosh and what a hole it is and one we're going to be in for at least the next couple of generations if we think it's something that will be "solved" with one grand treaty, agreement or solution. Rather I feel that step by step but substantive exchanges ( for want of a better phrase ) are the way forward. I don't mean the "confidence building measures" nonsense of a while ago.
I am sure others will think of other items that could form a real and as I say, substantive first step where both communities win. WIN/WIN got it? (that would be a first for Cyprus).
For instance, one of our communities wants an end to embargos and direct flights, the other community may want a return of Varosi. Neither of these, imho, will cost the other community much if anything and both would be of benefit to the whole C. economy.
These and other relatively small steps make the progress towards a grand solution a little easier. Don't get me wrong I know that at some time we will have to confront the more difficult problems
but we'll be tackling these from a much more confident base.
Softly, softly killy monkey and remember "win/win".
Very well said,bill...I agree entirely...There is a saying in Turkish; "Why are you in the vineyard? To eat grapes?or to beat up the vineyard keeper??? Both sides have to sit down and decide their own motivations as to why they are in this Vineyard called Cyprus????
