Cyprus-Forum.com

[Bananiot]

Mikkie, your posts of late are very mature indeed. The pragmatic approach you have adopted in your analysis make your posts a pleasure to read and even when I disagree with something you say I still enjoy reading them.

You have hit the nail on the head with your last post. It remains to be seen whether we can use the current opportunity for progress to a good effect, before this window of hope closes.

[Nikitas]

Mikkie and Bananiot,

Sure it is beneficial to proceed to a fast solution, and a fair one. But you both assume that the future, in the event of a non solution, hinges on Turkey becoming or not becoming an EU member. That is not the crucial point on which this whole problem hinges. The crucial point is that Turkey perceives itself to be the local superpower. It only takes a technological click one way or another for that assumption to shatter and turn matters on their head.

Historians often ponder on how small things have played a pivotal part in changing events. One example is the invention of the stirrup, which allowed heavily armored knights to fight on horseback, and that small invention allowed Europe to fight off the hordes of Jenkis Khan.

If you care to search the latest anti aircraft and anti ship devices you will realize that in the future conventional ships and planes will be brought down with weapons costing a few thousand dollars. These developemnts have a bearing on the situation not because we will go to war against Turkey but because they will negate the advantage Turkey perceives it has in the area.

[-mikkie2-]

"If you care to search the latest anti aircraft and anti ship devices you will realize that in the future conventional ships and planes will be brought down with weapons costing a few thousand dollars. These developemnts have a bearing on the situation not because we will go to war against Turkey but because they will negate the advantage Turkey perceives it has in the area."

Nikitas,

The above statement just doesn't make sense. Turkey already has 40000 heavily armed troops on the island. If for any reason hostilities begin, what do you think will happen? Using force is not an option for us. We may inflict a bloody nose on the Turkish military machine but I'm afraid thats all it would be. And I don't see anyone riding to our rescue if we ver entairtained such an option. We did that before an look where we ended up.

Equally, we cannot just wait for the balance of power to change. This could take many years. By then, TC's will be history and the north will be a part of Turkey and with a population exceeding our own.

We need to use our heads and make an honest attempt to negotiate a fair solution. We have some good cards to play so we need to use them. No good holding them for eternity.

[Viewpoint]

"If you care to search the latest anti aircraft and anti ship devices you will realize that in the future conventional ships and planes will be brought down with weapons costing a few thousand dollars. These developemnts have a bearing on the situation not because we will go to war against Turkey but because they will negate the advantage Turkey perceives it has in the area."

Nikitas,

The above statement just doesn't make sense. Turkey already has 40000 heavily armed troops on the island. If for any reason hostilities begin, what do you think will happen? Using force is not an option for us. We may inflict a bloody nose on the Turkish military machine but I'm afraid thats all it would be. And I don't see anyone riding to our rescue if we ver entairtained such an option. We did that before an look where we ended up.

Equally, we cannot just wait for the balance of power to change. This could take many years. By then, TC's will be history and the north will be a part of Turkey and with a population exceeding our own.

We need to use our heads and make an honest attempt to negotiate a fair solution. We have some good cards to play so we need to use them. No good holding them for eternity.

Great post, well said.

[Nikitas]

Mikkie,

I did not propose going to war against Turkey. What I said is that some small technological developments negate the pereception of Turkey itself that it is the local superpower. At the moment the situation is "tainted" by this self perception and therefore there are no negotiations on the basis of equality.

We all hope that the talks will come up with a solution which is as fair as possible to the maximum number of Cypriot ciitizens. Hopefully this time we will not wait for years and we will get to a result that makes sense.