Cyprus-Forum.com

[Bananiot]

Of dear brother, I remember Jeremy Thorpe, leader of the Lib Democrat Party (it was called something else then) when he decided to call it off because his homosexuality was revealed. Someone said "we support you Jeremy, the whole party is behind you".

[brother]

I am sure tassos can give us all a lesson or two on that one

Absolutely right though that would have a massive wave effect on the island and apart from the small band of racist extremists it would imo work very effectively.....the shepard lead and the sheep follow.

[erolz]

I appreciate it erolz, but of course we need this to materialise on a community level. For example, Papadopoulos (warlord in 1963) and Denktas (TMT spititual and material father), to appear on tv and say sorry to each other, hug and promise to put everything behind them and strive for a new era of friendship, cooperation and understanding. If they shed some tears, so much the better, as long as they take their glasses off so that everyone can see their wet eyes.

I agree totaly. For me nothing does more to convice me of GC sincerity about wanting to live togeather in peace and with mutual resepct than such admission of the horrors of the past and apologise for the part their community played in them. Little does more damage to this feeling and hope than denials of the horrors of the past and culpability for them. I assume the same is true for many GC with regard to TC admissions and denials.

The Cyprus mail article about the GC gentlemans visit to my aunts house and his admission of the reality of this horror and his appology for what happend to her husband and the fact that a South Cyprus paper would publish this story filled me with much hope and made me think that mayube there was a real chance for us to solve our differences. (The subsequent disaperance of this article from the Cyprus mails website and the many months and many emails and phone calls to the Cyprus mail involved in getting returned to the site did knock this optimism - but that is all sorted now). I also know that this appology from a GC - any GC for what happened - even 40 years after the fact had a profound impact on my aunt and was something she was extremely grateful for.

I would welcome and support unilateral or even better jointly for both sides to officaly renounce their existing propaganda ridden 'offical histories' and frankly and openly appologise to the other community for any pain and suffering they may have been involved in directly or indirectly.

I suspect that Piratis may jump in now (and if I am wrong sincere appologies Piratis) and point out that GC pain and suffering is still 'current' and that GC can still not return to their properties. If this his appraoch / opinion then I would point out that GC can still not return to their properties today and my uncle is still dead today. (appologies for the 'pre emptive' nature of this last bit btw)

[Bananiot]

A number of real life tragedies involving both communities saw the light in "Alitheia" newspaper mainly, by Sevgul Uludag. She has been doing a great job.

[metecyp]

A number of real life tragedies involving both communities saw the light in "Alitheia" newspaper mainly, by Sevgul Uludag. She has been doing a great job.

Yep, she's doing a great job and for TC members of the forum, there's a website that includes her articles in Turkish (and some English too): www.hamamboculeri.org

My dream is to see a bicommunal documentary about the human tragedy of 1960s and 1970s. The documentary should avoid getting into politics and "who's right who's wrong" type of arguments but rather talk about the lives of ordinary TCs and GCs who went through so much violence in 1960s and 1970s and just reflect upon these ordinary people's lives. In my opinion, such a documentary will be very powerful especially if it can be arranged to be aired on GC and TC TVs at the same time. After watching the documentary, TCs and GCs will realize that we all sufferred and we all killed and got killed and we all have refugees and missing persons and not one side is innocent. Am I dreaming or what?

[erolz]

On a similar vein there was a review of a book in this weeks Cyprus today, that from the review seems to be of a similar approach.

It is called 'Echos from the dead zone' by Yiannis Papadakis (a GC).

I have not read this book but will definately be seeking it out at earliest opportuinty on the basis of the review.