miltiades wrote:I'm a proud G/C who has lived through the EOKA liberation struggle and who is proud to have participated in a small way in the justified warfare against the British. My older brother served as a full EOKA member and all our family were proud of his contribution.
I have said many times before that there is nothing untoward about the overwhelming majority of the Cypriot people demanding their right to self determination and when all else failed to adopt military action against the oppressors.
With hindsight , and just as Makarios subsequently rejected the ENOSIS dream , so did I and thousands upon thousands of G/Cs.
We made many mistakes not least in our determination so soon after independence to proceed with modifications to the Zurich agreements that we signed , willingly or under pressure the fact is that not enough time was allowed for the new nation to establish it self.
The T/Cs have been in Cyprus since 1571 , how they came to be in Cyprus is now irrelevant , they are here and here they will remain for they too consider this island to be theirs too. They have also made huge errors and the moderates and thinkers amongst them are accepting these "misdemeanours" .
Those of us , either G/Cs or T/Cs who have not had the opportunity to interact are naturally prone to preconceived misconceptions, skepticisms and mistrustful of the other side.
I have met literary 100s of T/Cs , went to college with them in this country , UK, argued with them and endeavoured , just as they did , to understand their side of the story AS THEY IN TURN WOULD UNDERSATND MINE.
Over the years I have retained friendships some stretching back more than 40 years , the acid test came 34 years ago when all hell erupted in Cyprus . I denounced from day one the military coup orchestrated by the Greek junta and the subsequent invasion by Turkey. It may surprise some that I was in Famagusta in July of 1974 .
I denounce today the continued occupation of the Northern part of our island by Turkey , but I WILL NEVER HATE MY COMPATRIOTS , I KNOW TOO MANY DECENT FAMILY ORIENTATED T/Cs and will NEVER allow my self to become intoxicated by those that continually denigrate anything T/C .
We must negotiate a solution within the diplomatic parameters available to us and we must face realities just as the T/Cs also must , this island is ours , and theirs , together through diplomatic energies we can solve it.
Let me just prove some of the powers of diplomacy , I may be putting my head on the block but let it be so.
Most of you on this forum know of my loathing of anything divisive and I have always taken to task those displaying either the Greek or Turkish flag since I have always felt that as Cypriots we must not antagonize each other but work towards building bridges of trust so that us , and the new generation of Cypriots , the little babies we all so proudly posted on this very forum will grow up free from the fear of conflict blood and tears.
Why am I putting my head on the block ? To prove that if you reach out and you are sincere the other side will reciprocate.
One T/C on this forum has had an unfair amount of "jibes" about his avatar by yours truly , I'm now asking him kindly to replace it , as a mark of respect for all Cypriots and all the little ones who just want to grow up in a peaceful island . By complying he shall prove that the process of achieving the utmost must be carried out in an atmosphere of good will and cooperation.
Sorry but my computer sen my reply before i finish nd without my order!!!
as i was ritting the chief of Turkish army is crying by this justise for both sides, declaring equality on mistakes and erros.
MY QUSTION I HY ALL THESE, like Meltiades, stsring the story from EOKA period onward?
Why it was inlegal or wrong the population of Cyprus to request ENOSIS bfore 55?
What was not their right ,in line with any known interntional law?
Who was fighting this right? The occupators, British, and their co-operators T/cs. What someone could expect from this population , to sit down watching occupators and their cooperators to demolish its dreams and destiny? Did they have the right to fight by any means?
Of ourse, sudently and with the famous Zurich T/cs became co-controlers of the ISLAND, FROM NO WHERE , just because British decided so.
Now peacful Island. The invators/shelters, old and new, to keep what they got and to be also partners in what is left. There is only one solution-we are going there directly and despite what name they will give to this solution the result is known in advance.
The distance from, Meltiades way, from Greek of Cyprus to simple Cypriot , brother of T/cs it seems it was farther than from Simple Cypriot to Turk of Cyprus.
Impros/Tenedos are very good examples of how a peaceful agreement between brothers/sisters Nations can be ended if the one Nation is Turkey.
And that is besides the point anyways. Don't Turks exist in Cyprus because of Turkish expansionism against Cyprus? If Turks can not live along with Cypriots as they say then why they came? Why they keep bringing more and more of them here?
