Cyprus-Forum.com

[MedByzantine]

Makarios going into politics was the nail in the coffin for Cyprus. Religious leaders should never be allowed to enter or interfere with politics. Cyprus should have followed the path of a Secular Republic.

Makarios’ agenda still isn’t clear to this day. He was backed by the Soviets and Communists in Greece, yet Communism recognises no religion. Therefore, it is evident that Makarios was just a PUPPET for the Soviets to take over Cyprus to use like their own Cuba in the Eastern Mediteranean; moreover, Makarios was a man of great inner conflicts and contradictions...

[Tim Drayton]

What measures were ever taken by Makarios that moved Cyprus in the direction of Communism?

[MedByzantine]

There is clear evidence that the Soviets wanted to take over Cyprus for strategic military purposes; Khrushchev couldn't been seen to lead the USSR into taking over the island, and Turkey was a NATO Allie, which would have resulted in war. So, the Soviets stirred things up in Cyprus and supported communists in Greece, and secretly supported Makarios to slowly take over the island through stealth. Greece only joined the EU in 1981, until then, Greece still had strong ties with Russia and the Soviet Union. Furthermore, most of the weapons used by the Greek militia was Soviet made such as AK47s.

[Sotos]

I like the Russians. Not like those assholes the English and the Americans that harmed my island so much! MedByzantine if the problem was just Makarios then why the British didn't allow us to unite with Greece as we wanted? Then Makarios wouldn't not be president of anything! The problem in Cyprus is the EXPANSIONISM of Turks and British against our island! The Russians never ever harmed us.

[Oracle]

Those were different times. Everyone was experimenting with ideologies and there were many conflicts between Religion and State (still going on in places like Turkey ).

What shines through above all else was Makarios' indisputable love of Cyprus. Everything he did centred around what he thought was for the long term good of Cyprus. He would not have turned down help from old allies and friends .... and Cyprus has many ... but only one enemy!

He was a very charismatic man and many sought his wisdom, so as well as the interest in Cyprus for geopolitical gains a lot of leaders showed kinship to Makarios.

The price of being popular and interesting as he and Cyprus in combination undoubtably were. Hence the envious evil constant eye of Turkey and its desire to steal the Gem of the Mediterranean.

[MedByzantine]

It’s all about AGENDAS. Enough time has passed, Cypriots in the North and South should forget bitter feuds, the vicious cycle of vengeance focus on their own sides, and decide their own futures without the need for approval from Greece Turkey, EU and NATO for what is done on the island. It’s a small place with no significant threat to the World, but various powers are all looking to use Cyprus for their own benefits, political, military and economic gains.

As for Makarios being charismatic, leaders past and present has had some kind of charisma; Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Mussolini, John F. Kennedy, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caeser, all had charisma and in some peoples’ minds even Osama Bin Ladin supposedly has charisma, even reporters for CNN who interviewed Osama Bin Ladin say he had some kind of charisma . Leaders wouldn’t be leaders without some kind of charisma. It is whether a leader has good or bad intentions to others and a sense of fairness and equality that defines a good leader.

[Issy1956]

Sotos,
All Cyprus is yours is it? I see. Its not our Island but your Island. -you need to either learn better English or to change your attitude about OUR Island.

[Oracle]

It’s all about AGENDAS. Enough time has passed, Cypriots in the North and South should forget bitter feuds, the vicious cycle of vengeance focus on their own sides, and decide their own futures without the need for approval from Greece Turkey, EU and NATO for what is done on the island. It’s a small place with no significant threat to the World, but various powers are all looking to use Cyprus for their own benefits, political, military and economic gains.

As for Makarios being charismatic, leaders past and present has had some kind of charisma; Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Mussolini, John F. Kennedy, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caeser, all had charisma and in some peoples’ minds even Osama Bin Ladin supposedly has charisma, even reporters for CNN who interviewed Osama Bin Ladin say he had some kind of charisma . Leaders wouldn’t be leaders without some kind of charisma. It is whether a leader has good or bad intentions to others and a sense of fairness and equality that defines a good leader.

Hard to swallow, huh? You are really feeling the pinch of losing Cyprus to the EU.

Get used to it ... Britain, Greece and Cyprus are 100% EU partners ... and hence allies against Turkey now the time is drawing near for EU to kick Turko-butt!

[Piratis]

Sotos,
All Cyprus is yours is it? I see. Its not our Island but your Island. -you need to either learn better English or to change your attitude about OUR Island.

Issy, Cyprus is the island of all Cypriots. What you have to learn though is to respect the choices of the great majority of the people of this island, who have also existed on this island for far longer that you and who definetely deserve to rule their own island in a democratic way as opposed to have some foreign empire forcing their will on us.

All countries have minorities, and your idea that a minority can just veto whatever they don't like is simply wrong. For example, in "Turkey" there is a Greek minority. Did the Turks asked the Greek minority when they named Asia Minor as "Turkey"? Why was that territory named Turkey when a significant amount of the population of that territory are not Turks? Did the Turks asked the Greeks, the Armenians, the Kurds etc if they wanted their lands to be part of a country called "Turkey"?

So in Cyprus your minority and every other minority has a right for your human, democratic and minority rights. But you do not have the right to impose undemocratically anything else that falls beyond your above rights.

[Piratis]

It’s all about AGENDAS. Enough time has passed, Cypriots in the North and South should forget bitter feuds, the vicious cycle of vengeance focus on their own sides, and decide their own futures without the need for approval from Greece Turkey, EU and NATO for what is done on the island. It’s a small place with no significant threat to the World, but various powers are all looking to use Cyprus for their own benefits, political, military and economic gains.

Republic of Cyprus doesn't need the approval of anybody. It only has to fulfill her obligations as a UN and EU member.

Can you explain what you mean by saying that TCs and GCs should "focus on their own sides, and decide their own futures". For example, on whose side is Kerynia, and who decides Kerynias future?

The answer for peace is not "sides" and "futures", but democracy so Cypriots as a whole can democratically decide their common future, because Cyprus can not be divided and have peace at the same time.

As for Makarios being charismatic, leaders past and present has had some kind of charisma; Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Mussolini, John F. Kennedy, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caeser, all had charisma and in some peoples’ minds even Osama Bin Ladin supposedly has charisma, even reporters for CNN who interviewed Osama Bin Ladin say he had some kind of charisma . Leaders wouldn’t be leaders without some kind of charisma. It is whether a leader has good or bad intentions to others and a sense of fairness and equality that defines a good leader.

Maybe Makarios made some mistakes but his intentions where definitely good and he had a sense of fairness and equality.