utu wrote:Oracle,
Your own government regards the Turkish Cypriots as your fellow countrymen. Like it or not, if the partition ends, you are going to have to find some way of living with them (the T/C's, not the settlers, who have no business being on the island)... that is, if you wish to remain in Cyprus. Ethnically cleansing all of the Cypriots of Turkish heritage from the island would be regarded as a form of genocide by the international community, and the EU certainly would not stand for that. Maybe you would like to rethink your hard-line stance...
Utu
How right you are Utu , thankfully the likes of O are in the minority , the large majority of Cypriot people agree with the RoC that the T/Cs are our countrymen and have been so for hundreds of years. As one who from an early age , interacted with T/Cs , and still do today , I find O's views disturbing and most certainly not conducive in finding a solution that is based on realities and on humane issues . Even if the T/Cs were a mere 1% of the Cypriot population they would still be fully entitled to call themselves Cypriots.
I believe that Os hard line views are a byproduct of the continued "Turkification" of the occupied by Turkey part of Cyprus and the erosion of anything that was G/C . The desecration of churches and turning some of them into degrading substances is a practice that all well meaning and reasonable T/Cs condemn . We need to see the real T/Cs standing up to Turkey who effectively as a occupying power dictates policy and events that are designed not only to antagonize the G/C people but to also drive a wedge between the Cypriot people. The monstrosity , now illuminated , on the Pentadaktilos is one such example. The flag of Turkey is seen by more than 80 % of the Cypriot people as the flag of the invader. Such observances can not be discarded but must be taken on board by the well meaning T/Cs.
I also oppose the display of the Greek flag since that too is a flag of a foreign nation.