Agios Ionas wrote:A new war is the last thing this island is in need of. The scars of yesteryear can and will heal eventually although it will take a long time. The 34 years of no solution is proof enough that time is needed badly. But a new war will open an ugly bleeding wound that won't heal in a foreseeable future. New generations will be poisoned by hate and violence, not in the form of tales of the past, but rather first hand experience. Enough people have suffered already, and many are still suffering. I mean, seriously, who the f*ck cares about a plot of land if you've lost your child to a bomb or bullet? It doesn't matter if that plot of land is worth £5 million. The lives of your children has no price tag!
As much as I want Turkish forces out of Cyprus and a reunited island where GC and TC can co-exist peacefully and equally I would never call for a war. The only war I'd possibly condone would be if GC and TC alike joined forces and tried to expel Turkish forces from the island in order to free Cyprus and give it back to its natural citizens. Still, the price would be very high. Personally, although I have no death wish, I'd be willing to risk my life for something bigger than me. But I would never allow a situation where my family is put to danger. I would engage an entire army on my own if necessary. But I would make sure my wife and children are in a safe place first. Quite frankly, I think the chances of a GC/TC joint effort to fight off Turkey and win are less than Turkey collapsing on her own one day. So I guess it's better to wait and watch her destroy herself than to challenge her and end up with Cyprus being 100% Turkish. The Cypriots (GC/TC) surviving would be in for a very hard time. Because Turkey would oppress and punish as if there was no tomorrow.
A new war would ruin the whole of Cyprus for a very long period, long enough for us, our children and grandchildren to be miserable for our entire lives. A new war would cause instability in the whole EU. Forget about a flourishing tourist business for a considerable amount of years. It will take much longer than it did last time to achieve some kind of trustworthy stability to allow for the "outer world" to want to do business with and visit Cyprus.
Some people keep harping about the Ottoman connection and seem stuck in 1571. +400 years is a long time, no one of us were existing back then. I would say that if your family have been in a country for that long, you belong in said country. No matter if you're a descendant of an invader. Anyone must admit that +400 years down the line the descendants are hardly responsible of what their ancestors did. We can hardly choose where to be born and by whom.
We can keep blaming people for what they did 34 years ago because it's still quite recent and people involved in the atrocities are still alive. But +400 years ago? Come on, somewhere a line must be drawn and some things must be considered history. I mean, where would the UK be if people were still fighting about who's Saxon and Norman?
What are you people asking for war thinking? It's enough suffering in the world already. Why are you so keen on bringing it on your own doorstep? Cyprus is in need of peace, not war.
First of all Agios, an excellent post, kudos to you ! Still some comments to colored parts of your colorful debate.
It has always been easy for people hiding behind their keyboard to preach war in the comfort of their homes..same is happening here..
The real war is nothing like that. I am sure everyone saw the first Gulf war as well as second one and how it was aired as if these were simply a video game or a playstation stuff with F-16 and F117-A fighters were shelling some places behind a cloud of explosions.. while anti-aircraft shells were flaring up in the sky..
Everyone of us watched this as spectators.. But what about the people under fire ? I guess they did not feel the same excitement of the telespectateurs like us..
Regarding your second remark, NO, the TCs and GCs can not oust Turkish army by themselves by putting up "EOKA style" resistance.
If GCs are very impressed by the TV series "
The Flinstones" and would like to simulate their lifestyle, then perhaps this could be a viable option for them.
In short, if there is going to be battle, it should be a battle of wits, not a battle of brute force.
History must have shown that with a country such as Turkey using the brute force only wreaks havoc for the belligerent. Greece must have learned it at her expense during her 1915 campaign in Anatolia.
The task befalls on the ability of comrade Xtofias in making the CyProb as
prima facie issue on the EU agenda
the only one that should be dealt as first priority without any twists coming from any of its members.
Let us encourage president Christophias to act as the president of ALL Cypriots addressing the concerns of not only GCs but TCs as well. If he proves himself to be equidistant to both communities as well as embracing both than he has the high chances of gaining support of TCs as well.
As for the 400+ story, this is something that the moderator Piratis keep parroting (some moderator he is, far from being
moderate himself) for quite sometime.
If we are to apply his rhetoric, then all the Americans should be shipped back to where they came from as all of us probably know, who are the
true owners of the entire American continent.
Not to forget what the Spanish Conquistadores and Portuguese Bandeirantes had done to indigenous people of South America like Mayas, Aztecs, Incas and the Indios. So, are we going to ship the Spaniards and the Portuguese back to their mainland over what their ancestors had done ?
Frankly, it gives me some regret to having to discuss such idiotic issues such as 1571 Ottoman conquest of Cyprus. Speaking for myself, I don't even know beyond two generations back in my own family, and there are still some idiots here who have been pushing this 1571 stuff so as to inject a seemingly sense of guilt into TCs over what their ancestors had done, not to mention that the invading Ottomans could have been well the ancestors of GCs as well.
Cyprus problem can only be solved within the premises of EU and the adventurers, we don't need.
