by Medman » Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:43 pm
The point of the Turks. Well who else would Oracle have to moan at? The Turks and Greeks are all from the same Eastern Mediterranean brotherhood. We're all inbred. Get over it. As was pointed out today in the Cyprus Mail.....
Christofias warns against ‘evil of nationalism’
By Jean Christou
PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias last night urged Cypriots to extend the hand of friendship to Turkish Cypriots, saying they should not be tarred with the same brush as Turkey.
He also called for unity among Greek Cypriots, saying that nationalism and chauvinism – along with foreign intervention – was the new “evil demon” facing Cyprus.
“And we cannot let this evil demon cause further damage to our homeland,” he said.
Christofias was speaking at an anti-occupation event at the Orpheas area of the Green Line in Nicosia to mark 25 years since the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) of the breakaway state in the north on November 15, 1983.
In his speech, Christofias said the crime of the 1974 Greek junta-backed coup, which triggered the Turkish invasion was not “under any circumstances, a bigger crime than the invasion itself”.
But he cautioned against putting Turkish Cypriots or their leadership into the same category.
“The Turkish Cypriot leadership is aware that many of our fellow Turkish Cypriots do not feel happy with Ankara,” Christofias said.
“We extend the hand of friendship and co-operation to the Turkish Cypriot leadership and ordinary Turkish Cypriots, our compatriots. We are convinced that if we all put the interests of Cyprus first, we can achieve a solution.”
Christofias said it was not enough for Turkey to say it was in favour of a solution while at the same time seeking a confederated two-state solution. They should show concrete support for the current process, he said.
In his plea for unity among Greek Cypriots, Christofias said the Cyprus problem was at a critical phase.
“It is incumbent on us to have the greatest possible unity on the domestic front,” Christofias said, adding Cyprus was still at the beginning of a process that would be difficult and painful.
“The establishment of a pseudo-state has made things even more difficult and complicated, so we need cool heads, wisdom and patience.
“It would be wrong to rush to draw definitive conclusions about the progress of the talks and even more wrong to predict the final collapse.”
Speaking of some of the issues, he clarified that the thorny notion of political equality “does not mean numerical equality”.
“It means effective participation of both communities in the governance of the country. We fully respect this principle,” he said.
He also said he would not be pressured into speeding up the process.
“I want again to be clear. If those who talk of speeding up the process mean that the President of the Republic will neglect or diminish other obligations, and indeed international obligations, be aware that this will not happen ever,” Christofias said.
