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[doesntmatter]

Well, those who said TPapadopoulos will be remembered for what he really was were right afterall. History has already been written about Mr. NO.

Cyprus's 'Mr No' refused to make peace with Turks

By Kerin Hope

Published: December 15 2008 02:00 | Last updated: December 15 2008 02:00

Tassos Papadopoulos, the former president of Cyprus dubbed "Mr No" for his sustained opposition to making peace with the Turkish Cypriot community, died on December 12 of lung cancer. He was 74.

In 2004 he broke into tears during a live television appearance while urging Greek Cypriots to vote against a United Nations-brokered reunification plan for the island, saying it was "unworkable".

Papadopoulos's emotional appeal contributed to the Greek Cypriots' rejection of the UN plan at referendum by a two-thirds majority. As a result, Cyprus joined the European Union in May 2004 without the Turkish Cypriots, although they had backed the plan in a separate vote.

The European Commission felt it had been tricked into allowing the accession of a divided Cyprus, as Papadopoulos had assured Brussels the referendum would have "a positive outcome".

Papadopoulos, the son of a teacher, was born in Nicosia in 1934. As a teenager he joined the EOKA guerrilla movement fighting for independence from British colonial rule. His nationalist views did not prevent him from studying law in London, for Cypriots a first step to a fast-track political career.

By the age of 23 he led EOKA's political wing. He boasted in later life that he was the only senior leader of the group to have escaped capture by the British.

After Cyprus won independence in 1960, Papadopoulos became the youngest member in the cabinet of Archbishop Makarios, the new president. As labour minister - one of six cabinet posts he held successively - he set up the island's social welfare system.

Papadopoulos combined nationalist politics with running the island's most successful law practice, specialising in handling companies established under Cyprus's lightly regulated offshore jurisdiction.

In the 1990s his firm set up front companies to handle the Yugoslav government's illegal transfer in cash of several billion dollars to Greek Cypriot banks, in order to avoid UN sanctions on trade with Belgrade.

Papadopoulos swept to victory in the 2003 presidential election after his Democratic party joined forces with Akel, the Cyprus communist party. But after EU accession his hardline policies appeared to lose ground with voters. Seeking re-election in February this year, he was knocked out in the first round. He retired from politics after Demetris Christofias, the Akel chairman and his former ally, won the presidency.

He is survived by his wife Foteini, a member of the wealthy Leventis family; his son Nikos, a politician; and daughter Anastasia, a lawyer.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ebdffade-ca47-11dd 93e5-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

[Piratis]

The history of Cyprus is written by the Cypriots, not by Turks, British or any other invader of Cyprus who hate anybody that fights for the freedom of our island.

[doesntmatter]

The history of Cyprus is written by the Cypriots, not by Turks, British or any other invader of Cyprus who hate anybody that fights for the freedom of our island.

Think of him as you like but kindly allow others to make up their own minds as to what and how they will remember Mr. NO who lied to the EU and was a member of the eoka terrorists.

[Piratis]

The history of Cyprus is written by the Cypriots, not by Turks, British or any other invader of Cyprus who hate anybody that fights for the freedom of our island.

Think of him as you like but kindly allow others to make up their own minds as to what and how they will remember Mr. NO who lied to the EU and was a member of the eoka terrorists.

Freedom fighters are only seen as "terrorists" by the invaders.

Cyprus entered the EU because Greece said that with no Cyprus there would be no EU expansion and your British friends had to lump it. Turkey was even threatening to invade Cyprus again if we joined the EU. Papadopoulos showed them the middle finger and along with Greece did what is for the interests of Cyprus. Apparently that is a defeat for the Turks and British that they are now trying to forget.

As far as "Mr. No" goes, the 76% of Cypriots are Mr. and Ms. "No" because we said to the Turks that there will be no "peace deal" on their terms. They invaded our country and the only way there will be peace in the war they started against us is with them withdrawing their troops and respecting the sovereignty of Republic of Cyprus as demanded by UN resolutions.

So go on, hate him. The more you invaders hate him, the more it shows how good Papadopoulos was for Cyprus, and this is what is going to be written in our History.

[doesntmatter]

The history of Cyprus is written by the Cypriots, not by Turks, British or any other invader of Cyprus who hate anybody that fights for the freedom of our island.

Think of him as you like but kindly allow others to make up their own minds as to what and how they will remember Mr. NO who lied to the EU and was a member of the eoka terrorists.

Freedom fighters are only seen as "terrorists" by the invaders.

Cyprus entered the EU because Greece said that with no Cyprus there would be no EU expansion and your British friends had to lump it. Turkey was even threatening to invade Cyprus again if we joined the EU. Papadopoulos showed them the middle finger and along with Greece did what is for the interests of Cyprus. Apparently that is a defeat for the Turks and British that they are now trying to forget.

As far as "Mr. No" goes, the 76% of Cypriots are Mr. and Ms. "No" because we said to the Turks that there will be no "peace deal" on their terms. They invaded our country and the only way there will be peace in the war they started against us is with them withdrawing their troops and respecting the sovereignty of Republic of Cyprus as demanded by UN resolutions.

So go on, hate him. The more you invaders hate him, the more it shows how good Papadopoulos was for Cyprus, and this is what is going to be written in our History.

I will not try to shutter your dreams but have one single question.

You said above "As far as "Mr. No" goes, the 76% of Cypriots are Mr. and Ms. "No", what happened to the Mrs. NO?

[DT.]

The history of Cyprus is written by the Cypriots, not by Turks, British or any other invader of Cyprus who hate anybody that fights for the freedom of our island.

Think of him as you like but kindly allow others to make up their own minds as to what and how they will remember Mr. NO who lied to the EU and was a member of the eoka terrorists.

Freedom fighters are only seen as "terrorists" by the invaders.

Cyprus entered the EU because Greece said that with no Cyprus there would be no EU expansion and your British friends had to lump it. Turkey was even threatening to invade Cyprus again if we joined the EU. Papadopoulos showed them the middle finger and along with Greece did what is for the interests of Cyprus. Apparently that is a defeat for the Turks and British that they are now trying to forget.

As far as "Mr. No" goes, the 76% of Cypriots are Mr. and Ms. "No" because we said to the Turks that there will be no "peace deal" on their terms. They invaded our country and the only way there will be peace in the war they started against us is with them withdrawing their troops and respecting the sovereignty of Republic of Cyprus as demanded by UN resolutions.

So go on, hate him. The more you invaders hate him, the more it shows how good Papadopoulos was for Cyprus, and this is what is going to be written in our History.

Very well put. My feelings exactly.

[Bananiot]

Well written and balanced article. At his funeral yesterday, banners hoisted by his supporters read "He recieved a state and he delivered a state". Good slogan but in reality he recieved a state and he probably delivered two states.

"Mr no" is a good characterisation of Papadopoulos. He rejected every single plan drawn by for Cyprus because he aimed for the maximum. In doing so he was part of the problem and he made it worse during his 5 years as President. For the latter, blame Christofias!

Piratis and DT think that the EU was forced to accept Cyprus in its ranks. They know nothing about how the EU works. However, they are true children of a society that fortifies its people with myths and fairy tails which may be okay to put people to sleep but seriously harm us in reality.

[DT.]

Well written and balanced article. At his funeral yesterday, banners hoisted by his supporters read "He recieved a state and he delivered a state". Good slogan but in reality he recieved a state and he probably delivered two states.

"Mr no" is a good characterisation of Papadopoulos. He rejected every single plan drawn by for Cyprus because he aimed for the maximum. In doing so he was part of the problem and he made it worse during his 5 years as President. For the latter, blame Christofias!

Piratis and DT think that the EU was forced to accept Cyprus in its ranks. They know nothing about how the EU works. However, they are true children of a society that fortifies its people with myths and fairy tails which may be okay to put people to sleep but seriously harm us in reality.

The EU was forced to accept Cyprus because of Copenhagen and Greece's threat to veto the further expansion of the EU.

The only myth and fairy tale imposed on the Cypriot people in the last decade was the sense that we'd be getting something back in exchange for partitioning the island permanently under the confederation of the AP.

[Bananiot]

Greece cannot threat anyone DT, wake up! Luxembourg has more clout than Greece, because it is a serious country but threats do not go down well within the EU. Especially by clowns.

[Piratis]

The "maximum" for us is the bare minimum: Freedom, democracy and human rights. No decent (that doesn't include Bananiot) human being can accept to live with anything less than that.

For your Turkish and British friends the maximum is to to invade other countries, kill, oppress and violate the rights of innocent people and steal their land and resources. Apparently for you it is fine when the Turks and British insist on their maximum and want to keep parts of our island under their rule, but it is not fine when we want the bare minimum!

Piratis and DT think that the EU was forced to accept Cyprus in its ranks. They know nothing about how the EU works. However, they are true children of a society that fortifies its people with myths and fairy tails which may be okay to put people to sleep but seriously harm us in reality.

Then the British must be total idiots for being tricked by Papadopoulos. If that is the case, and Papadopoulos indeed managed to put Cyprus in EU single-handedly by tricking the pro-Turks within EU, then he is even better than what we thought! That is what you think Bananiot? That Papadopoulous all he needed to do was to tell some "lie"? You are the one who doesn't know how EU works I am afraid.