Cyprus-Forum.com

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February 19, 2009

By Ozay Mehmet, Ph.D
Professor Emeritus of International Affairs,
Carleton University, CANADA

Everything must come to an end, even the Cyprus Problem, the never ending saga of Turkish and Greek Cypriots to find an acceptable formula of sovereignty sharing to live together in a united island.
It looks like the much-heralded Talat-Christofias talks are deadlocked, even though brave faces keep an appearance of guarded optimism, hoping, against all hope, that some miracle can still come their way.
Acrimony and angry words have replaced the earlier air of cordiality in these talks aimed at creating a new State in Cyprus. Talat has been accused of looking more like Denktas, uncompromising partitionist leader that dominated Turkish Cypriot politics for forty years. For his part, Talat has accused Christofias of negotiating in bad faith, making international agreements presuming that the existing Greek Cypriot Republic will live forever.
A year ago, shortly after Christofias surprisingly won at the polls against the intransigent Papadopoulos, the new chemistry of the Talat-Christofias talks was almost universally welcomed as the last real chance of peace and reconciliation in Cyprus.
Alas, now, after a year of slow and fruitless negotiations, hopes for a “made at home” solution are all but gone. In the latest property discussions, Christofias has adopted an uncompromising position demanding repossession and right of return for former Greek Cypriot owners, effectively rejecting the key provisions of the Annan Plan.
If Talat looks like Denktas, then Christofias appears more and more like Papadopoulos who passed away a month ago. Papadopoulos joined a long list of heart-broken Greek Cypriot leaders, like Makarios and Grivas, men who had conflicting visions of ENOSIS, union with Greece.
It is uncertain how deep-rooted old visions are in the hearts and minds of Greek Cypriots. Judging by the sentiments expressed not only at the Papadopoulos funeral, but by the wide cross section of the masses in the South, especially amongst the younger segments, the support is minimal at the grass roots for a genuinely equal power sharing with the Turkish Cypriots in a new State on the island.
Put simply, the vast majority do not want to give up the existing Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus, now an EU member for any new State in partnership with the Turkish Cypriots.
Moreover, the Greek Cypriot side is still busily pushing the legal card, trying to solve the property issue, the crux of the Cyprus Problem, through European courts. It looks now that the precedent-setting Orams case may have validity throughout the EU territory.
If that is indeed the case, and Europeans owning houses on previous Greek Cypriot owned land in the North, become subject to costly dispossession, then the real estate market in North Cyprus may well be dealt a mortal blow.
The Greek Cypriots may score big in European courts. They may even win new victories on the political and diplomatic arenas.
Europe has its own agenda with Turkey. Ollie Rhen, the Enlargement Commissioner has declared that the year 2009 will be a “critical test” in EU-Ankara relations. Ankara’s long standing ambition for EU membership may be dealt a mortal blow. Driven more by xenophobia, sometime in 2009, the EU may punish Turkey over Ankara’s refusal to open Turkish ports to Greek Cypriot shipping and accept the Greek Cypriot government as legitimate.
What would be the consequences of these Greek Cypriot victories? Permanent partition… Denktas who almost single-handedly managed to get Greek Cypriots into the EU in 2004, will be repaid the favor by Greek Cypriots celebrating their pyrrhic victory.
What about the Turkish Cypriots? They will, like it or not, be Turkified as more and more Turks will arrive and the North will come under Turkish dominance. That has been the steady trend since 1994 ever since the European court order against exports to Europe.
The public mood in the North, nervous as a result of the global financial crisis, is simply angry with politics and politicians, at home and abroad. They feel frustrated and let down.
There is anger at the failure of the EU to keep its solemn promises of ending the isolation and embargoes after the 2004 Referanda in which large amounts of EU money was spent to win a YES vote, only to be frustrated by the overwhelming OXI in the South.
When Talat replaced the old boss Denktas, hopes for an acceptable, comprehensive settlement were raised once more. These hopes were further fuelled with the surprising victory of Christofias in presidential election a year ago.
But alas! The dynamics of the Cyprus Problem are overwhelming leadership. The grassroots, both in the South and the North, are going nationalist and uncompressing.
In the North, Eroglu, the aging oligarch of the old guard has come out of retirement to take charge of the nationalist agenda. Early elections are planned for Spring 2009, and most likely a new coalition government will emerge with virtually no heart for the Talat-Christofias talks.
In fact, Talat himself will have to face presidential elections in 2010. By then, the Cypriot talks may well be buried because Ankara may receive bad news from Brussels that the EU has decided to call off, or suspend, negotiations for membership.
With no incentive left to negotiate, the Christofias-Talat talks will simply vanish away. No one will walk away from the talks; they will simply melt away like spring snow. And with that the last hope for a united Cyprus will disappear.

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All Copyright © 2008 Financialmirror.com

http://www.financialmirror.com/Columnist/COMMENT/262

[Piratis]

Those that saw any hope for a real unification under the current balance of power are nothing more than idiots. Sure, we could have some partition with the label "unification", but that is obviously not what we want.

When we will be able to solve the Cyprus problem we will, and negotiations will have nothing to do with it.

[shahmaran]

Keep dreaming Piratis, your blood thirsty sad view of a solution hasn't worked the first time, what makes you think it will the second?

[Bananiot]

I do not know this guy Ozay Mehmet, but I can hear his cry loudly. I think both, Talat and Christofias also hear it and this is why I am still optimistic.

[Piratis]

Blood thirsty are the Turks who invaded our island (multiple times). We have every right to fight for the freedom of our island from foreign invaders.

And what is a "sad view of a solution" according to you? In 1974 you ethnically cleansed 200.000 Greek Cypriots who are the 82% majority of north Cyprus and they have been so for 1000s of years and you called that a "solution". Today you insist that the land you took by force should remain yours.

Even if we ethnically cleansed all TCs from Cyprus and send them some kilometers northern, this solution would still not be any more sad than yours. The total amount of TCs is less than the total amount of our refugees, and the GCs have far deeper roots on this island than the TCs.

Actually this is what happened in Czechoslovakia. The Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia with the excuses that they were protecting their German minority. When the balance of power changed, Czechoslovakia was freed, and the German minority was kicked out.

Of course I would rather have all Cypriots living in a truly united Cyprus as equal citizens without any sorts of racist discrimination and segregation, but I already know very well that you do not accept this because you want to steal our lands and have gains on our expense.

[shahmaran]

Blood thirsty are the Turks who invaded our island (multiple times). We have every right to fight for the freedom of our island from foreign invaders.

And what is a "sad view of a solution" according to you? In 1974 you ethnically cleansed 200.000 Greek Cypriots who are the 82% majority of north Cyprus and they have been so for 1000s of years and you called that a "solution". Today you insist that the land you took by force should remain yours.

Even if we ethnically cleansed all TCs from Cyprus and send them some kilometers northern, this solution would still not be any more sad than yours. The total amount of TCs is less than the total amount of our refugees, and the GCs have far deeper roots on this island than the TCs.

Actually this is what happened in Czechoslovakia. The Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia with the excuses that they were protecting their German minority. When the balance of power changed, Czechoslovakia was freed, and the German minority was kicked out.

Of course I would rather have all Cypriots living in a truly united Cyprus as equal citizens without any sorts of racist discrimination and segregation, but I already know very well that you do not accept this because you want to steal our lands and have gains on our expense.

Well we have learned the hard way that there will never be such a Cyprus where people are "equal citizens without any sort of racist discrimination" specially not when people like you keep pushing the lies about you owning this island.

There is not a single time in history where the GC's were actually the sole owners of this island, there was no time in history when it was just you and there NEVER will be.

Many people came and went all because of this very racist attitude you are imposing on us, yet you turn around and talk about a world without any racist discrimination, you are a joke Piratis.

You cant fool a 5 year old with this bullshit let alone a whole nation

You had your chance to live with us under such ideal circumstances yet you fucked it up, so don't go bitching about numbers and percentages now, its tad too late for that brother...

[lovernomore]

Those that saw any hope for a real unification under the current balance of power are nothing more than idiots. Sure, we could have some partition with the label "unification", but that is obviously not what we want.

When we will be able to solve the Cyprus problem we will, and negotiations will have nothing to do with it.

Robot maybe blow fuse.

PLEASE TELL US HOW?

[Piratis]

Blood thirsty are the Turks who invaded our island (multiple times). We have every right to fight for the freedom of our island from foreign invaders.

And what is a "sad view of a solution" according to you? In 1974 you ethnically cleansed 200.000 Greek Cypriots who are the 82% majority of north Cyprus and they have been so for 1000s of years and you called that a "solution". Today you insist that the land you took by force should remain yours.

Even if we ethnically cleansed all TCs from Cyprus and send them some kilometers northern, this solution would still not be any more sad than yours. The total amount of TCs is less than the total amount of our refugees, and the GCs have far deeper roots on this island than the TCs.

Actually this is what happened in Czechoslovakia. The Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia with the excuses that they were protecting their German minority. When the balance of power changed, Czechoslovakia was freed, and the German minority was kicked out.

Of course I would rather have all Cypriots living in a truly united Cyprus as equal citizens without any sorts of racist discrimination and segregation, but I already know very well that you do not accept this because you want to steal our lands and have gains on our expense.

Well we have learned the hard way that there will never be such a Cyprus where people are "equal citizens without any sort of racist discrimination" specially not when people like you keep pushing the lies about you owning this island.

There is not a single time in history where the GC's were actually the sole owners of this island, there was no time in history when it was just you and there NEVER will be.

Many people came and went all because of this very racist attitude you are imposing on us, yet you turn around and talk about a world without any racist discrimination, you are a joke Piratis.

You cant fool a 5 year old with this bullshit let alone a whole nation

You had your chance to live with us under such ideal circumstances yet you fucked it up, so don't go bitching about numbers and percentages now, its tad too late for that brother...

No mate, you never allowed democracy in Cyprus.

You are just blowing your chance to live with us in a free and democratic Cyprus. Just remember this was offered to you and you blew it. Don't complain after.

Also thank you for confirming that for you ethnic cleansing can indeed be a way of solving problems.

Many people came and went all because of this very racist attitude you are imposing on us, yet you turn around and talk about a world without any racist discrimination, you are a joke Piratis.

This is the funniest thing you ever said Yes mate, many came in order to enslave and oppress us. And then you call us racists? We never left our island to invade and enslave others my friend. If you want to see racists, look in the mirror.

Those invaders came and left, and you will be the next ones in due time. Meanwhile we will continue to progress while you will rot in the shit hole you created. So don't worry for us, we have a lot of a patience.

[YFred]

I do not know this guy Ozay Mehmet, but I can hear his cry loudly. I think both, Talat and Christofias also hear it and this is why I am still optimistic.

Is he God?

I don't believe a word of it. Of course there will be ups and downs in the negotiations.

Eroglu has as much chance of coming to power as Stalin in a free election. People forget that Eroglu used to win elections when Turkey used to bring 10s of thousands from Turkey, and give them residence in a few days so they can vote. Then pack them back to Turkey.

Those days are over. TCs will not abandon Talat or CTP.
I have never heard of this guy, and I suspect he is one of the partitionists.

[Piratis]

Those that saw any hope for a real unification under the current balance of power are nothing more than idiots. Sure, we could have some partition with the label "unification", but that is obviously not what we want.

When we will be able to solve the Cyprus problem we will, and negotiations will have nothing to do with it.

Robot maybe blow fuse.

PLEASE TELL US HOW?

It will be a surprise