Cyprus-Forum.com

[demetriou_74]

your views on....

1. what should happen to the homes illegaly occupied?
2. where would the evicted people live?
3. what language should be taught in schools?
4. should schools be 'mixed'?
5. should Cyprus become liKe USA and opperate a State system with a Central Government
6. should EU be involved with running of Cyprus
7. What would the flag be?
8. how do you stop the past turning into violence?

can we have some short answers please so people can get a summary before we turn it into a full blown discusion.

thanks for your time

[detailer]

1. what should happen to the homes illegaly occupied?

In my "plan", main idea is bi-zonal which gives limited accomodation to GC in northern state. I agree with main parametes of Annan plan in this issue.

However, as far as I have learnt from this forum, GC's are worried that they will compensate themselves in the Annan solution. if that is the case in annan plan, I share their worries. So if TC who is keeping the GC property does not have the equivalent in south and he is not eligible for international fund and he or TC statee can not pay the differece, he should give the property back to the original owner

3. what language should be taught in schools?
Each state should be semi-independent in its education policy. But there should be also agreed pricnciples/systems for all sides. Some kind of fair(I dont know how this can be done ) authority to check the schools etc.

It is preferable that both TC and GC should learn other's language, culture, achivements, positive history...

4. should schools be 'mixed'?

There shouldn't be a should but the parents who want to send their children to mixed schools can be given a chance.


6. should EU be involved with running of Cyprus
Yes



7. What would the flag be?
Not the current "RoC" flag.



8. how do you stop the past turning into violence?
That's the most imporatant part imo. The establishment of any army should be forbidden forever in cyprus. Number of police should be limited and they should have simple guns, whatever...

[demetriou_74]

about the flag the current flag should suffice because it is the only flag in the world that has the outline of the nation and it has the olive vines that are common all over the island

[detailer]

about the flag the current flag should suffice because it is the only flag in the world that has the outline of the nation and it has the olive vines that are common all over the island

I quite like the flag to be honest. It points peace in a very nice way. The problem is it reminds us the greek supression in 63-74.

It is basicly too much "brother" to greek flag. You are right, it might be the outline of a nation but this nation does not cover TC.

[gabaston]

How is any annan plan going to work?

Unless the majority of gc’s benefit they will vote against it.

Unless the majority of tc’s benefit they will vote against it.

How will both communities benefit at the same time?


Tough nut to crack.
Any suggestions

[gabaston]

A red cross with a blue moon and star????

[snchduer]

my 5 cents...

1. what should happen to the homes illegaly occupied?
I think the outline of the Annan Plan was quite good. It outlined as well some kind of "shared ownership", which I find quite fair thinking that TCs who were chased out of the south, or lost their homes 63-74 live in these houses for >30 years now.

2. where would the evicted people live?
Well, I think 1 answers it partly. I favour a pragmatic solution here, that enables them to live humanely as well. Maybe some kind of "house-swapping", giving them sth that is equivalent to their current (or maybe former) home? This would imply that "Turkish settlers" should be sent back to Turkey, because if not, not enough space I presume.

3. what language should be taught in schools?
All subjects in English. With Greek language obligatory for Turks and vice versa.

4. should schools be 'mixed'?
Yes. Definitely. And there should be something like "Cypriot culture" taught, that stresses on uniquely Cypriot stuff (i.e. neither Greek nor TUrkish).

5. should Cyprus become liKe USA and opperate a State system with a Central Government
I would say a relatively weak central government, that operates foreign affairs, inner security, international relations. Taxes for instance should be regulated by the federal states (also in order to give business incentives in the north).

6. should EU be involved with running of Cyprus
No. Cyprus for the Cypriots. Run by Cypriots. People, you have to deal with your problems, with nobody except yourself to blame if sth goes wrong. However actions of the Cypriot government should be subject to European Court of Human Rights rulings, with quick appeal rights.

7. What would the flag be?
Good one. The nowadays RoC flag is too much reminder of the "old" Cypriot state, and the Annan Plan flag is downright ugly. I would like to see the island on it, plus the important colors (red, blue, ocker). No religious symbols. Maybe sth like
a) Island in the middle, with a red and a blue olive twig
b) Island in the middle, with a red stripe on top, and a blue one in the bottom, background white in the middle (stripes not too thick)

8. how do you stop the past turning into violence?
Demilitarise. If possible, Including the British. Police will get maximum beating sticks (like the British police), or maybe Tazers.

[Yiannis]

3. what language should be taught in schools?

A GC in the TC state should be required to learn basic Turkish apart from Greek and the opposite for TCs in the GC state. A GC in the GC state should have a min requirement for Turkish language and should be able to choose it if he/she wants to have a more advanced Turkish course.Greek should have a greater weight for greek speakers. The same goes for TCs in the TC state.

4. should schools be 'mixed'?

All public schools should be bicommunal.

6. should EU be involved with running of Cyprus

Can you explain what kind of involment you are talking about?EU is allready involved in Cy since the accession to the EU last year.

7. What would the flag be?

I personally like the current RoC flag. However i would still accept it if some changes are made to it to satisfy the TCs too.
However i dont think the flag would be a major problem in any plan.

8. how do you stop the past turning into violence?

Proper education.

[Main_Source]

Bizonal? TC state? what if 95% of the refugees wanted to return home? Which ones should and shouldnt be allowed? Besides...it would be just another disguised partition. I think TC should just accept that they make up 18% of the population and not 50%, as well as getting the idea of 'Taksim' out of their heads. Why should a substantial amount of GC be denied of their native heritage, just because of the implanted Turkish nationalism in the heads of TC, to go with the corruption with the worlds super powers wanting to keep Turkey happy.

Whish refugees would you tell that they couldn't return home?

As for the flag, I like the current one (which was designed by a TC) but if it must be changed then they should keep the current colours but maybe redesign it. I dont think it should have any blue or red on it.

Psychologically, I dont think GC could accept the red of Turkey on their flag as it would be a basic representation of the Ottoman occupation. As for the blue...well I supposed something similar could be said with TC, I dont know.

[snchduer]

Bizonal? TC state? what if 95% of the refugees wanted to return home? Which ones should and shouldnt be allowed? Besides...it would be just another disguised partition. I think TC should just accept that they make up 18% of the population and not 50%, as well as getting the idea of 'Taksim' out of their heads. Why should a substantial amount of GC be denied of their native heritage, just because of the implanted Turkish nationalism in the heads of TC, to go with the corruption with the worlds super powers wanting to keep Turkey happy.

Let us stick to the topic for once, shall we?

Remark: I will only believe that 95% want to return when I see a credible opinion poll on it. I am personally not in favour of partition, btw, but of a "careful (re)mixing".