Cyprus-Forum.com

[Expatkiwi]

This article in Pakistan's DAILY TIMES speaks volumes as to whose fault the current impasse is...

VIEW: So close, yet so far —Ansar Mahmood Bhatti

The EU committed a ‘mistake’ by admitting Greek Cyprus into the club as a member while the issue of reunification of the Island was still pending. This act of the EU had virtually put the Greeks in a better bargaining position

The Cyprus imbroglio, as is evident from the emerging scenario, is fast becoming a quagmire for the stakeholders who are unable to achieve any breakthrough despite some ‘serious efforts’ and even a popular vote. The predicament of countries having a direct stake in the issue mainly stems from their mutual disagreements and maybe their unwillingness to settle this long-standing dispute, just because a solution, and new system of governance to be evolved after the settlement, might disparage their political stature. Every time when leaders of both sides sit together to discuss the pros and also cons of this conflict, it appears as if the goal of reunification shall be achieved within months, if not days. Intriguingly, after some interactions, leaders as well as peoples of both sides become disenchanted and wary. Every time, this approach of nihilism drives them back to square one.

Though I did not come across any significant infrastructural changes on the Turkish side, since my last visit to the Island three years ago, this time there was an obvious change in the tone and tenor of the Turkish Cypriot people, most of them believing strongly they might not be able have a rapprochement with the South side, at least in the foreseeable future. Greatly indebted to motherland Turkey’s benevolence and patronage, people still think it is only Ankara that can help them salvage a deal provided the Turkish leadership is able to extract a deadline from the European Union (EU) and the UN, the two key players currently involved in a fence-mending exercise.

Needless to mention here that the Island, soon after its independence from Great Britain in 1960, was plunged into riots and uprisings that ultimately led to the intervention of Turkish forces in 1974 and division of the Island into two, the North inhibited by Turkish Cypriots and the South by the Greeks. Turkish Cyprus declared independence on November 15, 1983 and was immediately recognised by Turkey. No other country recognises North Cyprus, mainly because it has never sought formal recognition. This is in sharp contrast with South Cyprus or the Republic of Cyprus, which is not only recognised by the international community but is also a member of the EU since 2004.

Both sides had a golden opportunity to solve their disputes in 2004 when the UN organised a referendum to seek the masses’ opinion regarding the possible future of the Island. Much to the disappointment of all, the Greek side overwhelmingly rejected the UN move by saying No to the ‘Annan Plan’ and thus reunification remained a distant dream despite a big Yes vote by the Turkish Cypriot people. “There won’t be a Plan B,” said the then UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan, in order to make both parties realise how crucial was the referendum. Unfortunately the Greek Cyprus government did not pay any heed to Mr Annan’s warning and as a result Nicosia continues to be the only divided capital in the world.

Realistically speaking, the EU committed a ‘mistake’ by admitting Greek Cyprus into the club as a member while the issue of reunification of the Island was still pending. This act of the EU had virtually put the Greeks in a better bargaining position because they did not have anything to lose even if they would say no to the UN moves for a permanent settlement. This is why they said a resounding no to UN-sponsored referendum, which according to many analysts, was a slap in the face of the august body.

As a consolation prize, the EU announced a package of 259 million Euros for the Turkish Cypriots, primarily for infrastructure and social sector development of the tiny state, but as I mentioned earlier, no visible change has ever taken place. The reason, as told by the locals, happens to be the cumbersome EU procedures and regulations and to some extent, unwillingness on the part of the relevant quarters, due to which people are yet to reap the benefits of EU largesse. As claimed by the official clique, the Greek side too was hindering the development process by employing its EU clout.

Another stumbling block in the way of a quick solution turns out to be the Greek Cypriot people’s reluctance to co-exist with the Turkish Cypriot community. According to a recent poll conducted in South Cyprus, as many as 70 percent of Greek Cypriots do not want a reunification with the North. More or less the same number of people had rejected the UN plan in 2004. So, how leaders of both sides can strike a deal, especially when the ‘big brother’ was not ready to share power with the younger one, is in fact a million dollar question.

Britain is one of the guarantor powers along with Greece and Turkey. Therefore at times it comes up with certain proposals and offers, with a view to facilitating an amicable solution. It recently renewed an offer to hand over half of its sovereign territory in Cyprus to facilitate a peace deal. Britain controls 3 percent of territory on Cyprus. The renewal of the offer came as the Cypriot president Demetris Christofias visited London on November 11, 2009. The British government first made its conditional offer in 2003, before modifying it in 2004. The same offer has now been repeated. The Turkish Cypriot side nevertheless has turned down this offer, saying it was nothing more than a lame excuse on the part of the UK government to absolve itself of the principle responsibility.

An acceptable and early solution is still possible provided all stakeholders, particularly the EU, evince some interest. It is a matter of surprise for almost everybody that if the EU can help Croatia and Slovenia solve their chronic border dispute, why it is taking so long to address the Cyprus issue, which may have far more dangerous implications. “This is a very good day for Slovenia and Croatia, and the EU. This is a most European way of peaceful settlement of disputes,” were the words of the European Commission chief. The people of Cyprus expect him to utter similar words for them sooner rather than later.

The writer is a bilingual columnist and has a special interest in EU affairs. A collection of his columns is available in book form titled ‘Current Affairs’. He can be reached at [email protected]

[Get Real!]

"The EU committed a ‘mistake’ by admitting Greek Cyprus into the club as a member while the issue of reunification of the Island was still pending."

Had the international community ABIDED BY INTERNATIONAL LAW by acting on UN resolutions calling for the withdrawal of foreign militaries from the sovereign territory of Cyprus (CLEARLY A CALL FOR THE LIBERATION OF CYPRUS), nobody would be talking about the perverted “reunification” today because in reality successive RoC governments foolishly accepted the use of this totally inappropriate word even though it did NOT apply to Cyprus, only to find people today accusing them of twisted stupidities like those of this 2-cent Pakistani nincompoop!

Furthermore, the RoC is and was a SOVEREIGN NATION with a portion of her territory under an illegal military occupation, and certainly NOT some dual-community entity like this uneducated Pakistani peasant seems to assume, so her application to join the EU was perfectly valid as endorsed by the UN…

The Eligibility of the Republic of Cyprus for EU Membership

“Conclusions

For the reasons we have given, we remain firmly of the opinion that there is no legal basis for the argument that Cyprus is prevented by the Treaty of Guarantee, or by any provisions of the Constitution of 1960, from becoming a member of the EU or from complying with its treaty obligations towards Turkey once it becomes a member.”

http://www.un.int/cyprus/mendel.htm

[Piratis]

Needless to mention here that the Island, soon after its independence from Great Britain in 1960, was plunged into riots and uprisings that ultimately led to the intervention of Turkish forces in 1974 and division of the Island into two

Needless to say that this guy doesn't know what he is talking about, since the riots didn't start after 1960, but they were started by the TCs in the 1950s, with the aim to annihilate GCs from half of their island and declare some "Turkish state" on land which belongs to us.

the North inhibited by Turkish Cypriots

That is the only correct part in the whole article. The native Cypriot people are inhibited by Turkish Cypriots (and the Turkish army) to return to their own homes.

Turkish Cyprus declared independence on November 15, 1983 and was immediately recognised by Turkey. No other country recognises North Cyprus, mainly because it has never sought formal recognition.

They sought recognition in all ways they could. But how could the rule of Turks recognized over territory which belongs to Cypriots? It can not. And this is why this resolution was issued:

RESOLUTION 541 (1983)

Adopted by the Security Council
on 18 November 1983



The Security Council,

Having heard the statement of the Foreign Minister of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus,

Concerned at the declaration by the Turkish Cypriot authorities issued on 15 November 1983 which purports to create an independent state in northern Cyprus,

Considering that this declaration is incompatible with the 1960 Treaty concerning the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus and the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee,

Considering therefore that the attempt to create a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", is invalid, and will contribute to a worsening of the situation in Cyprus,

Reaffirming its resolutions 365(1974) and 367(1975),

Aware of the need for a solution of the Cyprus problem, based on the mission of good offices undertaken by the Secretary-General,

Affirming its continuing support for the United Nations Peace-Keeping Force in Cyprus,

Taking note of the Secretary-General's statement of 17 November 1983,

1. Deplores the declaration of the Turkish Cypriot authorities of the purported secession of part of the Republic of Cyprus;

2. Considers the declaration referred to above as legally invalid and calls for its withdrawal;

3. Calls for the urgent and effective implementation of its resolutions 365(1974) and 367(1975);

4. Requests the Secretary-General to pursue his mission of good offices in order to achieve the earliest possible progress towards a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus;

5. Calls upon the parties to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General in his mission of good offices;

6. Calls upon all States to respect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and non-alignment of the Republic of Cyprus;

7. Calls upon all States not to recognise any Cypriot state other than the Republic of Cyprus;

8. Calls upon all States and the two communities in Cyprus to refrain from any action which might exacerbate the situation;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the Security Council fully informed.

Adopted at the 2500th meeting by 13 votes to 1 against (Pakistan) with 1 abstention (Jordan).

Clearly shows which side the Pakis choose but apparently not even them dared to go against a UN resolution.

Realistically speaking, the EU committed a ‘mistake’ by admitting Greek Cyprus into the club as a member while the issue of reunification of the Island was still pending. This act of the EU had virtually put the Greeks in a better bargaining position because they did not have anything to lose even if they would say no to the UN moves for a permanent settlement. This is why they said a resounding no to UN-sponsored referendum, which according to many analysts, was a slap in the face of the august body.

And why shouldn't we have a better bargain position to be able to balance the big guns and brute force of Turkey? Apparently this idiot would prefer if Cypriots were forced to surrender. What he forgets is that European Union was not created to serve the interests of invaders of Europe, but the interests of the Europeans.

Another stumbling block in the way of a quick solution turns out to be the Greek Cypriot people’s reluctance to co-exist with the Turkish Cypriot community. According to a recent poll conducted in South Cyprus, as many as 70 percent of Greek Cypriots do not want a reunification with the North.

Yet more lies. The Cypriot people have no problem to live along with the Turkish minority in the same way we live along with several other minorities in Cyprus. What the Cypriot people do not accept is partition of Cyprus in two with the Turks being given half of our island, and then merely the loose association of the two parts, as it was the case with Annan plan.

An acceptable and early solution is still possible provided all stakeholders, particularly the EU, evince some interest. It is a matter of surprise for almost everybody that if the EU can help Croatia and Slovenia solve their chronic border dispute, why it is taking so long to address the Cyprus issue, which may have far more dangerous implications. “This is a very good day for Slovenia and Croatia, and the EU. This is a most European way of peaceful settlement of disputes,” were the words of the European Commission chief. The people of Cyprus expect him to utter similar words for them sooner rather than later.

The reason is that Turkey refuses to obey UN resolutions. If they did, the Cyprus Problem would not exist today.

RESOLUTION 353 (1974)

Adopted by the Security Council at its 1771st meeting,
on 20 July 1974



The Security Council,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General, at its 1779th meeting, about the recent developments in Cyprus,

Having heard the statement of the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the statements of the representatives of Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and other Member States,

Noting also from the report the conditions prevailing in the island,

Deeply deploring the outbreak of violence and the continuing bloodshed,

Gravely concerned about the situation which has led to a serious threat to international peace and security, and which has created a most explosive situation in the whole Eastern Mediterranean area,

Equally concerned about the necessity to restore the constitutional structure of the Republic of Cyprus, established and guaranteed by international agreements,

Conscious of its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with Article 24 of the Charter of the United Nations,

1.Calls upon all States to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus.

2.Calls upon all parties to the present fighting as a first step to cease all firing and requests all States to exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from any action which might further aggravate the situation;

3.Demands an immediate end to foreign military intervention in the Republic of Cyprus that is in contravention of the provisions of paragraph 1 above;

4. Requests the withdrawal without delay from the Republic of Cyprus of foreign military personnel present otherwise than under the authority of international agreements, including those whose withdrawal was requested by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, in his letter of 2 July 1974;

5. Calls upon Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to enter into negotiations without delay for the restoration of peace in the area and constitutional government of Cyprus and to keep the Secretary-General informed;

6. Calls upon all parties to co-operate fully with the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus to enable it to carry out its mandate;

7. Decides to keep the situation under constant review and asks the Secretary-General to report as appropriate with a view to adopting further measures in order to ensure that peaceful conditions are restored as soon as possible.

Adopted unanimously at the 1781st meeting.

[runaway]

Turkish Cyprus declared independence on November 15, 1983 and was immediately recognised by Turkey. No other country recognises North Cyprus, mainly because it has never sought formal recognition.

They sought recognition in all ways they could. But how could the rule of Turks recognized over territory which belongs to Cypriots? It can not. And this is why this resolution was issued:

I need to give the example of Kosovo again since you are not tired of writing shit. I don't see any difference between KKTC and Kosova cases. Albanians and Serbs can't and won't live together. Same is true for TC and gcs. Recognition is not a must since option of enosis with Türkiye seems more realistic.

[Oracle]

Give "Pakistan" back to India ...

[insan]

Needless to mention here that the Island, soon after its independence from Great Britain in 1960, was plunged into riots and uprisings that ultimately led to the intervention of Turkish forces in 1974 and division of the Island into two

Needless to say that this guy doesn't know what he is talking about, since the riots didn't start after 1960, but they were started by the TCs in the 1950s, with the aim to annihilate GCs from half of their island and declare some "Turkish state" on land which belongs to us.

the North inhibited by Turkish Cypriots

That is the only correct part in the whole article. The native Cypriot people are inhibited by Turkish Cypriots (and the Turkish army) to return to their own homes.

Turkish Cyprus declared independence on November 15, 1983 and was immediately recognised by Turkey. No other country recognises North Cyprus, mainly because it has never sought formal recognition.

They sought recognition in all ways they could. But how could the rule of Turks recognized over territory which belongs to Cypriots? It can not. And this is why this resolution was issued:

RESOLUTION 541 (1983)

Adopted by the Security Council
on 18 November 1983



The Security Council,

Having heard the statement of the Foreign Minister of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus,

Concerned at the declaration by the Turkish Cypriot authorities issued on 15 November 1983 which purports to create an independent state in northern Cyprus,

Considering that this declaration is incompatible with the 1960 Treaty concerning the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus and the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee,

Considering therefore that the attempt to create a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", is invalid, and will contribute to a worsening of the situation in Cyprus,

Reaffirming its resolutions 365(1974) and 367(1975),

Aware of the need for a solution of the Cyprus problem, based on the mission of good offices undertaken by the Secretary-General,

Affirming its continuing support for the United Nations Peace-Keeping Force in Cyprus,

Taking note of the Secretary-General's statement of 17 November 1983,

1. Deplores the declaration of the Turkish Cypriot authorities of the purported secession of part of the Republic of Cyprus;

2. Considers the declaration referred to above as legally invalid and calls for its withdrawal;

3. Calls for the urgent and effective implementation of its resolutions 365(1974) and 367(1975);

4. Requests the Secretary-General to pursue his mission of good offices in order to achieve the earliest possible progress towards a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus;

5. Calls upon the parties to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General in his mission of good offices;

6. Calls upon all States to respect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and non-alignment of the Republic of Cyprus;

7. Calls upon all States not to recognise any Cypriot state other than the Republic of Cyprus;

8. Calls upon all States and the two communities in Cyprus to refrain from any action which might exacerbate the situation;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the Security Council fully informed.

Adopted at the 2500th meeting by 13 votes to 1 against (Pakistan) with 1 abstention (Jordan).

Clearly shows which side the Pakis choose but apparently not even them dared to go against a UN resolution.

Realistically speaking, the EU committed a ‘mistake’ by admitting Greek Cyprus into the club as a member while the issue of reunification of the Island was still pending. This act of the EU had virtually put the Greeks in a better bargaining position because they did not have anything to lose even if they would say no to the UN moves for a permanent settlement. This is why they said a resounding no to UN-sponsored referendum, which according to many analysts, was a slap in the face of the august body.

And why shouldn't we have a better bargain position to be able to balance the big guns and brute force of Turkey? Apparently this idiot would prefer if Cypriots were forced to surrender. What he forgets is that European Union was not created to serve the interests of invaders of Europe, but the interests of the Europeans.

Another stumbling block in the way of a quick solution turns out to be the Greek Cypriot people’s reluctance to co-exist with the Turkish Cypriot community. According to a recent poll conducted in South Cyprus, as many as 70 percent of Greek Cypriots do not want a reunification with the North.

Yet more lies. The Cypriot people have no problem to live along with the Turkish minority in the same way we live along with several other minorities in Cyprus. What the Cypriot people do not accept is partition of Cyprus in two with the Turks being given half of our island, and then merely the loose association of the two parts, as it was the case with Annan plan.

An acceptable and early solution is still possible provided all stakeholders, particularly the EU, evince some interest. It is a matter of surprise for almost everybody that if the EU can help Croatia and Slovenia solve their chronic border dispute, why it is taking so long to address the Cyprus issue, which may have far more dangerous implications. “This is a very good day for Slovenia and Croatia, and the EU. This is a most European way of peaceful settlement of disputes,” were the words of the European Commission chief. The people of Cyprus expect him to utter similar words for them sooner rather than later.

The reason is that Turkey refuses to obey UN resolutions. If they did, the Cyprus Problem would not exist today.

RESOLUTION 353 (1974)

Adopted by the Security Council at its 1771st meeting,
on 20 July 1974



The Security Council,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General, at its 1779th meeting, about the recent developments in Cyprus,

Having heard the statement of the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the statements of the representatives of Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and other Member States,

Noting also from the report the conditions prevailing in the island,

Deeply deploring the outbreak of violence and the continuing bloodshed,

Gravely concerned about the situation which has led to a serious threat to international peace and security, and which has created a most explosive situation in the whole Eastern Mediterranean area,

Equally concerned about the necessity to restore the constitutional structure of the Republic of Cyprus, established and guaranteed by international agreements,

Conscious of its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with Article 24 of the Charter of the United Nations,

1.Calls upon all States to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus.

2.Calls upon all parties to the present fighting as a first step to cease all firing and requests all States to exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from any action which might further aggravate the situation;

3.Demands an immediate end to foreign military intervention in the Republic of Cyprus that is in contravention of the provisions of paragraph 1 above;

4. Requests the withdrawal without delay from the Republic of Cyprus of foreign military personnel present otherwise than under the authority of international agreements, including those whose withdrawal was requested by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, in his letter of 2 July 1974;

5. Calls upon Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to enter into negotiations without delay for the restoration of peace in the area and constitutional government of Cyprus and to keep the Secretary-General informed;

6. Calls upon all parties to co-operate fully with the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus to enable it to carry out its mandate;

7. Decides to keep the situation under constant review and asks the Secretary-General to report as appropriate with a view to adopting further measures in order to ensure that peaceful conditions are restored as soon as possible.

Adopted unanimously at the 1781st meeting.

Which UN resolution suggests TCs to accept minority status in Cyprus? As long as u exert making TCs a minority in Cyprus, problem won't be solved as how u desire. As usual u just contribute the partition of Cyprus. This time the permenant partition...

[Oracle]

Which UN resolution suggests TCs to accept minority status in Cyprus?...

That's just it. No one told the TCs they have to accept minority status just as no one told the GCs they have to accept majority status! Some things just are because of numbers and this particular quirk, such as a fixed "community" size, is irrelevant and does not enter into one-man-one-vote Democracies.

Now bugger off back to undemocratic Turkey and claim your 'majority status' over there!

[insan]

Which UN resolution suggests TCs to accept minority status in Cyprus?...

That's just it. No one told the TCs they have to accept minority status just as no one told the GCs they have to accept majority status! Some things just are because of numbers and this particular quirk, such as a fixed "community" size, is irrelevant and does not enter into one-man-one-vote Democracies.

Now bugger off back to undemocratic Turkey and claim your 'majority status' over there!

U bugger off to Greece and demand ur one man one vote right over there!

U will never learn and digest consociational democracy.

[Piratis]

Turkish Cyprus declared independence on November 15, 1983 and was immediately recognised by Turkey. No other country recognises North Cyprus, mainly because it has never sought formal recognition.

They sought recognition in all ways they could. But how could the rule of Turks recognized over territory which belongs to Cypriots? It can not. And this is why this resolution was issued:

I need to give the example of Kosovo again since you are not tired of writing shit. I don't see any difference between KKTC and Kosova cases. Albanians and Serbs can't and won't live together. Same is true for TC and gcs. Recognition is not a must since option of enosis with Türkiye seems more realistic.

So which foreign country invaded Kosovo, ethnically cleansed the Serbians and illegally transferred Albanians in Kosovo?

If you don't see a difference, then you should be able to give an answer to all of the above.

The fact is that the Albanians have been a majority in that territory for centuries, long before International Law and the UN.

If you want to go that back ago, then why go to Kosovo? You can talk about Asia Minor, which was taken by the Turks from the Greeks and the other native people. But I will remind you that today is the 21st century, and your middle age practices of genocide and ethnic cleansing are not acceptable anymore. Today you can not create a separate state by means of genocide and ethnic cleansing on land which belongs by over 80% to others.

[Malapapa]

Which UN resolution suggests TCs to accept minority status in Cyprus?...

That's just it. No one told the TCs they have to accept minority status just as no one told the GCs they have to accept majority status! Some things just are because of numbers and this particular quirk, such as a fixed "community" size, is irrelevant and does not enter into one-man-one-vote Democracies.

Now bugger off back to undemocratic Turkey and claim your 'majority status' over there!

U bugger off to Greece and demand ur one man one vote right over there!

U will never learn and digest consociational democracy.

I digested it. Like the EU, where tiny little Cyprus - and its tiny little minority of European citizens - has a veto over Turkey's entry. You like?