Cyprus-Forum.com

[Bananiot]

By Umut

The latest Jennifer Lopez incident revealed how far we are from the ultimate utopia of peaceful coexistence in Cyprus. Perhaps we have been spending too much an energy on concepts like peace, conflict resolution, reconciliation. Without a doubt these concepts evoke a bright future. Yet before fantasizing about that relatively problem free moment in some indeterminate future, we need to have the courage to look back, to confront our not so pleasant past on this island. Easier said than done of course.

I always felt awkward in the presence of people who like to point out the endless similarities between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. Our eating habits are the same, we share similar values regarding the family, community and so the list goes on and on. Mostly such sentences are followed by a rhetoric people love to employ especially in bicommunal meetings. Accordingly Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots have always been on good terms, they led a peaceful life together in mixed villages until the external forces started meddling in the affairs of the little island of the Eastern Mediterranean. Such events usually end in people drinking and hugging their dear compatriots. Now that we have relieved ourselves from the burdensome responsibility of the notorious ‘problem’ and relegated it to the external actors, we might as well enjoy ourselves a bit.

This does not mean that there is no truth to this statement that external actors are to blame in creating and further deepening the conflict in Cyprus. Yet this is only a partial truth. Cypriots have no way of escaping from the responsibility of their tragic past. They were the ones who set up the homegrown nationalist organizations like the TMT, EOKA, EOKA-B. They were the ones who massacred, raped, tortured the members of the other community, all in the name of some sacred ideal. “We have always been friends” rhetoric amounts to nothing but dehistoricization.

Of course this does not absolve Turkey of its grave responsibility of the terrible events of 1974. It is a disgrace to refer to a partition operation that caused so much misery as the “Happy Peace Operation”. It is a disgrace to celebrate the anniversary of this so called “peace operation” by inviting world famous singers.

There can be no way out from this impasse we are in if we fail to acknowledge and take the responsibility of the human rights violations experienced by the other community. Just like the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey need to confront what the Greek Cypriots went through in 1974 and apologize for what happened, Greek Cypriots need to confront the reality that the problem in Cyprus did not start in 1974, it can not be reduced to a problem of occupation and the role of EOKA, EOKA-B and the Colonel’s Junta in Greece in the conflict can not be overlooked. Turkish Cypriots led an insecure, fearful and deprived existence in the enclaves after 1963 , they had to be displaced not once but twice after 1963 and 1974. So each community had its share of agony and suffering. Unless we have the courage to confront the very evils within ourselves and take the responsibility of the atrocious crimes we committed, peace is doomed to become a honorable yet a hollow ideal.

[Bananiot]

Η δική μου η πατρίδα

Yurdunu sevmeliymiş insan

Öyle diyor hep babam

Benim yurdum

Ikiye bölünmüş ortasindan

Hangi yarisin

sevmeli insan

……………………………………….

Λένε πως ο άνθρωπος πρέπει

την πατρίδα να αγαπά

έτσι λέει και ο πατέρας μου συχνά

η δική μου η πατρίδα έχει μοιραστεί στα δυο

ποιο από τα δυο κομμάτια πρέπει να αγαπώ

NESE YASIN

[Nikitas]

Good post Bananiot.

The need to understand the other side's concerns is paramount. That is why a settlement will by necessity be a compromise but one which will not leave a substantial number of people feeling they have been cheated.

Compromise means rejecting maximal positions, ie Enosis and Taksim, and that BBF becomes Reasonably Bizonal, Reasonably Bicommunal and Truly Federal. Plain BBF is a negotiated partition and this seems to have become the new sticking point just like Enosis and Taksim were in the 50s and 60s. Maybe the emergence of these sticking points is due to the similarities of the two communities and the overal conservative nature of society.

[Piratis]

There can be no way out from this impasse we are in if we fail to acknowledge and take the responsibility of the human rights violations experienced by the other community. Just like the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey need to confront what the Greek Cypriots went through in 1974 and apologize for what happened, Greek Cypriots need to confront the reality that the problem in Cyprus did not start in 1974, it can not be reduced to a problem of occupation and the role of EOKA, EOKA-B and the Colonel’s Junta in Greece in the conflict can not be overlooked. Turkish Cypriots led an insecure, fearful and deprived existence in the enclaves after 1963 , they had to be displaced not once but twice after 1963 and 1974. So each community had its share of agony and suffering. Unless we have the courage to confront the very evils within ourselves and take the responsibility of the atrocious crimes we committed, peace is doomed to become a honorable yet a hollow ideal.

Yet again the Turkish propagandists are trying to present the Cyprus Problem as something that started in 1963. This is of course a lie.

The first massacres, mass burning of homes and shops of innocent people and all other related crimes were in fact initiated by the Turks in the 1950s. They wanted this conflict between the communities to happen because this served their plan of partition and ethnic cleansing which existed since 1957. Here is a post with all the relevant info:
http://www.cyprus-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=30000

Not to mention the Ottoman rule where the Turks oppressed the local population for over 3 centuries and which ended just 80 years before the events of the 50s.

“We have always been friends” is nothing but a lie. We have hardly ever been friends since the time Turks first invaded our island. In fact the opposite, "we have always been enemies", is much closer to the truth. The reason? Because the Turks keep invading our island and and they always wanted to impose their will by force and blackmail and have privileges on the expense of the local population. They never accepted a free and democratic Cyprus without them having disproportionally large powers and gains on our expense. They always forced segregation and racist discriminations against us, from the day they set their foot on this island until today.

[Bananiot]

You never learn Piratis. You are the greatest enemy of yourself. You will stop at nothing until you see Cyprus completely destroyed. You are a compulsive person and one that reason will not touch.

[Acikgoz]

Good post Bananiot.

Maybe the emergence of these sticking points is due to the similarities of the two communities and the overal conservative nature of society.

Good post B and insightful comment Nikitas.

How does one change society's perspective given the strength of the supporters of the status quo. External catalysts seem to have consistently failed, internal forces remain as you say conservative.

The superficial bonds need to be strengthened and deepened. By taking pot shots at each other they will remain weak and only extend to the similarities of taste rather than enhancing respect and thereafter trust.

[B25]

Good post Bananiot.

Maybe the emergence of these sticking points is due to the similarities of the two communities and the overal conservative nature of society.

Good post B and insightful comment Nikitas.

How does one change society's perspective given the strength of the supporters of the status quo. External catalysts seem to have consistently failed, internal forces remain as you say conservative.

The superficial bonds need to be strengthened and deepened. By taking pot shots at each other they will remain weak and only extend to the similarities of taste rather than enhancing respect and thereafter trust.

Actually A, you are wrong, what needs to be done is to comply with the rule of law, these will tip it in the right direction, the reason for the impasse is your sides refusal to comply and the international communities refusal to do what it is obliged to do.

Then we can talk building bonds, bacause from whaere i am standing you are hoping to get ahead by your own criminal actions.

International law, UN resolution, 4th geneva conventions to name but a few.

All these things that banana conveniently forgets for the benefit of his turk buddies and to the detriment of the GC community.

[Nikitas]

First step is to abandon the failed tactic of secret doplomacy. It is insulting to our collective intelligence to see our leaders pretending that they have not talked about the territorial issue all these years. Having televised negotiating sessions sounds far fetched, not because it is but because true openness surprises us.

Second point is to cast aside taboos. The GC side has made some steps with recent CYBC broadcasts on the Maratha massacre. We now have to move further and discuss past and future issues- life in enclaves, as well as the role of TMT in keeping people enclaved, the day to day workings of BBF etc. These are just a few examples of societal taboos. It is symptomatic that Cypriot society accepts that it is plagued by drugs, gambling, corruption, but cannot discuss historic mistakes and false ideologies or how its future will be.

The third is that perhaps we should have an agreement to restructure the education system on both sides of the line and import a proven effective education system. So far we have followed the "patriotic" approach by basing education on the failed systems of the two "motherlands". Ironically both "motehrlands" regard their systems as problematic. Finland comes to mind as a prototype worth adopting.

[Acikgoz]

Is that what Makarios did - follow the rule of law of or country in 1962?

The law is man made and in such areas politiclly charged. Save your GC extremist fortune cookie comments for someone that doesn't get it.

Your game of one gains and the other loses is the status quo. You want change, you will have to change.

[runaway]

Η δική μου η πατρίδα

Yurdunu sevmeliymiş insan

Öyle diyor hep babam

Benim yurdum

Ikiye bölünmüş ortasindan

Hangi yarisin

sevmeli insan

……………………………………….

Λένε πως ο άνθρωπος πρέπει

την πατρίδα να αγαπά

έτσι λέει και ο πατέρας μου συχνά

η δική μου η πατρίδα έχει μοιραστεί στα δυο

ποιο από τα δυο κομμάτια πρέπει να αγαπώ

NESE YASIN

Hangi YARISINI