denizaksulu wrote:I wrote that Humanist is only human. He gets frustrated as we all are get at times.
I have just read on another thread of the times the offer of Varosha and its environs were rejected by the GCs and now they are asking for even less. This shows to me that they have poor leadership and no proper objectives and no foresight.
The TC and Turkey dont go Scot free either. This Cyprob, should have and could have been settled long before the 'settlers' arrived.
more to read for u DENIZ bey efendi hazretleri...... ofcourse to others ....
FAMAGUSTA AND MORPHOU THROUGH THE MIST OF HISTORY
Demetris Christofias has an onerous feat to achieve. He carries on his shoulders the sins and blunders of two generations of Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Even his own party, which has, by and large, followed the right course, has committed a number of missteps along the historical path. Now, Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat, must carry the burden of a sinful past and lead Cyprus to the solution of her problem.
Demetris reminds me of the legendary king of ancient Corinth, Sisyphus. Sisyphus was condemned by the gods repeatedly to roll up a hill a heavy rock, which always rolled down again just as it was about to reach the top. In our case, the heavy rock is made up of 250,000 settlers, a virgin birth, a rotating presidency, Turkish guarantees, illegally exploited properties, limited territorial adjustments, a disputed sovereignty, lack of will for a solution, nationalist trends, Morphou, Famagusta and many other thorny issues, most of which did not exist in the past.
Some years ago, we had only 15,000 settlers who were ready to be compensated and depart. The concept of virgin birth did not exist. There was no rotating presidency either. Construction on Greek properties in the north was minimal. The territorial adjustments were better for us. Sovereignty was not in doubt.
The "patriots of leisure", however, left Cyprus gasping for air, with no solution to her problem. We were aiming at the absolute. And we got nothing.
Famagusta and Morphou, the two jewels in the crown of the Cyprus problem, became part of my life. From the very beginning, just after the invasion. Since the days when the Varosha residents were packing dreams into their luggage. They now fill their suitcases with "signatures", which are also deposited deep in the archives of the United Nations.
FAMAGUSTA
At the beginning of September 1978 (exactly 30 years ago), Matthew Nimetz, the US Assistant Secretary of State arrived in Cyprus. We had a number of meetings, some of them at my residence to avoid publicity. President Kyprianou was kept informed on the progress of the talks. The Anglo-American-Canadian Plan was under preparation. Among other things, we underscored the importance of the priority of Famagusta, which was also presented in a positive way by Rauf Denktash two months earlier. The Plan was handed over to me on November 10, 1978, at the Harvard Club in New York. Nimetz emphasised the fact that the Plan was fully supported by President Carter and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and also by the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada. I had with me in New York the party representatives, Glafcos Clerides (DISY), Ezekias Papaioannou (AKEL), Alecos Michaelides (DIKO) and Vassos Lyssarides (EDEK). Acting on the instructions of the President, I briefed them about the Plan at the Delegates' Lounge of the UN. The Plan provided that the Varosha residents would return to their homes and stay there, irrespective of the outcome of the talks. Although no statements were made by the leaders, Clerides was positive, Papaioannou was rather positive but he said that we should wait, Michaelides was positive on a personal basis and Lyssarides was negative. President Kyprianou, although I tried to convince him to the contrary, had many doubts. The Greek government was in favour. Moscow had a negative stance. The Plan was finally rejected at the beginning of December 1978. The residents of Varosha were left alone, holding their suitcases in the winter fog.
In the spring of 1981 we had an Initiative by the United Nations for the return of Famagusta and in parallel the operation of the Nicosia Airport under UN administration (mini-package), together with the signature of a Disclaimer, which would protect our position regarding the status of the occupied part of Cyprus. Our legal adviser, professor Ian Brownlie, in a 70-page opinion, concluded that "the proposed arrangement would not amount to a recognition, express or tacit of the Turkish federated state". However, the President rejected the Initiative.
In October 1981, the first official map of the United Nations placed Varosha in the Greek Cypriot area. The Gobbi map was approved by Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim and later on by his successor Perez de Cuellar, who was going to use the map in August 1983, as a basis for the territorial aspect of his "Indicators" initiative. The Initiative was rejected by us. I disagreed and resigned from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs and AKEL severed its relations with the President. Famagusta was left alone again, covered by the mist of History.
The Consolidated Documents of de Cuellar (1985-86) and the Set of Ideas of Boutros Ghali (1992) comprised provisions for the return of Famagusta. Both initiatives were rejected by us.
The Annan lan provided in a clear-cut language, for the return of the residents of Famagusta on August 10, 2004. The Plan was rejected by us. The residents of Famagusta themselves voted against their return!
The train for the return of the Famagusta people called at our station in 1978 (twice), in 1981, in 1983, in 1985, in 1992 and in 2004. The "patriots" decided that we should not embark. And the city, the sad Lady of the Sea, is gradually fading away into the heroes and myths of history.
MORPHOU
In the summer of 1981 I was informed that Hugo Gobbi, the Special Representative of Waldheim was working on the first UN map on Cyprus. I invited Gobbi many times to meet me at my office. One of the difficult issues was the area of Morphou. The initial reaction of Gobbi and his team was that Morphou should stay under Turkish Cypriot administration, because without Morphou, as they put it, the north would only have the Pentadaktylos mountain range. We explained that the argument was incorrect, because the north would comprise important areas, even without Morphou: Kyrenia, a large part of the Cyprus coastline, the Messaoria Plain and a lot of wealth producing resources. Besides, without Morphou, only 50,000-55,000 (instead of 85,000) refugees might return under Greek Cypriot administration and, under such circumstances, there could be no solution. Eventually, on October 2, 1981, at my Pierre Hotel room in New York, Gobbi instructed the Director of my Office Alecos Shambos, in my presence, how to draw the line of the map. Morphou and the villages around it were placed under Greek Cypriot administration. Two days later Secretary-General Waldheim confirmed to me the map.
Thus the Gobbi Map became an official document of the United Nations. Since then, Morphou remained under Greek Cypriot administration in the Ghali Map (1992) and in the Annan Map (2002). The Annan Plan provided that the inhabitants of the Morphou area would return on October 29, 2007. But the Morphou people in 2004 voted against the Plan and against their return!
Huge investments were made in the Morphou area recently. The Turkish Mayor' of Morphou and the Turkish leadership have taken the stand that Morphou cannot be returned any more. We may have lost Morphou. The only ones that we never lose are the "patriots".
President Christofia, King Sisyphus, the rock you are rolling up the hill is very cumbersome. In your uphill struggle, you will have to encounter and fight off all those who caused the rock to become so heavy during the past five years. But of course you should not lose sight of the fact as well, that you yourself supported and maintained in positions of power all those who burden your life today.
I sincerely wish that you succeed, dear Demetris. Your success will be our success as well. Cyprus will be the winner. And if you really manage, despite the hostile atmosphere, to get the train of the solution back to us, if we hear it whistle again and if all Cypriots go on board, then Cyprus will have its own Eleftherios Venizelos.
NICOS A. ROLANDIS
POLITICAL BUREAU
Tel:+357 22 353811/2,
Fax:+357 22 353100,
P.O. Box 21700
1508 Nicosia
