Cyprus-Forum.com

[CBBB]

Wednesday, March 2, 2011
YUSUF KANLI

I was in İnönü Square of the Turkish quarter of Nicosia yesterday.

The last time I was there, I was not following as a journalist but indeed taking part in a political rally was days before the 1980 military takeover. It was a rather violent day, thanks to the talented Turkish police, quite skilled in beating up protestors.

It was as if the entire Turkish Cypriot population poured into that small square – one of the biggest in northern Cyprus – of the Turkish part of the divided Nicosia. According to one estimate there were some 35,000 demonstrators in the rally ground, some put the figure as high as 60,000.

Those figures of course are not significant figures at all for a big country like Turkey with a population of tens of millions of people, but for a small state with a registered population of only 265,000 – even though the unofficial population is as high as 650,000 thanks to unregistered mainland Turks living on the island – some 30,000-plus people gathering in a square to protest something is no less than 3 million-4 million people attending a rally in Turkey.

There was apparent anger against the downgrading and insulting remarks of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan against the Turkish Cypriot people following a similar rally last Jan. 28. After that rally, during which a small far-left political group carried a placard with an insolent remark against Turkey, the Turkish prime minister had said it was sad to see “people fed by Turkey” engaging in an insult on Turkey. The prime minister had further stressed that he would summon the Turkish Cypriot executives to Ankara and ask them to give an account of what has happened. “‘Who are you?’ I will ask them,” Erdoğan had said.

In the “Existence Rally” organized by a coalition of almost all labor unions and supported by almost all political parties but the ruling National Unity Party, or UBP, of Prime Minister İrsen Küçük and a splinter center-right party believed to have been strongly manipulated by the Justice and Development Party, or AKP. Aydın Denktaş, the wife of Rauf Denktaş, the founding president of the Turkish Cypriot state, as well as many leading conservative figures and progressive personalities were in the rally ground demonstrating a rather unique communal solidarity.

Never ever in northern Cyprus, including those exceptionally crowded rallies held during the 2003-2004 U.N. peace plan, or the Annan Plan, period, had such a big political rally was organized in northern Cyprus. Perhaps the rally held immediately after the proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on Nov. 15, 1983 was far more emotional, but even that demonstration was dwarfed by yesterday’s rally.

“No to governance by orders, we want self governance…” a banner said.

Another banner carrying photographs of both Erdoğan and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek asked, “Who are you?” in an open reference to Erdoğan’s “Who are you” insult after the Jan. 28 rally protesting an austerity package imposed on the Turkish Cypriot government by the AKP government. The placard then continued in slang in Turkish Cypriot dialect with a phrase meaning “It’s your time to go…”

Definitely, the organizers of yesterday’s demonstration struggled hard to avoid any placard that would further antagonize the AKP government and of course Erdoğan. Furthermore, police searched the groups before entering the rally ground and requested placards carrying insolent expressions be removed. There were also some small fistfights between police and the groups unwilling to give up such placards. Yet, the rally was held in full peace and order without anyone’s nose bleeding.

During the short period flags of the Cyprus Republic stayed in the rally ground it was interesting to see Turkish, Turkish Cypriot and Cypriot flags flying side by side while young Turkish Cypriots carrying those flags shared some laughter.

Of course people who have not yet acquired advanced democracy awareness cannot understand the hazards of the flags of Turkey, Turkish Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot-run Cyprus Republic coming together? Similarly, what has happened that in 2004 the same Ankara government was hailing Turkish Cypriots carrying the Cypriot flag and chanting “Peace now, EU entry tomorrow” on the rally grounds but now has started to consider Turkish Cypriots holding the Cypriot flag as an act of treason? Treason to what? So far the sultan in Ankara has not said that.

The message of Turkish Cypriots yesterday was very clear. The Turks of Cyprus and the Turks of Turkey are brothers and the brotherly bonds between them cannot be spoiled by some nasty politicians. Yet, those in power in Ankara should first learn Turkish Cypriot history before expecting Turkish Cypriots somehow to engage in an allegiance relationship. Turkish Cypriots want self governance. The time has come for all institutions of northern Cyprus – including its security forces, now headed by a Turkish general – to be headed by Turkish Cypriots. There should be an end to the uncontrolled expansion of the population of northern Cyprus, siphoning all resources. Above all, Turkish Cypriots want a relationship based on respect of their identity.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2011-03-02

[Piratis]

How can Turkish Cypriot's "self-governance" include a territory that belongs to Republic of Cyprus and where the native population is in its vast majority GCs?

If they want self-governance, then they should govern their own selfs and what belongs to themselves. Our lands do not belong to them and therefore TCs have as much right to govern those lands as Turkey does: no right at all.

What these two criminal "brothers" are fighting for is how to share the spoils of war and what they stole from the native Cypriot people who they ethnically cleansed.

[DT.]

http://www.politis.com.cy/cgibin/hweb?- ... V=articles

check the 2nd clip on the page.

[Kikapu]

It was as if the entire Turkish Cypriot population poured into that small square – one of the biggest in northern Cyprus – of the Turkish part of the divided Nicosia. According to one estimate there were some 35,000 demonstrators in the rally ground, some put the figure as high as 60,000.

It was the entire TC population in the north, give or take few thousand. The rest are illegal Aliens known as settlers, whether the registered amount is 265,000 or the free for all number of 650,000. Surely the settlers were not going to take part in this demonstration on two accounts.

1. The Turks in the north will not go against their own government.

2. The settlers are not the ones who are going to be effected directly by the austerity cuts, since they are not the ones who are working in the public sector in general, yet.

As far as the self governance thing goes, it is a self deluding fantasy by the TCs if they think Turkey will allow that to happen. Now we know why the RoC is not supporting these demonstrations, because by doing so, would only push the cause of those TCs who want to keep the north partitioned and govern it themselves. What would the RoC get out of it if they were to support the demonstrations.?

Turkey needs to control the north to be able to make the trade with the EU when the time comes to get either EU membership, which seems very unlikely or a privileged membership, which is more likely scenario to happen. What may have been Turkey's strategic interests in the 60's and the 70's are long become useless, but she does have one important strategic interests left in Cyprus for her, and that is to use the north as a bargaining chip to trade it for something with the EU.

The north has already been a "white elephant" for Turkey for the past 37 years, but has gotten worse for her since the RoC became a EU member in 2004. Turkey wants something back for all the money she has poured into the north, lives lost to the Turkish military in 74 and the loss of political power to the RoC regarding the EU, since 2004, but most of all, she wants a face saving trade that she can tell the Turks that by gaining something from the EU for the sake of giving up the north is what will be the best for the Turks for the long run. Turkey will have the settlers as a majority in the north to help her get what she wants. What ever deal Turkey may cut with the EU and the RoC, is NOT going to be a good deal for the TCs what so ever. Turkey will be just glad to get rid of the "ungrateful" who bit the hand that fed them for a piece of the EU.!

[Viewpoint]

Seeing you think you are god when will this take place? if it doesnt will that make you an idiot?

[Kikapu]

Seeing you think you are gtod when will this take place? if it doesnt will that make you an idiot?

What's your rush.?

Once Turkey's economy is totally reliant on the EU's (it's mostly there now), watch the fireworks begin. That's what I was talking to you about a while back using the analogy of someone being hooked on Drugs. Once you take away their drugs, they will start climbing the walls, except this will be more like a turkey running around with it's head cut off.

[Viewpoint]

Seeing you think you are gtod when will this take place? if it doesnt will that make you an idiot?

What's your rush.?

Once Turkey's economy is totally reliant on the EU's (it's mostly there now), watch the fireworks begin. That's what I was talking to you about a while back using the analogy of someone being hooked on Drugs. Once you take away their drugs, they will start climbing the walls, except this will be more like a turkey running around with it's head cut off.

When can we call you an idiot? one year? two????

[ZoC]

Seeing you think you are gtod when will this take place? if it doesnt will that make you an idiot?

What's your rush.?

Once Turkey's economy is totally reliant on the EU's (it's mostly there now), watch the fireworks begin. That's what I was talking to you about a while back using the analogy of someone being hooked on Drugs. Once you take away their drugs, they will start climbing the walls, except this will be more like a turkey running around with it's head cut off.

When can we call you an idiot? one year? two????

why wait? we call u an idiot right now.