Cyprus-Forum.com

[kurupetos]

The insistence of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government in Ankara to force the Turkish Cypriot government since 2004 to use at least partially the financial assistance extended by Turkey for restructuring and thus transformation of the Turkish Cypriot economy toward becoming a self-sustainable one was indeed something new and totally contradictory with the “classical” mainland approach to the island.

Though there was almost no industrial capability of Turkish Cypriots before 1974, with the Turkish intervention, small industry facilities, particularly the Nicosia Industrial Zone left by the Greek Cypriots in the north provided Turkish Cypriots with a considerable base to launch their industrial growth. Yet, difficulties in exporting its products to countries other than Turkey because of political barriers resulting from the non-recognition of the Turkish Cypriot administration by the international community, the difficulties of competing with prices in Turkey and the small domestic market forced installations in that small industrial zone to close down one after the other forcing the Turkish Cypriot economy solely rely on tourism revenues, which also was dwindled because of the absence of direct flights from European destinations.

All those troubles were experienced in the second half of the 1970s and in the 1980s. The rise of Turkish Cypriot business tycoon Asil Nadir on the international commercial scene was a rescue for Turkish Cypriots for some time in late 1980s and early 1990s, providing employment opportunities and boosting the per capita income. The collapse of Asil Nadir and his Polly Peck empire, the subsequent Greek Cypriot EU process and the thickening of the isolation of the north forced northern Cyprus “integrate” further with Turkey, or to become a zone living on subsidies from Turkey.

All through those years at seminars, panels and round-table discussions this writer was trying to explain to Greek Cypriot and European or American colleagues, academics and diplomats that the isolation of north might eventually be detrimental to the prospects of a settlement to the Cyprus problem as the more Turkish Cypriots were made an outcast by the international community, the more they feel compelled to integrate further with Turkey; one day, thus, northern Cyprus might be no different than Bodrum or Alanya or any of those nice Turkish towns on the Aegean or Mediterranean coasts. That is, it might become an area where Turkishness is protected and promoted while the Cypriot character and Turkish Cypriots have indeed vanished from the island.

Thus, the more isolation of northern Cyprus continued, the more prospect of a settlement of the Cyprus problem will be hurt. Furthermore, the longer isolation continued, the more mainland Turks settle on Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots migrate abroad and eventually it will no longer be possible to talk of existence of a Turkish Cypriot cultural and ethnic presence in northern Cyprus.

A while ago, talking with this writer, Greek Cypriot Archbishop Christostomos enraged mainland Turks living in northern Cyprus by describing them as “parasites” who in a settlement accord must be “kicked off” the island. However, international isolation and the consequent failure to develop a self-sufficient economic infrastructure for their non-recognized state made the Turkish Cypriot people some sort of a parasite surviving on blood, or subsidies, from Turkey.

Turkey was of course naturally responsible for the development of such an awkward Turkey-dependent people and state in northern Cyprus given in the fact that if the Turkish market were opened to Turkish Cypriot exports and mainland entrepreneurs, rather than unqualified and cheap labor, northern Cyprus could indeed become an outstanding success, a paradise. Yet, probably because it wanted to be always the “generous big brother” who should always be obeyed – as it is funding the Turkish Cypriot state – particularly after the 1995 customs union deal with Europe, Ankara became as difficult and unreachable a market to Turkish Cypriots as any other country might be.

In the mean time, to overcome rampant unemployment and the consequent high migration rate, enrollment in public offices was continued; a giant public sector in a dwarf land and population was created.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2011-04-10

[humanist]

That could have been a serious scenario if Cyprus was not in the EU. Now Cyprus whether it accepts it or not it is a sovereingthy of the EU. Thus the EU will not allow Turkey to take and withhold its land.. Finally somehow the TC's will leave Cyprus and someone in the EU will say the settlers ought to return at Turkey's cost with the EU land re
turned to its right
ful owners.

[Hermes]

Turkey was of course naturally responsible for the development of such an awkward Turkey-dependent people and state in northern Cyprus given in the fact that if the Turkish market were opened to Turkish Cypriot exports and mainland entrepreneurs, rather than unqualified and cheap labor, northern Cyprus could indeed become an outstanding success...In the mean time, to overcome rampant unemployment and the consequent high migration rate, enrollment in public offices was continued; a giant public sector in a dwarf land and population was created.

In other words, Turkey has kept the T/Cs deliberately isolated and dependent on handouts to maintain its grip on the north. Further, it has deliberately inflated the public sector to prevent mass unemployment and further emigration. Now it threatens to pull their only life-line away, exposing the T/Cs to the reality of the economic and political disaster Turkey has inflicted on them. No wonder the peasants are revolting...

[kurupetos]

The most important sentence in the above article is the following:

Furthermore, the longer isolation continued, the more mainland Turks settle on Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots migrate abroad and eventually it will no longer be possible to talk of existence of a Turkish Cypriot cultural and ethnic presence in northern Cyprus.

Is this the end of Turkish Cypriots? And remember this is a Turkish newspaper.

When all the residents of the north will consist of illegal Turkish settlers, pointless negotiations will cease and Turkey will have no further excuse to illegally occupy a part of a foreign country.

Problem solved!

[Get Real!]

When all the residents of the north will consist of illegal Turkish settlers, pointless negotiations will cease and Turkey will have no further excuse to illegally occupy a part of a foreign country.

Like I said in the past, technically it’s not in the RoC’s interests for a “TC community” to exist because it gives a level of credence to the Turkish occupation, so the dissolution of this group would certainly remove the need for any political negotiations and demote the Turkish occupation to a purely illegal act much easier to resolve.

Some Turkish Cypriots wonder why the RoC doesn’t do this or that for them to help out against Turkey’s measures or whatever, but why would the RoC be stupid enough to bring the TC community back from the dead? In the RoC’s eyes, wasn’t their existence what started the problems in the first place?

Cyprus only needs ONE community called the Cypriot community so the sooner all other labels disappear the better.

[Viewpoint]

How do you plan to get the north back without the TCs?

[Get Real!]

How do you plan to get the north back without the TCs?

What’s for sure is that the existence of a group called the “Turkish Cypriots” is what has caused the RoC to lose 37% of her territory, so without this group it should be much easier to regain.

[adabizim]

That could have been a serious scenario if Cyprus was not in the EU. Now Cyprus whether it accepts it or not it is a sovereingthy of the EU. Thus the EU will not allow Turkey to take and withhold its land.. Finally somehow the TC's will leave Cyprus and someone in the EU will say the settlers ought to return at Turkey's cost with the EU land re
turned to its right
ful owners.

When exactly will this happen? 7 years gone and not a single step.

[Viewpoint]

How do you plan to get the north back without the TCs?

What’s for sure is that the existence of a group called the “Turkish Cypriots” is what has caused the RoC to lose 37% of her territory, so without this group it should be much easier to regain.

Thats where your stupidity kick in, without the TCs you will never get the north back.

[EricSeans]

Who was the TC businessman who said that after 1974 "the Greek Cypriots lost half the island but we lost it all."?