Cyprus-Forum.com

[Hermes]

Opinion: Morphou - my Turkish-occupied Fatherland



On the occasion of the 31st anti-occupation rally towards Morphou, and seven years after my country's accession to the European Union, I am obliged to evoke that Cyprus still remains forcibly divided. Thirty seven percent of the island's territory has remained under Turkish occupation, since 1974. Two hundred thousand refugees are denied basic human rights. Hundreds of missing persons are still not identified. Ethnic cleansing persists in the occupied areas. Turkey continuously disregards the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, with interminable threats.

My birthplace Morphou, and 30 regional villages seized on August 16th, 1974 (after the ceasefire) still remain occupied, together with hundreds of other villages and the towns of Famagusta and Kyrenia. The Turkish troops looted our cultural heritage and destroyed our lives. They wrought death, destruction, refugeedom and a 'green line' dividing the island in two. A great number of Greek Cypriots became refugees.

We cannot compromise with this injustice. We keep in mind past memories, and trace our primeval origins and our Hellenic roots in our occupied archaeological sites. Each memory is a nostalgic pilgrimage to our enslaved land, but also a reminder that Byzantine, Armenian and Catholic churches are plundered, properties are usurped and lives are lost. It is also a reminder of illegal settlement by Turkey, illegal confiscation and usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties and lands, the silence of Greeks in the occupied areas, desecration, enforced 'Turkification', daily 'cultural cleansing' and destruction…

The aggressors are intransigent. They violate international and European law. They disregard decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and UN resolutions. Turkey refuses to implement its obligations towards the EU, although a candidate country for accession. It does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, a member state of the EU and the UN.

Negotiations for solving the Cyprus problem, under the auspices of the UN, have been going on since 1975, aiming to establish an independent, bicommunal federal republic, with a central federal government empowered to safeguard the unity of the country, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all citizens. Turkish intransigence and the lack of political will for a just settlement invariably undermines the negotiations and obstructs progress.

We, the Greek Cypriot refugees, feel betrayed because for so many years we collect resolutions and words of solidarity, with no practical effect. But we do not lament our fate. We do not capitulate. We passionately continue to claim our land and ask for a just and viable solution that will reunite Cyprus and restore our human rights, including the right to return to our birthplace.

Every second Sunday in October every year, we have marched symbolically towards our occupied town, until the day when we shall be able to return free. Our anti-occupation Rally, reminds both the international and the European community, (a) to actively support the right of European Cyprus for Freedom and reunification and (b) to press Turkey, to terminate the illegal occupation and allow Cyprus, as an independent state, to determine its own destiny.

Antigoni Papadopoulou MEP

http://www.neurope.eu/article/opinion-m ... fatherland?

[DT.]

Antigoni is an idiot and is one of the people you wonder how they ever managed to convince 4000-6000 people to vote for her to get her in the European parliament. However she is a fellow Morphitisa and I"ll give her due respect for being born in my hometown (even if she had nothing to do with it.

(btw, personally I was happy when she got voted into the EP, meant that I didn't have to hear that annoying voice as much in Cyprus and that she'd be bugging some Belgian instead.)

[CBBB]

Yes DT, she never shuts up!

[supporttheunderdog]

Yes DT, she never shuts up!

yes but women seldom do!!

[Bananiot]

Of course, we need to convince the international community of the reasons we declined to take back Morphou (and Famagusta) in 2004, when we said "no thanks", to the UN brokered plan. Otherwise, they will just lough behind our backs. And, by the way, I have a suspision that our newly found comrade-in-arms (who strangely is not committing crimes against humanity any more) will not waste a single soldier to liberate Morphou.

[DT.]

Of course, we need to convince the international community of the reasons we declined to take back Morphou (and Famagusta) in 2004, when we said "no thanks", to the UN brokered plan. Otherwise, they will just lough behind our backs. And, by the way, I have a suspision that our newly found comrade-in-arms (who strangely is not committing crimes against humanity any more) will not waste a single soldier to liberate Morphou.

As a Morphitis that voted no despite the opportunity to get my home and land back I can honestly say I would have voted that plan down every single day for the rest of my life. I studied it carefully at the time and some more later, I would not sacrifice my country and its viability for the sake of my own property. We can argue for as long as you like about the annan plan from a macro level drilling down to the semantics of it. Your only response remains that the Republic of Cyprus will be destroyed with the status quo anyway, a position that's naive to say the least, considering that there is never a status quo and developments on the ground are always changing.

[Bananiot]

Therefore, you have I presume, a realistic scenario that will lead to the return of Morphou to its rightful owners, which you might like to share with us. I am interested to see your forecast on the changing developments on the ground, for again, I have this persisting suspision that the changes that we are observing since 2004 are making our situation dire.

[Capt J Sparrow]

Therefore, you have I presume, a realistic scenario that will lead to the return of Morphou to its rightful owners, which you might like to share with us. I am interested to see your forecast on the changing developments on the ground, for again, I have this persisting suspision that the changes that we are observing since 2004 are making our situation dire.

The majority of Cypriots will never vote for a plan, that will undermine the integrity of the RoC, individual Human Rights based on the EU Acquis or UN Charter, freedom of movement and property ownership, or the RoC EEZ and henceforth its natural wealth.

We all want to see a free Morphou, but only under a viable BBFedereation plan which of course will contain the correct content, and not be seen to be unjust to certain groups or individuals. If that is unrealistic, then we continue as we are, fighting the good fight until we achieve our goals, with the assistance of the international community and our formidable allies in the EU, and Israel.

Until then, we will drill, and eventually we will be pumping our gas to Western Europe, and enjoying the good times without the TCs.

[Bananiot]

The majority of Cypriots will never vote for a plan, that will undermine the integrity of the RoC, individual Human Rights based on the EU Acquis or UN Charter, freedom of movement and property ownership, or the RoC EEZ and henceforth its natural wealth.

Couldn't agree more! We need one sovereignty, a solution that will be endorsed by the EU, freedom of unrestricted movement within the two constituent states and perhaps with time, we can ask for complete freedom of residence and whatever comes with it. A long period of peaceful development seems to be a necessary prerequisite due to the mutual mistrust that has accumulated as a result of atrocities committed by the bigots of both communities. However, staying as you were will mean the end of Cyprus, I have no doubt about this. The status quo makes us extremely vulnerable for we do not live in an ideal world and the finding of gas in the EEZ with the Cyprob unsolved could be devastating for us. By the way, you should stop, take a deep breath and see how much Israeli interest there is in buying GC properties in the north.

[Capt J Sparrow]

The majority of Cypriots will never vote for a plan, that will undermine the integrity of the RoC, individual Human Rights based on the EU Acquis or UN Charter, freedom of movement and property ownership, or the RoC EEZ and henceforth its natural wealth.

Couldn't agree more! We need one sovereignty, a solution that will be endorsed by the EU, freedom of unrestricted movement within the two constituent states and perhaps with time, we can ask for complete freedom of residence and whatever comes with it. A long period of peaceful development seems to be a necessary prerequisite due to the mutual mistrust that has accumulated as a result of atrocities committed by the bigots of both communities. However, staying as you were will mean the end of Cyprus, I have no doubt about this. The status quo makes us extremely vulnerable for we do not live in an ideal world and the finding of gas in the EEZ with the Cyprob unsolved could be devastating for us. By the way, you should stop, take a deep breath and see how much Israeli interest there is in buying GC properties in the north.

Bananiot, if the GCs voted for the Annan Plan, there would never have been any freedom of movement, democratic rights and representation would have been racially disproportionate (hence undemocratic in my view), the RoC would lose control over a substantial part of its EEZ, and most refugees would be forbidden from their right to return.

There is no way, that the TCs will give up this bias that they would be enjoying right now, in order to make things more equitable and fair, without a fight. We would be stuck with it forever, and any move to change things would give turkey the pretext to intervene once again, or the TC Confederate State would cede from the union, and they will be internationally recognized to boot as opposed to the current state of affairs.

The Annan Plan would have been the destruction of the RoC and I would even go as far to say, that the Annan Plan could even put an end to our existence on the island. This is the way I see it anyway. I for one can never allow my kids the indignity of living under such a system, and will be looking to abandon ship for another EU country, Switzerland, North America, or Australia.

When such a plan is accepted, there is no turning back. So it is important that any BBF have the correct content, or we are better off staying as we are, waiting for the balance of Power to change, whether that means politically or militarily or both, with the assistance of regional partners.