Cyprus-Forum.com

[bill cobbett]

This is a youtube vid of the leader of the KTOS Teacher's Union, Sener Elcil, a leading union of the Trades Union Platform of the Occupied Areas interviewed on PIK, in Turkish with greek sub-titles. It follows the visits to London and Brussels by the CY Trades Unionists...



Here's the first of a number of selected translations of the interview for English-speakers from our old friend grokked...

Selected extracts translated into English from the Greek subtitles:


SE: "As you know, the trade union platform was created two years ago as a coalition of the unions against the package of measures which is being imposed by Turkey but also the impasse in the Cyprus problem. Two years ago the platform undertook significant initiatives and on 29th January and 2nd March it organised two massive demonstrations which included the participation of 80,000 people. A manifesto consisting of 13 articles was proposed and approved. That manifesto makes reference to the achievement of a solution on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation, the demand for respect of the political will of the Turkish Cypriots and the respect of the will of the Turkish Cypriots for self-rule and also the reaction to the policies for the assimilation and integration of the north into Turkey. In order to promote those points we had contacts in Turkey and in Brussels. It was envisaged that there would also be meetings in England, as one of the three guarantors of the Republic of Cyprus in relation to our demands and to the will of the Turkish Cypriots.

"Within that context we had accepted the invitation by the Labour Member of Parliament, Mr Andy Love, which was the basis for our visit and the contacts we had.


SE: "The policy of the British is known. What is important is what do we do?

"The alleged representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community, Misters Eroglu, Kucuk and others, do not allow the will of the Turkish Cypriots to become known to the outside world. What they project to the outside are the policies which are set for them by the Foreign Ministry of Turkey. The trade union platform therefore shouldered the duty to make known to the outside world the thoughts, aims and wishes of our community. In the context of our visit we had the chance to meet with officials of the British Foreign Office as well as as well as with Conservative, Labour and Liberal members of parliament and members of the House of Lords.


"We had the chance to experience the relations between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. We ascertained that the democratic and progressive people think like we do, and that between them there is good cooperation, as long as there are no interventions from Cyprus or from the "mother countries"


"As I said at the beginning, the Turkish Cypriot community is facing a problem of its representation. The Turkish Cypriot community can not express itselff. At the negotiating table the negotiator, Mr Eroglu, is acting on the basis of instructions provided to him by the Foreign Ministry of Turkey. There is no projection of the views and intentions of the Turkish Cypriot community.

"In going to Britain we wanted to create an opening, What we want is a Bizonal Bicommunal Federation on the basis of political equality. There are relevant agreements of the 23rd of May and 1st July [2006] between Mr Talat and Mr Christofias. We want a Cyprus with one single sovereignty, one citizenship, one international personality. We want reunification of Cyprus.

"Therefore we reject all the policies which Turkey is trying to impose in the north. The policy of assimilation, the transfer of population, the 'politicization', the pillage of Greek Cypriot properties, the alienation of the identity and culture of the Turkish Cypriots, of their religious beliefs.

[repulsewarrior]

...strong words, hopeful.

[Pyrpolizer]

Poor Kibrislis... they are trying to be saved from their saviors.

I got rather concerned from what he said in the end from the type of solution Nato will be pushing on us after the Presidential elections. And we idiots will certainly elect the right servant: Anastasiades the traitor. GAMOTOOOOOO

[repulsewarrior]

...unfortunately, i am not certain that either candidate (or any of the leaders) are of the mind to get passed their "Greekness", they are either unclear about the meaning of Bicommunal, (and now) Bizonal, or they are playing along with their "Turkish" counterparts, with the hope that in effect, they can have a State that is a Greek state, rather than a Cypriot State (that denies any distinction or discrimination). it is hardly logical to split the island between two adversaries that have refined their hatred for each other to such a degree. it will mean a permanent state of war where the idea of being a Cypriot is meaningless, and where the extremists in their midst will always have the upper hand because this population would be a tinder box, always ready to explode.

Solomon comes to mind, and splitting babies in two.

...it is possible, as Christofias once said while campaigning for the Presidency, grass root movements have the power to change our way of thinking. i cannot remember any incidence where as President he was militant in this enterprise. he also mused that a Greek Constituency was needed, but i cannot imagine open support allowed from the right-wing for this thinking, who are adamant because the vast majority are Greek, to identify them as Greeks, rather than Cypriots.

...in the end, it will take a movement of Flags, and in that demonstration, it may be that the Cypriot Flag will fly higher.

[bill cobbett]

grokked has put up a English translation of the whole interview at...

http://aspectsofreality.blogspot.co.uk/ ... union.html

[repulsewarrior]

"We as Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, having in mind the interests of the multinational giants and knowing the intentions of the imperialist countries must pursue our demand for a Cypriot solution in order to defend our own interests. This is something which the Turkish Cypriots must demand in common with the Greek Cypriots. Otherwise the result will be the permanent partition of our island because the imperialist countries will promote partition as the possible solution. Considering that they have exhausted all possibilities of a federal solution, I believe that they will consent to partition as a lasting solution.

...i think that this is the key to the interview, it proves a Cypriot contention exists, rather than two mono-clonal societies, typified as nothing more than "Greeks" and "Turks" (so few "mixed", they aren't even mentioned).

elections in the north will follow, so too elections in Turkey, this summer will reveal a lot.

ŞE: "That is my impression and it has been reinforced following my visit to the UK. The British foresee a new initiative in May or June. I stress again that this involves a NATO solution. It envisages Cyprus joining NATO, the conversion of the British bases to NATO ones, guarantees for the Republic of Cyprus by NATO.

"Given that the existing guarantor countries, Greece, Turkey and Britain are all members of NATO the NATO guarantees will include the separate guarantees of the three guarantors. In this way the reaction of the officials of the Republic of Cyprus who have not wanted there to be guarantees [will be dealt with].

"Besides this a loose federation is anticipated, with exportation of oil and natural gas, the extraction of which is expected to begin in 2016, will happen through Turkey. That is the basis, I believe, upon which a solution will be formed.

...the same powerful forces are convinced that a Love for Cyprus does not exist, we can be divided ethnically.

...this threat needs exposure, it is the same threat that drove Makarios to become non-aligned; it is important to join for Cyprus.

ŞE: "As you know, the economic and political impositions by Turkey in the north are progressively being upgraded. The process of destroying the natural beauty of the island has already started. The social wealth is being taken over by Turkish capital.

"When you want to conquer a country you first invade it, then you transfer the population, you create a subservient administration and as a last step you steal the social wealth, the airports, the ports, the factories, which are taken over by your own capital. This is what is happening at this time in the north of the island. The occupation is being progressively upgraded.

"As the trade union platform we are reacting to this because we believe that what is happening is not right. We want to remind Turkey that it is on the island on the basis of international agreements. In relation to this we are continuing with certain political efforts and our demonstrations continue. We will continue to use every possibility and every action necessary to ensure the existence of the Turkish Cypriot community on the island.

...as a member of a Cypriot community, i support this cause: Freedom for Cyprus, Freedom and Liberty for Cypriots too.

thank-you grokked, this may be the most significant moment in the history of Cyprus i have witnessed in a long time, (it is a step far bigger than the Occupy Movement, which was the last time Public Attention was given to these views), given that there is (will be) a new President in Cyprus, who is well aligned to be moved by external forces, many political cycles are coming into movement as well.

...Labor, i believe can reorganise to seek a bigger voice now. (even in Turkey (whose bubble will burst sooner or later); the next step may be a pan-Cypriot Party).

there is for the Labor Movement in Cyprus an opportunity to consolidate the representations their membership will make, with three governing bodies (or one where within there are at least another two), Cypriot, Greek, Turkish, each focused on the forces they must be at least equal to. one thing that has kept me Hopeful is, that despite the efforts that have been imposed to exhaust resistence, Cypriots continue to find expression toward their survival in the worst of times, as Cooperators, and as people a People that are Socialised. it is natural for growing forces, such as Labor within this context, to express their alarm to forces that move the fulcrum between them and Capital. but, in this case, the fear of losing Sovereignty, can be galvanised into a real force against Ignorance and the Human Injustice they are facing, without a Unitary State (a strong Federal Government), of tearing the island in two.

cheers, great translation, great effort.

...and cheers to you bill, another True Patriot; very interesting topic.

[bill cobbett]

From the translations, difficult to see any great differences between the position of this Platform and that of the Illegal Regime other than on the matters of Turkification and Guarantees.

It's still a loose assembly of two self-rule zones under a weak central federal government.

Still too "turkish" and not CY enough, as RW might say.

Still a massive, massive way to go before we see common ground with this Platform and many in the Free Areas.

[Lordo]

go where to exactly. what is it that you cant see. the fact that tcs position is the same as terkey as far as bbf is concerned. and there were you boys sniffing old eogapoobullos ass and believing that it is terkey who is the problem. tcs dont trust you as far as they can throw you assholes.

when it comes to visiting uk, unbelievable that one of the presenters did not ask about contact with the left wing unions in the south and how helpful they have been and while they are at it how nice they are at accepting the tcs into their union.

once an asshole always an asshole, except the usual suspects of course.

[Lordo]

Poor Kibrislis... they are trying to be saved from their saviors.

I got rather concerned from what he said in the end from the type of solution Nato will be pushing on us after the Presidential elections. And we idiots will certainly elect the right servant: Anastasiades the traitor. GAMOTOOOOOO

my word thats some venom boy, it is unhealthy, go brush your teeth, your breath is blue. gufin na se grussi basdin ghlossasu.

[Pyrpolizer]

Poor Kibrislis... they are trying to be saved from their saviors.

I got rather concerned from what he said in the end from the type of solution Nato will be pushing on us after the Presidential elections. And we idiots will certainly elect the right servant: Anastasiades the traitor. GAMOTOOOOOO

my word thats some venom boy, it is unhealthy, go brush your teeth, your breath is blue. gufin na se grussi basdin ghlossasu.

That was not meant for you lordo cocugum. You keep on living in your imaginary world.