Long live Papadopoulos!
Sunday, December 4, 2005
TDN editorial by Yusuf KANLI
Yusuf KANLI
The Greek Cypriot leader is making history with his adamancy and committed opposition to any sort of settlement to the over four-decade-old problem of power sharing between the two peoples of the island of Cyprus.
It is rather strange, but the Tassos Papadopoulos administration in southern Cyprus -- which claims to be the “sole legitimate government” on the island and which refers to the Turkish Cypriot-ruled northern Cyprus as “occupied areas” and/or “areas not under government control” -- is rejecting the idea of reopening Ledra Street in Nicosia's central shopping area as a new crossing point between the two sides on the eastern Mediterranean island.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Cypriot side started clearing their section of “no man's land” and is erecting a bridge that will be used for a pedestrian crossing for the two peoples of the island after a deal was reached on the issue between themselves and the Greek Cypriot administration. The idea, opposed by hard-core conservatives in northern Cyprus as well, was to increase social contact between the two sides and help the development of a better understanding between the peoples of the north and the south of the divided island.
Although the United Nations has said this is not the case, the Papadopoulos administration now claims that the Turkish side is “encroaching into the buffer zone and constructing a short overpass bridge there” and will not agree to the opening of a new crossing point between the two sides unless the Turkish side stops such activities.
The United States has condemned the Papadopoulos administration for issuing a “misleading” statement on the issue. That is to say, the U.S. Embassy in southern Nicosia has publicly told Papadopoulos, “You are a liar.”
The British government has issued a statement through its mission to the island that the U.K. has welcomed the idea of re-opening Ledra Street as a new crossing point but regretted the “obstacles created” and hoped the issue will be resolved through the efforts of the U.N. Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
The UNFICYP issued a statement and said Greek Cypriot claims of Turkish Cypriot encroachment into the buffer zone were untrue and that the bridge currently under construction by the north is not in the buffer zone but in Turkish Cypriot territory.
That is to say, once again, that the United States and Great Britain have told Papadopoulos, “You are a liar.”
He claims to be the “president” of the entire island, and he rejects the opening of a new crossing point and attempts to limit the right to travel of his compatriot Greek Cypriots. He claims to be the government of the north as well, but he rejects the idea of making the north more accessible to Greek Cypriots (and the south to Turkish Cypriots).
Once upon a time there was an East Germany that claimed to be “democratic,” but it was the country that erected a wall to keep its own people in. Today, we have Papadopoulos wanting to restrict the right of travel of his own people in contravention of his own utopia of being the government of the entire island.
Papadopoulos is under pressure. He is under pressure from the international community to abandon his intransigent anti-settlement mentality. He is under pressure from his own people, who were urged by his political ally, the Communist AKEL party, to vote “no” in the referendum on the U.N. settlement plan in order to deliver a strong “yes” in a second vote.
The Greek Cypriots, who have been visiting northern Cyprus in large numbers since the April 2003 opening of the crossings between the two parts of the island, have begun to realize that not all of them will be able to return to the north with a settlement. But if the “no solution is a solution” mentality of Papadopoulos continues, the Turkish Cypriot state may start enjoying international recognition soon without being compelled to make any concessions.
As the Turkish Cypriots try to open new crossings, Papadopoulos objects to the increased social contact between the two sides.
Long live Papadopoulos: The Turkish Cypriots, who lost a great deal when their government adopted an almost identical mentality, may now benefit from his intransigence and consolidate their independent state.
I suggest Talat erect a bust of Papadopoulos next to the bridge on the Turkish side of Ledra Street and engrave upon it “Papadopoulos: The Greek Cypriot leader who greatly helped Turkish Cypriot independence. Welcome to the independent Turkish Republic of Cyprus.”
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/
. now even unficyp has another opinion but our interpratation would be : its the fault of the americans
