Cyprus-Forum.com

[kurupetos]

what you do is get your elam boys to bring the boxes across the border elam boy if they have the guts. just march accross.

We will not come unarmed like in 1996, dickhead.

[Lordo]

oh dear me then what are you waiting for reh durgosporo go ahead and drive the terks into the sea like makarios said in 63. go on i dare you. then you will revert to neanderthal existance in minutes.

[kurupetos]

oh dear me then what are you waiting for reh durgosporo go ahead and drive the terks into the sea like makarios said in 63. go on i dare you. then you will revert to neanderthal existance in minutes.

When Russia attacks you from the north, you will be f*cked.

[Lordo]

oh dear me then what are you waiting for reh durgosporo go ahead and drive the terks into the sea like makarios said in 63. go on i dare you. then you will revert to neanderthal existance in minutes.

When Russia attacks you from the north, you will be f*cked.

are these the same russians who could not beat a few mujahiddins armed with pocket knives and a few sharp sticks. not even gawd can help you reh vromo shille. you have to fight your own fight, nobody else will fight your war gavole ama endje gadalavis dibbode easuni, mavroyerimo naminis.

[bill cobbett]

Whilst Sener Levent is going around CY campaigning for One CY for All CYs, the Monster Raving Lunatic Weightwatchers of Lurigina's Candidate, Blobbo, addresses a rally of his supporters...

[kurupetos]

Lordo probably had sex with all of them.

[bill cobbett]

Yes, he was prob addressing some of his off-spring.

Anyways, Sener Levent interviewed on RIK2 earlier this evening.

In turkish with greek subs, from 20 minutes in... http://www.cybc-media.com/video/index.p ... &sl=latest

[kurupetos]

Yes, he was prob addressing some of his off-spring.

Anyways, Sener Levent interviewed on RIK2 earlier this evening.

In turkish with greek subs, from 20 minutes in... http://www.cybc-media.com/video/index.p ... &sl=latest

I will vote him in the 2nd round...

[bill cobbett]

A lapsed member of CF has spent the night translating the RIK interview with Sener Levent in to English for us...

(It's very long)

....................

"... (The translation provided below is a first draft - needs to be improved later today)

Good evening ladies and gentlemen ....

(H) Tonight we will begin to hear the opinions of the candidates for the Euro-Elections. As the first guest we have tonight with us an independent candidate, the (Afrika Newspaper) journalist Sener Levent.

... good evening

(H) A classic question. What has prompted you to place your candidacy?

(L) And I will answer you with a classic answer ... for peace and a reunited island. This is a classic answer, but I will explain to you how I reached my decision.

First of all I do not agree with the decision of the "parliament" in the north which has decided that we should not participate in these elections. The reason is because they consider that two of the six (Euro Parliamentary) seats belong to them and they want to claim them in separate elections. That is what was envisaged in the Annan Plan. However, the Cyprus Problem has not been solved yet, it remains unresolved.

The elections for the Euro-Parliament do not take place based on national and communal seperatism. So they could have unreservedly participate in common in these elections. If they were to participate they could, based on their numerical strength, easily win the two seats which they claim. For some reason however they avoid doing it. The reason is because the acceptance of mixed elections could supposedly cause them greater problems in the future.

As you know, from the beginning of the Republic of Cyprus, the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots have voted separately, with each for their own candidates. This has been happening until now. That does not however mean that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots could not ever participate in common elections. The major 'bet' indeed is for the Turkish Cypriots to be able to vote for a Greek Cypriot and for the Greek Cypriots to give their vote to a Turkish Cypriot. I believe this to be a serious subject with which we should be involved with in our efforts for a solution. It is a subject that we must face. Even in a possible solution of the Cyprus Problem should there be presidential candidate for the Republic who is a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot. I personally would like to vote for the Greek Cypriot if I agree more with him and not with a Turkish Cypriot with whom I may agree with less. What would count would be the correctness of the candidate.

With reference to my own candidacy I would like to also add the following - for 40 years the voice of the Turkish Cypriots has not been allowed to be heard internationally. What is heard is the voice of Turkey. Turkey speaks for us. There is a subservient administration, a puppet administration which repeats what Turkey says. I do not accept that what they say expresses the political will of the Turkish Cypriots. We must subjugate that voice in order that the voice of the Turkish Cypriots is heard internationally.

The forthcoming elections are for me a chance for the international community to hear the real will of the Turkish Cypriots.

(Q) If you are elected, what will be your first action?

(L) Should I be elected I will have a lot to do. In any case, its not difficult for someone to know all that. It is 17 years that I have been publishing a newspaper in which I have written about many things. What I have written in my newspaper until now is what I would have the chance to communicate to the international community. If I am given this power, everything which I have said and done until now I would repeat at the European Parliament.

What is it that I am saying?

Cyprus has been under occupation for 40 years. That is what I am saying here, and I say that as a journalist. It would however be very different for me to say that as a Turkish Cypriot at the European Parliament. Naturally there are of course many things I would do here.

Should I succeed, if the voters in the south give me this power, I will promote these issues further and I will create the first common party for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

This is something we have been missing.

In 2003 the barriers were opened. There have been many years passed since then, there have been very many festivals, there have been many songs we have sung together, there have been many exchanged visits, a lot of zivania (alcohol) has been consumed, however it has not been possible to create a common platform. There is still no common political party. That is what I intend to create if I am elected.

(Q) When you had first expressed your intention to be a candidate were you approached by any Greek Cypriot Party to urge you to cooperate with them and be a candidate in their interest? And if they did do that, and if they had done that, would you have been prepared to be a candidate through some Greek Cypriot party?

(L) Speaking honestly I was given such a suggestion which however I had rejected. It is not however necessary for me to provide more details. There was one proposal.

In 2004 I had tried again to lodge my candidacy, but for some insignificant reason however it was not accepted. What I did not complete in a previous application form, my candidacy was rejected even though they knew that Sener Levent is a Cypriot. At that time there had again been proposals to me from certain parties and organisations on this side ... I do not need to name it, it is not so significant ... but it was not AKEL or DISY.

(Q) ... you are a journalist ... and I must as a journalist now ask you in order to get to know what party it was ... because it would be a good news item for us to know what party had contacted you, and why you had rejected that.

(L) I know it would be a good news item, but leave that since there are more significant items for us to consider. For example, how they defrocked the people on this side, how they stole their money from the banks. These are more significant matters rather than the what you mentioned earlier ... particularly if you were to write who has made the biggest thefts of everyone.

(Q) There will be a lot for you to do should you be elected. Would you made an effort for Turkish to become a formal language for Europe?

(L) There will be no need for me to do something about that matter. From the moment when I am elected, as a Turkish Cypriot in Europe, they will have to automatically make Turkish a formal language. It is their duty. This was mentioned in the contacts I have had with representatives of the European Union as well as with certain diplomatic circles. It is something which would have to happen. Certainly ... besides, in Cyprus there are three languages, Greek, Turkish and English. Greek and Turkish have to be formal languages of the European Union. They might have avoided the Turkish language since there are no Turkish Cypriot members of the Euro Parliament. From the time however when one is elected, then Turkish will become a formal one.

(Q) We have talked about that before. These elections are for you a test of how trustworthy the two communities are between each other.

(L) It will certainly be a test. A very serious test for a situation when there may be in Cyprus some common elections. As an individual I have been writing for many years in the newspaper "Politis". I have a certain political background, I am a newspaper publisher, etc. In some ways my positions are known to the Greek Cypriot community. My tasks and what I would like to do.

Those who recognise that I desire the reunification of Cyprus, that I support peace in Cyprus, that I am against and that I struggle against the Turkish occupation of the island will have to give me their vote.

I am however a Tuirkish Cypriot. Will a Gtreek Cypriot give me his vote as a Turkish Cypriot? a Greek Cypriot journalist who interviewed me recently asked me whether the Greek Cypriots will vote for me. I asked him whether there is a reason why they would not vote for me. I have supported Cyprus and its people more than they have. Furthermore I do this in the occupied and not in the free areas. The only reason for the Greek Cypriots to not give me their vote is because I am a Turkish Cypriot. The election of a Turkish Cypriot by the Greek Cypriots would mean that to a significant extent the nationalist wall has collapsed in the minds of the people. It is something which has not happened again in the past.

It will be a particularly significant event for the Greek Cypriots to entrust their vote to a Turkish Cypriot whose views they find to be correct.

I would at this point also want to say that the election of a Turkish Cypriot would appear as a miracle. We could call the miracle a revolution. The election of a Turkish Cypriot will become international news. The election of the rest of the candidates will not become news. The news will be that someone who is not a member of a Greek Cypriot party has been elected as a Turkish Cypriot to the European Parliament ... do you know what that would be similar to?

(Q) Why are you talking about a revolution ... it would be easy for you to be elected if the Turkish Cypriots do collectively come and vote ... 60,000 have the right to vote ... which corresponds to 10%, and it would not be just one but would be two Turkish Cypriots [who would be elected] ... if they do come in mass to vote ... why do you express your hope ... and it would of course be very good for the Greek Cypriots who accept and support your positions will do very well to vote for you ... it is not a matter of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots ... I separate them ... it is a matter of the political views of people and what they believe ... if you convince them about your positions they will vote ... but why do you place your hopes on the Greek Cypriots and not on the Turkish Cypriots who are 60,000 ... and why should a Turkish Cypriot not vote for a Greek Cypriot if they believe in that person's positions? ... and so, the opposite of what you are saying!

(L) Basically this is a correct question. I have made the test a few times, submitting my candidacy in various "elections", so that I can tell how many people there are who are thinking in the same way as we do. I never did get elected. Anyway, the demographic structure of our society has been altered to such an extent that the Turkish Cypriots have ceased to be a majority. Do note that on this side they calculate the number of Turkish Cypriot electioneers is 60 thousands. This is the formal assessment and this is the basis on which the voting centres will be organised. While in the north the number of the "electorate" has surpassed 170 thousands. While the number of Turkish Cypriots is 60 thousands the numbers in the north is triple that.

It is therefore a witnessing factor for one to believe that people who think like I do could submit their candidacy and be elected.

You referred to 60 thousand Turkish Cypriot electioneers. They do not all however have the same thinking as mine. They do not all think as I do. Some support Eroglu, others support Serdar Denktash, others support CTP (Republican Turkish Party) ... the parties as on this side the same on the other side, have "captured" the people. In essence the parties are open prisons. They have enclaved the people, so people only vote for their party ... and now, because they do not want the election of a Turkish Cypriot they do whatever they can to prevent such a possibility.

Yes, there are people on the other side who do support me. The parties which I mentioned earlier, as well as the "parliament" are diametrically opposed to something like this and implement an entire propaganda against this.

Given these facts how could I be elected?

I can not know how many Turkish Cypriots will come to vote. Because I am a candidate perhaps more will come than would normally come to vote. I can not however know how many these would be.

On the other hand, the people on the other side are not interested about the European elections. Over there it is as if there are no elections, or that these involve only the Greek Cypriots. On television, on radios, newspapers, there are no reports about these elections. In June there will be on the other side the municipal "elections". Over there they are involved only with the mayors, since that side remains at a village level. Dervis Eroglu is a mayor, the others are councillors etc. Those are the components of the situation... and you say why should the Greek Cypriots vote and the Turkish Cypriots don't do it?

Some of those who will come that day to vote could be afraid that they will be identified for that. There are people who are still afraid of that. Or again, passing through the barricades they will be stamped for going to vote despite those who are entitled do not want that.

(Q) How are you doing your electioneering?

(L) I am not doing electioneering, at least not in the familiar ways. I do not go from door to door, or organising meetings ... I do go when I am invited to go somewhere to speak ... I continue writing with "Politis" [Greek Cypriot newspaper]. Some in the north have shown an interest, such as for example the newspaper "Kibris". It is one of the newspapers whih is interested and publishes items in relation to this. I do also get invited to television programmes and I present my positions. That's all.

In addition I will have contacts with people on both sides ... if you ask me where this 'comfort situation' originates from ot os due to the fact that I am known as a journalist and as a politician. I therefore do not needs to express and explain my ideas, but neither do I maintain that everybody knows me. Surely I must have contacts and have meetings. Time however does not allow me something like that. I must every day work to prepare the newspaper.


(Q) What do the Greek Cypriots you meet with usually ask you? What do they want to learn from you?

(L) There isn't anything which they would want to learn from me since they also know everything. I talk with people who know me ... recently we talk more about the elections, my candidacy ... one Greek Cypriot colleage for example met me at a supermarket and he had his two children with him ... he recognised me and he asked straight away whether I will indeed be a candidate. I assured him about it and I asked him what caused him to be interested. His answer was most interesting ... "I thank you for offering us such a choice" he said to me. "I and my family, our acquaintances, will vote for you". I told him that it is not easy for someone to win in such elections. He however maintained that they will vote for me and that I will win. I meet quite a few Greek Cypriots who think that way. However, if you ask the other side, they will tell you that there are no possibilities of such an election. They explain things as follows: "where there is a majority of Greek Cypriot voters it is impossible for a Turkish Cypriot to be elected".

From the moment that the Greek Cypriots manage to select a Turkish Cypriot the other side will get a real shock because their contention will collapse.

If I do get elected they may then maintain that I do not represent them, because I am known for my oppositional identity. I calculate that there will be big reactions also in Turkey. They can not however cancel my candidacy and I will continue to say and do on the other side those things which I truly believe.

As a Euro MP I will have the power to oppose the voice of Turkey which is not present here for our benefit.


(Q) Journalistic information suggests that initially you were intending to run in conjunction with other Greek Cypriots and other Turkish Cypriots, but that finally you had decided to run on your own. Are those suggestions correct?

(L) I have indeed been approached by 3 to 4 teams from the south who had suggested to support me. I talked to them, and we considered the extent to which I would submit a candidacy in conjunction with them or whether I would run alone. In the end I preferred to run on my own and there are natural reasons for that. Perhaps because I am independent in comparison to the others ... I am critical towards all on both sides, in the south and in the north. I do not belong to any party. Nor is there any party which I do like. The parties have destroyed Cyprus. Lately they have stripped the people, as much on this side as on the other side. There is nothing with them that one can be sympathetic with.

Another question is whether those who would enter the same catalogue would have the same ideas as my opinions. For example, I do not support bi-communality. I want a single Cyprus with no divisions. They want a shredded Cyprus. I do not want my country divided. Let them call me a dreamer. Let them also have some dreams ... what is bad about having a dream?


(Q) We only have five or six minutes left, but I want to follow with being a devils advocate, and as a journalist I don't want you to misunderstand what I will say. What you are telling us, in the ears of some people will sound a little egotistical because you sound as if you know everything, and that there is no one else you can cooperate with ... in other words you place yourself above all the parties, you consider all the parties to have failed ... and you are the only one who knows everything ... would someone not say that is very egotistical?

(L) I have at no time in my life been an egoist. Neither am I narcissistic

... I am not saying you were, I'm just suggesting that ...

(L) I will say it to you more simply. I do not like promotion, I do not feel the need for something like that. In the year 2,000 when they let me out of jail I went straight to the newspaper. The world that day had gathered at the square and were waiting for me. I however did not go to the square, I went to the newspaper. They came and forced me to go to the square, on their shoulders. They put me on the platform and I made a speech to the people. I don't like showing off. I am not an egoist and I do not have such weaknesses. I do however know the following, and I will ask you in relation to that.

If they tell me to create a "government" in the north I will have difficulty to find 10 persons. Would you find on this side 10 persons to create a government with them? Persons who you would trust right to the end. I doubt you would find them.

Perhaps isolated persons ... something similar is what you would find if you study historical personalities.

I am naturally not against the creation of a team of six people. In such a case however it is not clear how many Greek Cypriots voted for a Turkish Cypriot. But be careful about that because the result will have significant effects.

I will personally not be bothered to receive only few votes. The other side however is preparing for the following - even though Sener Levent got 800 votes ... the other side will claim that ... "you see, the Greek Cypriots do not want even those who are with them, who call occupation by that word, they demand the opening of Varosia, the withdrawal of the army, they want a unitary state. When they don't want even Sener, then whom do they want?"

The other side is sitting there and is waiting to see if it will be given that weapon by this side.

But in these elections Sener Levent is quiet. If they do not vote for me because I am a Turkish Cypriot, then I have nothing to lose. I will continue to publish my newspaper as I do now.

I will be voted or I will not be voted. This side however will lose as the people of Cyprus will lose since the other side will also lose. We will not be able to open a runway of communicativeness, we will not be able to demolish the wall we have in our brains. That will be bad.

That is why I have chosen to be a candidate. If we do manage to demolish this wall and we manage as Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, Armenians and Maronites to live all together on the island we will create a superb mosaic. It will be a superb composition. For us as Cyprus it is a lucky thing we have all these nationalities.

Think about it ... would you be happier if there lived only Greek Cypriots on the island? I would not be happy if here there were only Turkish Cypriots. I would feel discomfort had I been forced to live among Turkish Cypriots only.

What I do like abroad is the multicultural environment which exists. To have friends who are Vietnamese, African, Asian, Europeans.

What do we have coming to us here ... that we have each found the other? Instead of living brotherly together, to enjoy in common, why do we have to quarrel and to kill each other?

What, do we prefer war? Do we want to continue to kill each other, to fill with dead bodies the mass-graves and the wells?

That which is called nationalism is something which is very primitive. If we do not manage to rid ourselves of that we will not manage to live humanely on the island.


(Q) We have come to the end of our time. You have completed just as we run out of time. There are many things which we would like to ask about but our time is limited.


(L) If there is time in the future we can continue our conversation. There are many things which need to be said, and the good thing about these elections is that we have the opportunity through the television to reach out to a broader public.


(Q) Personally I was very happy about the discussion which we have had ... through the questions we have tried to show the people and get to know Sener over and above what he writes, and to televisually get to know his positions. I personally wish you every success, and may everything go well, and we will be happy to have you here again.


(Q) Thank you also ladies and gentlemen for your having been with us ... we wish you a good evening. ..."

[Tim Drayton]

That translation seems pretty good. It captures what I remember the man saying yesterday when I watched the programme.