Cyprus-Forum.com

[sadik]

Friendly letter to Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat


Dear Sir
I am a Cypriot (Greek-Cypriot, I prefer to call my self just
Cypriot, without to reject my Greek origin) who live in USA the last
6 years… I was so excited when the borders between north and south
opened 2 years ago, I arranged my business here in US and visited
Cyprus and stay there for 4 months, I visited north for first time
after 30 years (I was only 6 years old at 1974) –I am originally
from North (karavas)… I met some of my Turkish friend that I made
years ago through internet but we have never the chance to meet… I
was so optimistic that when you are going to be on power on North
and with AKEL part of power on south and with the negotiation going
on at that time, the unification of our country would be a reality
soon. When I return back to USA on February 2004 I was ready to give
up anything I do here and return back to my united country in the
very near future … unfortunately the unification never happen, and I
haven't visit Cyprus ever since…
As a young Greek Cypriot (refugee) I had a very hard time to grow
up, since my family and all the families who moved from North to
South on 1974 we were a kind of second class citizens in south … no
jobs for our parents , no house, no food many times… that's how
was our live the first few years after July 1974, and until today
even though our economic situation is much better, we are still kind
of second class citizen, we don't have any property , the houses
that government gave to us after many years living on tents or
terrible places, don't really belong to us and we are still called
the "refugees" . as you can understand as an educated and smart
person all these made us angry people, we blame everybody for our
situation, and among those the Turkey, Turkish people, Turkish
Cypriot, even the Greek Cypriots we thought were responsible for
that… We didn't mind to fight and even die in a war with Turkey or
Turkish Cypriots, because we had nothing to lose, in a such a war if
we ( the Greeks) won then we could go back to our houses and
properties and re-establish our normal situation as citizens (not
refugees anymore) if we loose the war Turkey would probably occupied
the whole island and again we would have the opportunity to be back
to our villages and houses, plus the rest of the Greeks would be in
the same situation as us ….
That's how psychology works I guess … that is what I realized today
as a grown and educated man, the financial situation for us changed
in south , we grow up and we get educated (most of us) and we see
things in different way, However we are still the "refugees" we
still own nothing in South (except what we bought with hard work and
working outside of Cyprus most of us) … I am pointing all these
because I realize that young Turkish Cypriot and young Greek
Cypriots they don't know anything about each other lives and that's
why they cannot understand each other … My Turkish Cypriots friends
for example told me when I was in Cyprus that their families have
properties in South but is ok they don't want that back they got
some other properties in North, some people get more some less but
is ok lets solve the problem now what happened is happened… I don't
disagree with them but they don't know that the Greek Cypriot who
used to live in North and they are in South now they got NOTHING …
that's why the properties issue is so strong among the Greeks.
I used to be politically involved in Cyprus 10 years ago, but I am
not anymore, there is no political party which can represent me
anymore, However, I have lots of friends back in Cyprus who used to
call me all the time last year and ask my opinion about Anan plan
during the campaign for the referendum … my suggestion was to vote
YES … However, I don't really agree wit Anan plan … and I disagree
with Anan plan for different reasons than most of the Greeks who
voted NO, that's why I suggested everybody to vote Yes even though I
disagree …
My main concern about that Plan is the way the government is going
to be… there are so many things in that plan that divide us (Greek
and Turks) than unify us…
Anan plan is a great tool to use and change it around and make it
better and be accepted from both sides …
I have though a strong disagreement about the governments form …
Living in USA the last 6 years I have seen how the system works
here, what are the advantages and the disadvantages, but this
country is huge and the systems it works, with it's weakness ,but it
works , so I came to conclusion that we (the Cypriots) with our
passion, our history and our personalities we can make a system that
can work for us too, we are so small place and we have so many less
differences that the Americans have between them, and we have much
more things that bring us together than the Americans have.
So what about a federal system in Cyprus with 2 states North
Cyprus , and South Cyprus (not a Turkish Cyprus and Greek Cyprus)
(We can use the map of Anan plan to separate the two states)
A ¡Senate¡¨ with 30 members 15 from each state ( number doesn't
matter can be bigger or maybe 48 like in Anan Plan )and a
¡Parliament¡¨
with representatives (one representative every X ... Thousand of
people) and each state send their representatives according to its
population.
A President and vice president who have to run at election together ,
we won't vote separately( Greeks the president , and Turkish the
vice president) but we will vote together for this 2 people , one
has to be Greek and the other one Turk but they will run together as
a team. So basically we have to vote for whatever teams it will run
at election , they can be 2,3, 4 or 10 but are going to be 2,3,4 or
10 teams of 2 people (one Greek and one Turk). That is going to give
us the advantage that those 2 people who are going to be elected
they are going to be for the same party, or same group, or same
coalition and they are going to work for the good of the country and
not against each other ( you cannot put 2 people who disagree with
each other as president and vice president, Americans have done that
at their early years of their country and didn't work, we did that
too
back in 1960 and didn't work either). It doesn't have to be the
president Greek and the vice president Turk, they can be either way
but they have to tell the people who is going for president and who
for vice president , so we can know for who we vote.(like in US)
The vice president will be also the president of the "Senate" and
he/she will be allowed to vote only when there is equality in votes
at the "Senate"
The president he can appoint his cabinet but those people that
president will appoint must be approved by the majority of the 2
houses ("Senate" and "Parliament"). If somebody is not approved
president have to appoint somebody else ( since the president and
the vice president will come from the same group, or party or
coalition and one is going to be Greek and the other one Turk is
obvious that those parties or groups or coalition will be from both
sides ,so in president's suggestion for the cabinet I don't think
he/she will suggest people from only one side, we can however put a
minimum percentage of the cabinet to be from the other side, means
any president cannot form a government from one side only, I don't
think is necessary, but we can do that.
I have a whole vision about all the aspects of the government , for
the federal government and the local states governments , I also
have a vision for a special form for Nicosia as the capital of the
nation, for the judicial system, how to solve the property problem
etc…
Dear Sir ..I am not a lawyer or a specialist on those things , but I
a Cypriot who love that country and who keep educated himself about
our History and what mistakes brought us in the situation we are
here , the younger generation of Cypriots (Greeks and Turks) don't
know much about what happened in 1960, 1963, 1967, 1974 ..the
political leadership in Cyprus from both sides seems to ignore
that , they don't realize the Cypriots in their early 40s or late
30s were kids at 1974… and the youngest not even born. I found much
more about Cyprus history the last 2 years then my whole life and I
am on my late 30s and I used to be politically involved and people
used to think that I know much more the average Cypriot … keep
searching and studying about Cyprus the last 2 years I realized that
I knew almost nothing … and most important I realized that same
mistakes that Makarios and Denctas did back in 60s is very
possible to be repeated by Mr. Papadopoulos and yourself …
Stable federal government, strong, fair who unite the people of
Cyprus is the key for any solution in my opinion everything else can
be solved (we will need a lot of money, unfortunately money is
another key )

Thank you very much for your time

P.S
This letter has been sent to Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat at the "office of
president , Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus " e-mail:
[email protected]

[cypezokyli]

beautiful post.
i agree with the essense of it.
i liked the idea of coaltions as candidates. i am afraid though that , that dilutes the bicomunality. i dont know how we can force coalitions in the central govermant.

hope he has send the same one to pap.