Cyprus-Forum.com

[Nikitas]

The people in Pyla and Pergamos get to decide, but the people of Kyrenia and Davlos do not. Now that is an interesting concept.

When we went in for this BBF thing we all knew there would be many, countless, instances of individual injustices.

Precisely because of these many small injustices we need to make sure that the overall settlement is workable and at the communal level it provides a sense of acceptance. This is what politicians call a win-win solution etc.

The people in Pyla will choose, keep their property and live in the south, while their political rights are in the north, they will vote for TC politicians, perhaps their local mayor, and keep their land as is. Or they can move, and in their case the move will be by choice, peacefully, and not as happened with 200 000 others who were kicked out, and their real and personal property lost. We are not talking confiscation of any kind, and certainly not enforced refugee status.

Lay off the democracy bit, it is funny to be even discussing it at this stage.

[Lordo]

now you are being childish. i thought you said you are taught geography at school. pile and pergama are in or near the buffer zone. is girne near a buffer zone. by all means all girnenans who wish to return should be welcome to return to their own properties.

[Kikapu]

now you are being childish. i thought you said you are taught geography at school. pile and pergama are in or near the buffer zone. is girne near a buffer zone. by all means all girnenans who wish to return should be welcome to return to their own properties.

Just because Turkey drew the "buffer zone" in 1974, it does not mean it is absolute and that it cannot be changed!

[Lordo]

who said anything about not changing the buffer zone. of course it will change. the question is one of very basic of the basic human rights. are the people in or near the buffer zone going to be given the chance to decide which state they belong to. is that too much to ask. this is the reason why the sate border cannot be a straight line. it has to meander around different villages and towns depending on which state they wish to belong to. village and towns too far from the buffer zone will not have that right but should have the right to return if they so wish. is it really that hard to accommodate all we can.

[Nikitas]

None of us decide which state we will belong to! That is the point with this BBF thingy.

We at best get to choose where we live. Either the TC media give a whole different picture of BBF or you have not caught on to what it is.

Annan provided those complex percentages of people who may reside in the "other" state, an attempt to preserve the bizonality and bicommunality of the agreement. We do not yet know what is being planned this time round. That aspect though is secondary to a clear and workable territorial settlement. My view is that the demarcation line should be easily patroled by a single police officer on a motorcycle, which means straight lines along recognised roads.

TO put it another way, a GC should be able to pass a July 20th in the future and not see any of the celebrations, while a TC should be able to pass a quiet March 25th and not see a single Greek flag. Capisch? And no matter how much we want to pretend that these celebrations will cease post BBF we are deluding ourselves.

My opinion, not gospel naturally, is that people are drawn where there is opportunity and acceptable living conditions. Therefore I see the major urban areas growing despite BBF and restrictions etc. Effectively Limassol will be the real capital, with Larnaca and Famagusta showing uptrends. Lat year, while driving around the eastern part, from Larnaca through to Derynia and Paralimni, and looking at the clsed Famagusta, the word "conurbation" came to mind. And in that conurbation there will be more people than in the whole of the northern region. To expect that this conurbation would be linked to the rest of the GC region by a 3 km strip is just not on. That for me is the big test for this new deal.

I reckon that these developments reinforce the need for a workable territorial settlement with no possibility of comebacks and future claims over new minorities etc.

[Lordo]

what is the problem with a 3 km strip that has a3 already built on it. you seem to be removed from reality. the troubles are over. the cypriots wish to get on with their lives in peace and harmony. and there you are talking about celebrating 20th of july and 25th of april. it should be illegal to celebrate such stupidity. you can see what it causes in ireland. it should not be allowed, full stop.

how many police patrol the the state borders in the united states or the northern ireland and southern ireland these days. the borders will not be patrolled just marked on the roads and hills so everybody knows where they stand. if there is a chase they can chase the suspect to the border and inform the police on the other side to continue with the chase.

[Nikitas]

Line from the Sopranos, one gangster to another "sometimes you behave like you are in a different business". You reckon there is someone with enough cojones to outlaw July 20 and March 25 celebrations? Point him/her out please.

[Lordo]

was there ever going to be a leader with big enough cajonies who would stand in front of the presdient of terggy and say what he said yesterday. going down bbf route in 10 years you think people will want to celebrate these two dates. i can tell you what is going to happen. they will select a date which suits both communities and they commemorate all the victims no matter which side.

sure some fanatics will always want to celebrate those dates but it will not make the news. and they will be seen as what they are lunatics.