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[Bananiot]

Soteris Sampson DID NOT go to the north. He is the son of a butcher and he is just as nationalist and chauvinist as his father was. He campaigned for the "NO" vote in the referendum and he rather commit suicide than shake the hand of a turkish cypriot. I am surprised some people do not know this.

The cretin phraseology of "people that want to punish us" which is used ad nauseum by the president and his cronies is another example of our psychosis at work. We think that the whole world wakes up to the cyprus problem everyday and thinks of nothing else. Look at Greece. Our Greek brothers have dissociated the cyprus issue from the turgo-greek relations but we aim our arrows at the foreigners, who are working for our demise. Karamanlis is the best man at Ertogan's daughter wedding and still we haven't realised that we are all alone. We have lost our credibility, yet we resort to the same tactics. Blame the "others" for our short comings. This will win us points as far as the bananiots are concerned but very few friends where it matters.

[brother]

The Cyprus Weekly 15 October 2004


Tassos takes message to Finland and Estonia

President Papadopoulos stressed during visits to Finland and Estonia this week that Cyprus does not object to Turkey’s accession to the European Union and does not wish to prove an obstacle to this process provided Ankara accepts European values and principles and desists from military interventions in other countries.

A Turkey complying fully with the acquis communautaire and respecting all the principles and values of the EU, such as human rights and resistance from military intervention would be beneficial for the Greek Cypriots, the Turkish Cypriots, the Turks and the EU itself, he added.

In Helsinki, Papadopoulos held talks with President Tarja Halonen and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. He later went to Tallin (via Moscow) where he discussed Cyprus, bilateral relations and EU issues with Estonia’s President Arnold Routel.

His hosts expressed support for Cyprus’ sovereignty, and the hope that despite the disappointing referendum result last April, a way would be found for the reunification of the island, now that Turkey was aspiring to join the EU.

President Halonen said a Cyprus settlement would benefit the region and Europe in general. The current situation with Cyprus as a full member and Turkey aspiring to join the Union was a "historically good phase".

Prime Minister Vanhanen said Finland had hoped for a positive result in the April referendum. But he believed the island’s reunification could become a reality in the future. At present Helsinki did not have a specific policy on this matter "but we hope, just as the whole of the EU does, to see the island united". Finland was ready to help.

President Papadoploulos told newsmen that Turkey’s European aspirations could provide a very propitious opportunity for the start of a fresh effort through dialogue to solve the Cyprus problem.

In Tallin, Papadopoulos said his government was "very keen to see a revival of talks" for a settlement, adding "we would like Turkey to respond to the concerns of the Greek Cypriots regarding its attitude towards Cyprus".

The Estonian President said: "We support Cyprus," but would not go into details, saying the various issues were being discussed at the EU.

Speaking at a dinner in Helsinki, Papadopoulos said while Cyprus was in principle positively disposed towards Turkey’s EU membership, the occupation of Cyprus and its concomitant phenomena could not be relegated to the status of a non-issue in the relations between Turkey and the European Union.

"Furthermore a European Union candidate country aspiring for a date for accession negotiations cannot, in good faith, refuse to extend to a Member State treatment equal to that accorded to the rest

of the European Partners,'' he added.

"Approaches which disregard the legal and political obligations of Turkey vis-a-vis the Republic of Cyprus as a Member State of the European Union, disinsentivize any future effort for a solution that will bring about the political and economic re-unification of Cyprus".

In her speech Halonen said that with the beginning of Turkey's accession negotiations, the EU would promote Turkey's progress and that would have a "positive impact on efforts for a Cyprus settlement.''

As regards the results of a referendum last April, on a UN proposed solution plan for a Cyprus settlement, the Finnish President said that ''despite our disappointment in spring, Finland is convinced that the Cyprus government is engaged in reuniting'' the island.

Halonen expressed hope that the line dividing Cyprus will be history, as was the case in other parts of Europe.

Papadopoulos reiterated his commitment to a solution of a bicommunal bizonal federation that would "safeguard functional and viable state structures, the genuine re-unification of the country, the health of its economy and the interests of the people of Cyprus as a whole".

He added that ''in rejecting the Annan Plan, by a 76% majority, the Greek Cypriots did not reject the solution of the Cyprus problem, nor did they reject the re-unification of their country. They rejected that particular plan, judging that it did not provide for real reunification of their county, nor the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation army, nor a functional and viable solution".

"I firmly believe that the referenda of April last on the Annan Plan are not the end of the way,'' Papadopoulos stressed, adding that ''the end of the way will only be a just, functional and viable solution to the Cyprus problem, based on an amended and agreed upon version of Annan V that will address the legitimate concerns of Greek Cypriots without, necessarily, depriving Turkish Cypriots of rights and privileges accorded to them.''

As regards the enhancing of the economic development of the Turkish Cypriots, Papadopoulos said ''we fervently support'' it, but noted that it should be pursued in the context of the fundamental aim of reuniting Cyprus in accordance with the Conclusions of the European

Union's General Affairs Council of 26 April 2004.

"All efforts in this direction should neither subvert international legality nor encourage separatist tendencies, which would entrench the island's division".

Thanks

He thanked the Government of Finland for the understanding it exhibited vis-a-vis the position of the Government of Cyprus in recent discussions in the COREPER of the European Union of two proposals, for the economic assistance to the Turkish Cypriot community and for trade and commerce.

''We ask the international community to appreciate that the so-called 'economic isolation' of the Turkish

Cypriots, is, to a great extent, self-imposed and a result of separatist and secessionist policies engaged pursuant to the political aim of the Turkish Cypriot leadership to be elevated to the status of a separate legal entity or statehood. An eventuality which the Government of Cyprus will never accept.''

[MicAtCyp]

Good rehetoric Bananiot. Ok I know you are a professional in that.
I don't know about the feelings of S.Sampson about "shaking hands with the TCs" but the article is very clear as to what he supported. If you think you reside inside his brain, and you know what he thinks and how he feels and reacts, thats another story.

You stil did not get it that the Anan Plan and the whole fiasco of the March April so called negotiations were designed to clear up the way for Turkey getting her ticket in December,do you?
And yes I do blame Papadopoulos for falling into the trap on the first place. And then for accepting the arbitration of the UN SG, without considering that either he or De-Soto are single individuals that could be bought out any minute.The same way Verhoigen was bought out.

ARBITRATION WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER. Who pushed Papadopoulos into that trap though, can you tell us?

[metecyp]

ARBITRATION WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER. Who pushed Papadopoulos into that trap though, can you tell us?

How are we going to solve our problems without some kind of arbitration or third-party involvement? If TCs and GCs could solve the problem on their own, don't you think we would have had a solution by now?

[-mikkie2-]

Metecyp,

The trouble is, we can solve our problems on our own! It is the others outside that won't actually let us. Turkey won't let you solve the problem on your own. Britain won't let us solve the problem on our own because of her interests.

[Bananiot]

Where did you see the rhetoric. Its bloody plain fact! You should direct your critisism at those that spread lies. Of course I am not in the brain of the Sampson sibling but I read his articles and I have the common sense to interprete his political thought. The man is an extreme right winger with racist and chauvinist attitudes who obviously does not want an agreed solution to our problem and since he realises that we can achieve what he wants by a victorious war that simply isn't on, he opts for the next best solution which is partition. In this way we remain pure in the south and in the years to come, if Turkey shows any sign of weakness then we will get everything back. Basically, this is the Dountas's dogma with which Papadopoulos agrees and on which he bases his policy that is leading us steadily and surely to partition. The A plan was demonised by Papadopoulos and the extreme right wing elements in both communities because both parties want partition (dixotomisi) (taksim). This is the main reason why our government and the coalision parties have no stomach for Talat and now accuse him that he accepted american money to overthrow (by coup) Denktash. This is an unbeleivable argument that aims at descreditting the heroic struggle of the TC's that ended in the sidelining of Denktash.

Calling for the "foreigners" to leave us alone is also a sign of the times. This is the UN we are talking about and the international institutions that are here to help the weak, for the strong can take care of themselves. However, I have no hesitation in saying that we should meet Talat and talk about the solution, as cypriots. Papadopoulos has been asked by many to meet Talat. He refused flatly! He prefers to meet the son of Denktash (in secret talks) who duly announces that the 2 men are in the same galaxy, meaning they think alike. I am not surprised.

[Piratis]

Who wants partition is those that supported partition. So who supported the Annan partition plan? Not Papadopoulos, right? If Papadopoulos wanted a permanent and legal partition he would have simply accepted the Anan plan, like the other supporters of partition (e.g. Anastasiades, Vasiliou etc). I remember Anastasiades suggested that our "component state" should have the Greek flag as its flag.

[Bananiot]

Wake up Piratis. Papadopoulos is partitioning our country and you sing praise to the man. Klerides and Vasiliou shared the government for 15 years and did nothing of the sort. In 18 months Papadopoulos has destroyed the image of Cyprus abroad and rules by dividing the people into patriots and traitors just to sell his policies to naive people like you. This is not a football match. Partition is knocking on our door, on the invitation of Papadopoulos and his close ally Christofias.

[Piratis]

Cyprus is as partitioned today as it was 15 or 30 years ago. Who partition it is the Turkish army with the help of some traitors who are now based in Disi. So go look in your own party to find the people that helped partition Cyprus, and not to the rest of as that are trying to save whatever we can.

Also, Papadopoulos and the majority of Cypriots care about actions, not the "image". Vasiliou - Cleredes cared only about the image, and they manage to loose everything for Cyprus, all we gained was an image (the image of the good boy that will bent and be fucked). Such image is not the one we want, and it is the past. The image we want to build now is that we are going to fight for our rights, and if that means we will have to dissatisfy someones, let it be so.

How is Papadopoulos dividing people? The same way I didn't like Cleredes and I wished he was not the president, the same way now you don't like Papadopoulos. There is nobody that can be liked by everybody.

[Bananiot]

I don't ever remember saying that I belong to DISI. If you are interested, I consider myself to be left of centre but in a complicated world in which we live, being dictated by dogmatic ideology does not help.

Papadopoulos made a speech while in Finland, at the country's most renoun think tank. He said that for us the best solution is the one my government is striving for and the next best is the current situation, that is, as you say, partition. If this is what you beleive too, then go on, support Papadopoulos till death.