by Mills Chapman » Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:05 am
A few folks brought up some political issues in response to my schooling idea, and I will do my best to address them.
I am aware of the history of both the Enosis and Taksim movements.
Regarding the intentions of the American, British, and Turkish governments in the Cyprus region, I don’t know if there can ever be a firm agreement among us or anyone as to what they currently are. Looking at the past, which was influenced of course by the politics of that day, I can see why the CIA would have sponsored the Athens junta, why Kissinger would have sided with Sampson to topple Makarios, and why Kissinger would have then sided with Turkey in order to protect the US-Turkish relationship that kept Moscow at bay.
I can also see why the British might not care now what happens in Cyprus as long as their bases and the EU and NATO alliances are okay, and as long as any violence on the island is self-contained and does not cause additional UNFICYP expenditures, which comes out of the UN budget which Britain helps to finance.
I would imagine that the US would want a political settlement in Cyprus so that Turkey could then recognize the RoC, which in turn would keep the RoC from vetoing Turkey’s bid for the EU, which in turn would let Turkey become an EU member, and eventually, a role model for other Muslim nations with its modernizing democracy and thriving economy. That is the ideal scenario if Turkey were to join the EU, but who knows if that would happen. I also suspect that the US would want a political settlement because they are giving Cyprus $15 million a year for conflict reconciliation activities, and in addition to the British, are weary of needless UNFICYP expenditures.
Perhaps the only thing we can agree on is that these intentions are dictated by the political context of that year or decade. Even if the current intentions of the aforementioned parties are the worst ones possible, I think this school could still work with international support from elsewhere and from the protection of UNFICYP. I would like to think that this schooling idea has merit even without a political settlement, without the Turkish troops having to leave, and without Turkey recognizing the RoC government. Lastly, I would imagine that the EU and the UN would be behind this concept even if the American, British, and Turkish governments weren’t.
Last edited by
Mills Chapman on Sun Aug 28, 2005 7:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.