Cyprus-Forum.com

[eracles]

I'm sure these threads go round and round and round dizzyingly but...given the context at the time, how wrong were the GCs to want Enosis? The GCs constituted a significant majority of the islanders but had endured 1000s of years of occupation, they kept their language and religion which linked them with greater Greece, had seen other islands become part of Greece, and naturally thought that their turn was next.
Now personally I'm so glad enosis never happened, I like the Cypriot identity even though the partionists here don't believe one exists and choose to run behind mummy's skirts at the mere mention of it.
But (most probably incorrectly) I think the GCs wanted enosis, the UK and Turkey didn't and whipped up a frenzy of hatred which leads us to where we are today....

[Bananiot]

Politics is the art of the feasible my friend. Striving for things that you cannot get will only get you into trouble. The Asia Minor campaign got Greece into deep troubles in 1919 and caused the forced removal of millions of people from their ancestral homes. Very unfair, but here you are. You can blame the politicians for their short sight but once the damage is done, there is nothing you can do to remedy the situation.

When we went head first for enosis in the early 50's and later in the early 60's we were behaving as though we were the only inhabitants of this island. We refused to see the interests of other global powers that had huge stakes in the area and concentrated only on realising our vision for the future. This is not how things are done in the real world. Consequent developments have proven this point.

Who would you say are the partitionists in Cyprus eracles?

[elko]

Bananiot,
You make a lot of sense when you want to but alas you are in the minority in the south. If you were in the majority, I would have had high hopes for a settlement of the Cyprus Problem.
ismet

[Bananiot]

Many Greek Cypriots have been mislead by Christofias and specially by Papadopoulos. Cypriots are very easy to manipulate and their stubborness does not help the situation either. Let me tell a popular joke that illustrates this atributes:

In a plane there was an englishman, a german and a cypriot. Suddenly, the plane started losing altitude and the pilot told his scared passengers that one of the them had to jump out to save the rest. Noone volunteered but the witty pilot asked the englishman to jump for his queen and he gladly did so.

After a while the plane started again a downward spiral and the pilot appealed for another passenger to jump out. Both refused but the witty pilot asked the german to jump for the glory of the fatherland. Off went the german (and the cypriot breethed a huge sigh of relief).

However, the plane soon started its tricks again and this time the pilot appealed to the only remaining passenger. The cypriot muled and refused to hear. The witty pilot asked him to jump for Makarios. The Cypriot refused flatly but the pilot had more aces up his sleeve. Jump for Grivas he told the cypriot. No way, not for this fascist, replied the Cypriot (he was an AKEL or TCP member). Jump for Denktash, the pilot asked. NO, came the answer. The pilot was desperate by now. Jump for the sake of your church man! No, said the cypriot. Okay, said the pilot, suit yourself, do not jump. Oh, its like this then, asked the cypriot. In this case I will jump. Off he went.

If there is a lesson to be learned is that next time the UN brings a solution plan in front of us, it should specifically ask the Greek Cypriots not to vote for it. It will pass, eyes down!

[Issy1956]

Bananiot,
Very funny and very close to the truth I suspect. Thanks for the light hearted relief. We (both sides) need to be able to laugh at ourselves.
Issy

[miltiades]

Bananiot , You do surprise me . What was so wonderful with the AP that you so much admire ? Now please dont give me the Christofias AKEL treatment , I dismissed the AP from the word go , from the time that I saw the conditions regarding road sharing , Police stations administration , FOREIGN TROOPS FOR EVER AND EVER IN CYPRUS , two nations in one , two foreign flags , two foreign armies , where the hell did it leave me and the other Cypriots ?

[Solveit]

Can I ask WHO exactly WAS responsible for the negotiations, ideas, and 'fine print' that created the annan plan, and the subsequent agreement to put it to a public referendum?

The reason I ask, is that all GC's that I have seen express a view on it say that it was the worst thing ever, and a complete joke!!

I (maybe foolishly) presumed that politicions and legal advisors from both sides had a considerable input into the detail of the plan, and that also, presumably, they all arrived at a consensus as to when it should be put before the people.

Or did Mr Annan do it all himself, armed only with a blindfold, compass, pencil & string!!

[Viewpoint]

You presume right.

[Bananiot]

Beggars cannot be choosy.

Miltiades, read the folowing article by one of Greece's most respectful columnists and you will get some idea of my views on the plan:

http://www.medium.gr/articles/116584075470108.shtml

[Issy1956]

Bananiot,
For those of us who do not read Greek is it possible to get this in translation?