Cyprus-Forum.com

[pitsilos]

well in that case there is not much i can say, because recognition is what i had in mind but only as a step towards unification, and i dont think (tho i dont want to speak for anyone, just an observation) zan and vp would HATE to see a united Cyprus in the distant future, however this must not be done by forcing us into submission. i just cant see anything positive to come out from the people who are soo determined to keep us isolated, which does infact effect every aspect of our lives, its more then just distant political talk man, its something that slaps you in the face everytime you step out of your house, its very immediate!

as we agreed before shahmarn, the issue really is with turkey. she is the one that holds the key to everything.

i think its about time the tcs themselves start asking and demanding action from turkey in one way or another.

if the only thing that springs to mind is recognition, you do realise that is totally out of the question. there are 200,000 people waiting to go home, and still call the roc as there country. you think this is fair?

[humanist]

perhaps that is your situation shahmaran, but some Turkish Speaking Cypriots are occupying land and property that does not belong to them, and the people that it belongs too, want it back.

furthermore in fact Turkish Speaking Cypriots have more freedom in their country than their compatriots of Greek Speaking background, therefore the Turksih Cypriot currently living in the north is isolated out of personal choice. i know there is broader issues to consider than just aking such statement, however the primary issue that has been presented on this forum repeatedly by Turksih Speaking Cypriots, is that of personal safety. However, in the past few years since the borders have been opened the number of Turkish Speaking Cyp's who travel from the north to the south for work on daily basis has increased and there has only been a couple of reports of physical violence this is an indication that safety is not being jeopardised for people traveling south.

[shahmaran]

well im sure they would be able to return if they really want to, i dont htink its fair for the 200k ppl but its DEFINATELY not fair on the TCs either, so where does this take us?

[humanist]

to wherever we wish to take it? by we i mean turkish/ greek speaking cyp's.

[pitsilos]

well im sure they would be able to return if they really want to, i dont htink its fair for the 200k ppl but its DEFINATELY not fair on the TCs either, so where does this take us?

yeah shahmaran, the 50k-60k tcs should also get their properties back.

it brings us back to the 1960 agreements, fine tuned to reflect the concerns of today.

[shahmaran]

exactly, we have to deal with it as Cypriots, and not as GCs vs TCs, however the GC attitude shows nothing but the latter, hence why TC are so hesitant.

about the personal safety, i personally never saw it as a problem, i mean i know there are crazy people everywhere and i do try not to draw too much attention when im in the south or cause any trouble since i know ill get an extra hard slap comapred to anyone else, but thats hardly an issue for me, i would be more worried about political unfairness and assimiliation than anything else, and i believe to avoid them we first need to be able sort ourselves out properly and then talk about unification, i mean i think if TRNC was given the chance and the conflict was not a daily obstacle in peoples lives over here, while boths sides continue to travel back and forward, the border will eventually just dissolve away by its self, it would be impossible to keep the island divided, but then thas just my personal foresight and im not really that old...

[pitsilos]

shamaran, you pointed 2 concerns which i do not think they reflect the mood of the roc as a whole.

1. political unfairness
as i said earlier i want to see human rights and not the outdated majority/minority rights which really they reflect odl thinking

2. assimilation
shahmaran, we have been living together for over 300 years, i think its safe to say we have evolved in our own unique culture, and we both have a vested interested in preserving it. but to be honest with you, you are fearing gc assimilation but you give no thought to assimilation with turkey, which is quite foreign to the island mentality/culture we both treasure and share.

[shahmaran]

yes that might be the historical view, but the reality is that for ppl like me, as someone who has never known the south nor GCs untill a few years ago, its not really like that, in my eyes the RoC is a Greek only state which i am really distant and alien to, and imaybe, like you say, its because of Turkish assimiliation, maybe i am not meant to feel like this, maybe im meant to feel more like Kikapu or Birkibrisli, but i dont.

However Turks in Turkey have MANY different ethnic groups within themselves (over 20 i think), so Cypriot Turks are just another kind of Turks and we are not THAT different to some, i think we have lost that Cypriot thing by now, it has rahter become more of a Greek and Turkish thing, and Cyprus officially has definately become Greek, and that was the initial plan was it not?

[pitsilos]

i don't know about any plan shahmaran, but i can safely say that lingustigly i am greek, but i always felt like a cypriot. i visit my parents and cyprus is all around you. i buy my bread and halloumi from tcs and all i see is cyprus all over them.

to give you my personal experience, i was transit once at the athens old airport, and to be honest with you i never felt at home. i was just another foregner.

and don't make any mistake, island mentality is quite different from the mainland. i see this from people from tassie. it possible that you still have the cypriot thing and you don't realise it?

on the topic of making the island greek i think you are incorrect on this one. the majority of the people rejected the coup before turkey invaded and not after. yes a few tried but they didn't succeed. this is a key point thats always missed.

kikapu and bir are looking at it from a cypriot point of view. i mean no offence with this and it does not mean you are not a cypriot, because you are but you haven't' embrassed it yet. we are all cypriots first and turkish/greek second

[zan]

and as far as the cypriot, try telling vp, zan and ken910 that. see if you can convince them of becoming cypriots first and then come and tell us, and not before.

What does that mean.....I have always been a Turkish Cypriot and nothing will change that.