Cyprus-Forum.com

[kalahari]

Turkey is obviously extremely reluctant to remove its illegal occupational force from the north of Cyprus, despite the fact that it could result in it being barred from entering the EU. The unconstructive nature of this policy is transparently obvious, and if I were a Turkish business man I would be extremely fed up with my government's obsession with a territory that is not my concern.

Therefore, we can only assume that the occupation of Cyprus has become a matter of strategic importance or pride – probably a combination of both.

Perhaps the Cypriot government should consider offering Turkey a military base on Cyprus in return for withdrawing its army of occupation. This base would be on sovereign Cypriot soil, and abide by Cypriot law. A rent would be payable to the Cypriot government. The composition of the military presence and their activities would have to receive the approval of the Cypriot government.

Turkey would retain its strategic base and its pride.

Cypriots of Turkish origin would not feel abandoned to the violent aspirations of some of the Cypriots of Greek origin that frequent this forum.

Cyprus could offer the Greeks a similar arrangement, although there is presently no evidence that they would be interested in such.

The benefits to Cyprus?

There are many obvious benefits, but foremost in my mind is that Cyprus would establish its precedence in the sovereignty over its own territory, gaining respect as an independent nation from all international parties involved including (one hopes) its own people.

Is there a precedent for this kind of action?

Almost every modern western European nation has at least one foreign military base on its sovereign soil, including Cyprus. I can't think lf one that hasn't.

As always, I look forward to hearing ALL opinions on this suggestion.

Kindest regards, kalahari

[theresa]

Nice thought Kalahari, but I dont know about the pride thing!! I think money would be involved too, I have heard many turkish Cyps complaining about the cost involved - via taxes etc etc that are collected to support the army - believe me - a lot of Cypriots would like the bases reduced - they even have bases in the centre of Kyrenia!! A lot of the bases are actually in very nice areas and it would be nice to see the back of these - but perhaps as you say keeping one central base for peace of mind?
tess

[Kikapu]

Turkey can pull her troops out if and when the people of Cyprus can prove to be able to live together. Once the troops leave and if the s*** hits the fan again, there won't be a possibilty to intervene on the behalf of the Turks, since Cyprus now being in the EU club and the "attack one, attack all rule". This may give the hardliners new ideas agains the Turks, and the EU will see this as an internal affair. Build the trust and the peace will follow.

[Niki]

Good point Kikapu, but my thinking was that if the Turkish still have a legitimised military presence on Cypriot soil, this would hopefully prevent any foolish extreme right notions of ethnic cleansing ever rising to the surface again. What in England we would call "having a bouncer on the door" to prevent trouble ever surfacing in the first place. Thoughts?

Incidentally, this message from kalahari. Niki24 is my wife.

[lysi]

kalahari, are you kidding, the turkish army have no right to occupy cyprus. All turkish, greek and british bases should be removed, cyprus should be able by now to control its own land wlthout interference from other countries.

[kalahari]

Lysi – I agree with your sentiment completely, 100%!

However, as this is not an ideal world, and baby steps are required, my suggestion is proposed as the first of one of those baby steps that might lead in the fullness of time to your, and my, ideal scenario.

[lysi]

KALAHARI, its been 32 years now, how long should refugees have to wait for the turkish army to withdraw from cyprus ?

[cypezokyli]

the problem lysi , is that waiting will not do the job.
imo , some troops will stay , at least for the first period of time. it depends on negotiating on achieving that those some are few and that the time is also limited.
if you guys think that you can achieve complete demilitariasation of cyprus , i would for sure join you.
but as with the rest of the clever ideas, i would like to know how you are going to achieve that!
and how you are ever going to convince the tcs, to agree on any deal that takes away their minimum requirements of security.
HOW?

[kalahari]

Thanks Cypezokyli, yours is exactly the point I was trying to make, although maybe I did not express it as clearly. So what do you think of the proposal? I'd love to know.

[Kifeas]

Turkey can pull her troops out if and when the people of Cyprus can prove to be able to live together. Once the troops leave and if the s*** hits the fan again, there won't be a possibilty to intervene on the behalf of the Turks, since Cyprus now being in the EU club and the "attack one, attack all rule". This may give the hardliners new ideas agains the Turks, and the EU will see this as an internal affair. Build the trust and the peace will follow.

Trust among the people is not the core of the problem my friend! There is no T/C in his right sense that believes the G/Cs are up to attacking the T/Cs for any reason whatsoever. This has even been proved already during the last 3 years in which the Turkish occupational regime has opened the iron curtain that it established in the north since 1974 and allowed contact among the people of the two communities. This theory that is all a mater of trust among the members of the two communities towards each other, is all a pile of rubbish! It is a mere made up-excuse and a pretext! The hundreds of T/Cs that visit hospitals in the south every day, do not have a problem of non-trusting the G/Cs that they will kill them or poison them, or give them the wrong medication. The thousands of T/Cs that cross south every day and work in G/C companies, do not have a trust problem that they will be ambushed and murdered by their G/C colleagues, or that they will be left unpaid at the end of the month. The thousands of T/Cs that cross south every day for shopping and recreation do not have such a fear either. The few tens of T/C pupils that were given scholarships or pay to attend some schools in the south, like the English school and some others, do not have a fear that they will be killed or beaten by other G/C school pupils, not their parents do so for letting their children cross south alone. It is all rubbish, a big rubbish I must add!

Neither do the 2,5 million tourists that visit the south every year do have a problem of being murdered by the vicious G/Cs, nor the 30 or so thousand of foreign residents that live in the south, nor the 10-15 thousands of foreign students mostly from Islamic countries that study in colleges in the south, nor the close to 60 thousand foreign workers from Sri-Lanka, Philippines and Bangladesh that work in the south are afraid of being murdered or hurt by the G/Cs, not the 15 thousands that applied for political asylum from the RoC do fear such a thing happening to them!

Nor should we be constantly supposed to be trying to prove that we are not elephants in this country -only because some people who have no idea where Cyprus falls about, but yet still think they can talk about its problem, only in order to make propaganda against the us; wish us to do so!