The crux of the Cyprus problem...
Although those who live like the Turkish Cypriot left or outsiders with their one eye closed – like those horses turning the rotary through walking around the well to take out some water – simply miss a key reality: The crux of the Cyprus problem. Those friends just simply cannot understand that the root of the problem on the island is that one of the two societies considers itself to be the owner and “superior” of everything, and sees the other society as a group of people that it will only be willing to allow it exists as long as it accepts its minority status, as a serf of the ruling Greek element.
The last period of British colonial rule, the founding process of the Republic of Cyprus, the aftermath... Whichever period you take, the situation will be no different.
But didn’t the Greeks say yes to the 1960s partnership republic? True, but what did Archbishop Makarios say at the time? He said he was saying yes to the Republic of Cyprus only out of his conviction that it will serve as a stepping stone towards achieving Enosis (unification with Greece).
With the inhumane economic, political, cultural and even sporting inhuman isolation applied to the Turkish Cypriot people, the Greek Cypriot leadership and its supporters are not aware of it, but it essentially ensures the integration of Turkish Cypriots with Turkey.
After all, comments like Turkey is aiming to annex the island are funny. If it is annexed, one day it will not be because
Turkish Cypriots wanted so, nor because Turkey pursues such a policy. Such a situation would probably be a natural outcome the isolation process will be dragging North Cyprus into.
Look, recently, Dutch MP Liane der Haan visited the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). She held talks with some officials, the public, and had an “informal” coffee with the Turkish Cypriot tourism minister.
Loukas Fourlas, a member of the European Parliament from the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades’ Democratic Rally Party (DISI) could not stand Haan’s visit to the TRNC. “You should be ashamed to say TRNC,” he posted on his social media account, triggering a lynch campaign against Haan by Greek Cypriots and Greeks on social media.
The racist remarks and outpour of hate speech against both the Dutch parliamentarian, Turkish Cypriots and Turkey were appalling.
What’s the matter? Haan held an informal meeting with TRNC Tourism and Environment Minister Fikri Ataoğlu and posted a photo of the meeting on her social media account. My dear friend, Akay Cemal, a veteran of the Turkish Cypriot press, commented on the developments: “Why does a Dutch MP’s visit to North Cyprus make Greeks and Greek Cypriots so angry. What if a member of parliament went to TRNC and met with a Turkish Cypriot minister? There was also a Turkish flag there... What else would have a flag? If he’d gone to the southern (Greek
Cypriot-administered) side of the island, would he have seen anything but the Greek flag? He wouldn’t have seen the flag of Cyprus at all.” The Greek Cypriots will never agree to share sovereignty, resources and the territory of the island under the principle of political equality with the Turkish Cypriot people unless these inhuman isolation policies, which do not even allow them to play football with a Turkish Cypriot team, are abandoned. This is the summary of the Cyprus talks that have been going on since 1968.
Therefore, if a solution is desired on the island, it is imperative to see that the only possible way will pass through the ideas of a two-state confederation or two separate independent states, provided membership in the European Union in both cases. Thus, the “reunion of the island” within the EU will become possible. After years of torture, the idea of a federal Cyprus was killed and buried by the Greeks in Crans Montana in 2017. Let’s open our eyes and see the truth.
