VANISHING
CYPRUS
By Andreas C
Chrysafis
February 2012 (No28) ©
A Solution or Dissolution?
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, a famous phrase asks: “To be, or not to be, that is the question!” That question is also valid when it comes to the Cyprus issue: to negotiate, or not to negotiate, that is the question? It is one of the most perplexing questions faced by tiny Cyprus in its effort to maintain its independence and territorial integrity against adversaries.
To negotiate with Turkey - a powerful and aggressive enemy at that - simply means to negotiate under the intimidation of another military attack - in theory Cyprus is still at war! A losing scenario indeed! However, if the existing talks continue, it will certainly indicate that the government is prepared and willing to accept a solution to dissolve the Republic of Cyprus. That dissolution will be based on some type of partition and will certainly abandon the preservation of the nation’s sovereignty. Under those terms, it will also forsake thousands of refugees’ rights to return back to their homes.
Not to negotiate, poses additional pitfalls: Turkey constantly threatens to put its “Plan B” into action. What that means is the official (illegal by international law) declaration of a new Turkish Cypriot state under the auspices of Turkey. When that happens, some Muslim countries will certainly recognize the new “state” and that would set the beginning of no return. The other obvious move is that Turkey would declare unilaterally the extension of its own boundaries to include the occupied area as a new province of the mainland. Strategically planned, it will then proceed to import thousands of Anatolian settlers (one million figures have been mentioned) to change the demographic character of the island; the Islamization of Cyprus will then be unstoppable! Legal or not, the winner keeps all –Might then becomes Right!
Negotiating under those terms: one is doomed if one does, and doomed if one doesn’t - a Euthyphro Dilemma!
Faced with such a gloomy predicament, Cyprus, instead of introducing a strong foreign policy armed with a tough political strategy to keep exposing Turkey for what it really is, has chose a passive concessionary course of action. An error of judgment by any accounts!
That bad decision was taken a long time ago and has haunted the nation ever since! In fact it is maintained to this day with no government ever having dared to consider correcting it. That was: to start negotiating territorial concessions and offering special privileges to an ethnic minority group, such as the Turkish Cypriots living on the island. Yet, those same principles and land concessions did not apply to any other minority group such as the Maronites or the Armenians or any others. Double standards never work, especially when it comes to citizenship!
Today, a Cypriot government shows its willingness to accept a solution based on Bi-Zonal, Bi-Communal Federation (whatever that means - for it does not exist elsewhere in the world) and reward Turkey’s invasion and its ethnic cleansing. If that happens without the full support of the people, the consequences in future do not look bright. Under those terms, a social conflict could flare up amongst those who may feel betrayed – especially the refugees - and civil unrest could trigger off mayhem for years to come.
There is documented evidence to show that foreign interests caused the entire tragedy in Cyprus – and continue to do so today - by strategically separating the two communities and putting the blame on the victims! This serves Turkey’s neo-Ottoman policy perfectly well. Its strategy has always been: “create a situation, prolong it long enough and that problem no longer poses to be a problem!”
Hitler, on the 22, 1939 used the example of the Turkish massacre of 2 million Armenians, to justify his own genocide against 6 million Jews. He said: “Who after all speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians!” Turkey maintains the same old policies and repeated its ethnic cleansing brutality again in 1974. This time against Cyprus, by forcing 230,000 Greeks Cypriots out of their lands and confiscating their properties.
Going back in history, in November 1918, (not long ago in historical terms) in an Ottoman Parliament Assembly Session, three Ottoman deputies raised the issue of the murdered 550,000 Greeks, the expulsion of 250,000 Greek Christians and the death of 250.000 conscripted into Labour Battalions indicating that one million Greeks had been victims to the Ittihadist policies. Eye-witness accounts claimed that: “rivers of blood flowed in the streets”.
Making matters worse Ban Ki-moon’s special UN envoy, Mr. Downer, has also put a spanner in the works by declaring publicly that the “Greek side” will take over the EU Presidency in July 1, 2012. Newspapers in the UK have also begun to use similar phraseology. Such statements of spin are not simply pulled out of the hat! They are politically motivated, aimed to spread doubts as to the legitimacy of the Republic of Cyprus.
All considered, Turkey has cleverly and successfully managed to alter its international bad reputation – under the very noses of the Cyprus government – and now stubbornly refuses (the only country in the world) to recognize the legitimacy of the Republic. As a generous paymaster, Turkey spends billions each year sponsoring Think tanks, newspapers, online services, governments and industrial conglomerates to spin the Cyprus issue in favour of its political goals.
Dealing with Turkish intransigence is no easy matter. One may say it’s impossible! In fact, the Turkish side has not offered a single item as a concession on their own part with the exception of claiming that: “we are lucky the Turkish troops did not occupy the entire island”. Under those conditions, the invader will finally be rewarded and keep its trophy of conquest and ultimately legalize its military occupation!
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu wrote in 2001: “Even if there was not one single Muslim Turk over there (Cyprus), Turkey would have to maintain a Cyprus question. No country could possibly be indifferent to an island like this, placed in the heart of its (geographical) location”.
This is what Cyprus is faced with; a constant provocation by a well-orchestrated offensive plan backed up by armed troops! Turkey plans to maintain the occupied area as an extension of its territories and now threatens, provokes and demands a share of the natural gas found within the sovereign rights of Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone. Turkish threats cannot be ignored but the main question comes down to: Who will stop them?
If Cyprus is to remain a free nation, it needs to make bold decisions and start to act like a nation that will do anything to protect its own interests in line with all other nations instead of worrying as not to offend outsiders. Today, there are too many adversaries nibbling away at its own existence. However, the discovery of natural gas could provide the leverage it needs; that is, if used wisely!
First and foremost, the negotiations should be set-aside until the present political climate changes. The removal of Turkish troops is paramount in finding any kind of peaceful and lasting solution. Failing that, all attempts will be in vein! The present route is entering the nation into a dark future with no guarantees of success.
This however can change if radical decisions are taken. It is possible to make new political and defence alliances with other powerful nations; introduce an offensive policy; bring in One-Man-One Vote based on the Rule of Law and establish a Parliamentary Voting System that offers equality and opportunities for all citizens irrespective of ethnicity or social status and certainly without special privileges to minority ethnic groups. Democracy and Meritocracy can be the only right answer!
Author of:
WHO SHALL
GOVERN CYPRUS – Brussels or Nicosia? -Political analysis
ANDARTES - a revolutionary riveting novel
PORPHYRA in PURPLE - a metaphysical spellbinding novel
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