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EDEK quits government
Topic tags
Cyprus
EDEK president Yiannakis Omirou enters the packed meeting in Nicosia (Christos Theodorides) THE Central Committee of Socialist Party EDEK voted late last night by an overwhelming majority to quit the government coalition, responding to leader Yiannakis Omirou’s unequivocal call for withdrawal based on the party’s “total disagreement” with President Demetris Christiofias’ strategy on the Cyprus problem.
Omirou said that EDEK’s support for Christofias in the second round of the presidential elections in February 2008 had been given “on the basis of specific written commitments on the solution we want and call for”, but “unfortunately, we consider that those commitments have not been kept”.
“The President rescinded the 8 July (2007) agreement in practice,” he said and entered into direct negotiations with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat “without the existence of suitable grounds”, all of which EDEK had disagreed with.
However, Omirou said that, once Christofias decided to enter into negotiations, EDEK considered it its “patriotic duty” to support his efforts, but “for the 17 months since then, in our opinion the President has been following a mistaken strategy which the other side is using to its own advantage”, involving unilateral concessions such as the matter of the rotating presidency “which are not acceptable to the overwhelming majority of Cypriot Hellenism”.
Announcing the decision to the media after the meeting at the Cleopatra Hotel in Nicosia, Omirou said that the overwhelming vote in favour of withdrawal – 115 in favour, with eight votes against and three abstentions – had been taken “for the good of the country and its people”, adding that he had already informed the President.
Omirou confirmed that Agriculture Minister Michalis Polynikis and Communications and Works Minister Nicos Nicolaides will be tendering their resignations to President Christofias, but said that in line with common practice, EDEK will not be giving up its membership of the boards of various semi-governmental organisations.
EDEK’s decision now turns the spotlight on coalition partner DIKO, whose Executive Office meets today to make its own crucial strategic decision. The party has been riven by disagreement over continuing to support Christofias’ efforts to negotiate a solution to the Cyprus problem, with leader Marios Garoyian finding it increasingly difficult to rein in his party’s hard-liners.
Omirou said that EDEK’s withdrawal came after its own proposals had not been listened to, and the “Turkish side’s recent unacceptable confederative proposals essentially and openly muddy the waters for a solution”, and the “negative results” of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s recent visit “proved we were right”.
“The margin (for manoeuvre) has been exhausted. The course we are following is wrong,” he said. “The necessary national consensus is lacking. Not only are our proposals turned down, but very often they are received in a negative or even insulting way.”
Omirou said there was a national need for a change in strategy and tactics now.
“Our disagreement with the President’s strategy on the Cyprus problem is now total… We cannot co-operate over concessions that are unacceptable to us. We cannot endorse a strategy that is harmful. We cannot participate in a course that is leading us into a dead-end, nor hide behind this.”
The EDEK leader said: “It is politically responsible and ethically correct to withdraw from the government. For us to stay would have been politically paradoxical and ethically unacceptable, and contrary to EDEK’s principles and history.”
The EDEK leader ignored a reporter’s question on the timing of his party’s decision. However, a report in Sunday’s Politis newspaper suggested that the decision may have been driven by the results of an analysis carried out by PR expert and party member Costas Panagopoulos.
According to Politis, the main conclusions of the analysis pointed to three main benefits: EDEK would be seen to acting in a principled way by putting clear water between it and Christofias over the Cyprus problem; by withdrawing from the government, EDEK may be able to attract disaffected DIKO members; and, if in so doing the party’s results in the 2011 legislative elections push it up to third place, Omirou would improve his chances of claiming the presidency of the House of Representatives, and his party could play a the role of king-maker in the 2013 presidential election.
DIKO Vice-President Nicolas Papadopoulos said yesterday ahead of today’s meeting that “the outstanding issue for DIKO is to what extent we can continue to support a government which at the end of the day will present us with a solution to the Cyprus problem containing a rotating presidency.”
Papadopoulos added that he wondered how his party could hope to exert some influence over its demand for the proposal for a rotating presidency to be withdrawn from the negotiating table “when it has been agreed not only between President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, but has also been agreed in the presence of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon during his visit”.
If DIKO’s Executive Office decides to recommend leaving the government, then the party’s Central Committee still has to approve the recommendation at its next meeting on February 16.
There was no immediate statement from the Presidential Palace last night. Speaking yesterday afternoon, government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said that Christofias had agreed with the leaders of the main political parties to meet later this week and “talk everything through”. Stefanou said that “the various problems and complaints” would have been discussed, rejecting the suggestion that the President had not kept party leaders informed on the talks, and adding that “there are not complaints just on one side, there are some on the other, too”.
Anticipating EDEK’s decision to quit the government, Greens spokesman and MP George Perdikis said yesterday afternoon that he was surprised at the President’s “indifference” as he watched the government coalition break up, adding that “this is not the time for the internal front to break up, rather it is time for unity, and responsibility for this rests first and foremost with the President.”
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Petericia jakson from Londan comments:
I wish the presidential elections of north-cyprus will bring some good news for the tourism industry of Cypurs.
Fevzi from London & Kyrenia comments:
JT from UK: You need to see a psychiatrist, you cannot reason, you jump to stupid conclusions. I do not have a RoC passport. My passport is British and I also have the ID card of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. I am proud to be a Turkish Cypriot and would never want to be Greek. I am not bitter about anything. I am actually very relaxed and happy.
I just write about the Cyprus Problem because I lived through the events. I write the truth, unlike the Greek Cypriots who write and say LIES. Greeks are liars. It is a streak of your character. Look at Greece, your motherland. They told the EU lies about their statistics, lies after lies, and now they are going to the Germans with a begging bowl in their hands, totally humiliated. Everyone is talking about the Greek Tragedy.
What's all this about billions of people on the globe who are Greek or want to be Greek. This just shows how mad you are. You are a mere 10 million, one city in Turkey is alot more than you.
If you can only write like a ten year old schoolboy, don't bother.
Antifon from the World Wide Web comments:
Hadji, your arguments are stale baseless, tactless and unintelligent. I will fight for you to have the right to express them though.
Hadji comments:
Ok Antifon - stop dreaming.
The Greeks were in Anatolia too once upon a time so yes we can undo thousands of years your beloved history, which is now our history dude. Ancient Greece is dead man and modern day greece is bankrupt - get real. Hellenism and EOKA dead too-
Fact is you are a declining race:
Watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU
Here today, gone tomorrow.
See ya.
Antifon from the World Wide Web comments:
You should care. The Greek names of the towns remind all of us that you live on stolen land. The line is TEMPORARY. The Hellenic nature of the towns and villages is FOR ETERNITY.
'
36 years can NEVER be allowed to replace thousands. If we let such crime to happen then we would be letting go of a big chunk of our humanity.
'
I am sorry you cannot see things my way Alexandre. My way is the way of all civilized people on this earth.
Hadji comments:
JT - you are now sounding ridiculous - are the arguments of Turkish Cypriots finally getting to you? You think they all have RoC passports and wanting to be Greek. You are another arrogant Greek with a chip on your shoulder - fact is there is more chance you got Turkish blood running through your veins. Do you have fair or dark hair?
JT from UK comments:
Guys fevzi is one of the billions of people on the globe, who either are greek or want to be greek, he is sick as a dog that he isnt greek. he curses the day he was born because he isnt greek hence why he is so bitter and twisted. he is another who possesses a RoC passport and ID card in order to work in the free areas as well as travel overseas etc....plus use the hospitals and claim unemployment benefit etc....
read this fevzi
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (09.02.10) reports that during his visit to London the self-styled prime minister, Dervis Eroglu asked for appointments with British officials, but he received a negative answer.
THEY DIDNT WANT TO MEET HIM BECAUSE HE IS NOT RECOGNISED AS ANYTHING.
Ankara Anatolia news agency (08.02.10) reported the following from London:
A Turkish lawmaker expressed on Monday Turkey's disappointment over the Orams case. Turkish MP Suat Kiniklioglu, also deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party for external affairs, said that Ankara was disappointed over the timing of the verdict of the British Court of Appeals regarding the Orams case. During a seminar organized by Global Strategy Forum at the House of Lords in London
WHAT DID THE TURKISH LAWMAKER THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? DID HE EXPECT THE BRITISH COURTS TO FLUFF THE CASE BECAUSE IT SUITED TURKEY, THIS MAYBE THE TURKISH WAY BUT NOT IN A CIVILISED AND COUNTRY THAT IS A MEMBER OF THE EU. HE MUST HAVE BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTED AS YOU WERE fevzi
JT from UK comments:
Guys fevzi is one of the billions of people on the globe, who either are greek or want to be greek, he is sick as a dog that he isnt greek. he curses the day he was born because he isnt greek hence why he is so bitter and twisted. he is another who possesses a RoC passport and ID card in order to work in the free areas as well as travel overseas etc....plus use the hospitals and claim unemployment benefit etc....
read this fevzi
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (09.02.10) reports that during his visit to London the self-styled prime minister, Dervis Eroglu asked for appointments with British officials, but he received a negative answer.
THEY DIDNT WANT TO MEET HIM BECAUSE HE IS NOT RECOGNISED AS ANYTHING.
Ankara Anatolia news agency (08.02.10) reported the following from London:
A Turkish lawmaker expressed on Monday Turkey's disappointment over the Orams case. Turkish MP Suat Kiniklioglu, also deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party for external affairs, said that Ankara was disappointed over the timing of the verdict of the British Court of Appeals regarding the Orams case. During a seminar organized by Global Strategy Forum at the House of Lords in London
WHAT DID THE TURKISH LAWMAKER THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? DID HE EXPECT THE BRITISH COURTS TO FLUFF THE CASE BECAUSE IT SUITED TURKEY, THIS MAYBE THE TURKISH WAY BUT NOT IN A CIVILISED AND COUNTRY THAT IS A MEMBER OF THE EU. HE MUST HAVE BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTED AS YOU WERE fevzi
JT from UK comments:
Guys fevzi is one of the billions of people on the globe, who either are greek or want to be greek, he is sick as a dog that he isnt greek. he curses the day he was born because he isnt greek hence why he is so bitter and twisted. he is another who possesses a RoC passport and ID card in order to work in the free areas as well as travel overseas etc....plus use the hospitals and claim unemployment benefit etc....
read this fevzi
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (09.02.10) reports that during his visit to London the self-styled prime minister, Dervis Eroglu asked for appointments with British officials, but he received a negative answer.
THEY DIDNT WANT TO MEET HIM BECAUSE HE IS NOT RECOGNISED AS ANYTHING.
Ankara Anatolia news agency (08.02.10) reported the following from London:
A Turkish lawmaker expressed on Monday Turkey's disappointment over the Orams case. Turkish MP Suat Kiniklioglu, also deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party for external affairs, said that Ankara was disappointed over the timing of the verdict of the British Court of Appeals regarding the Orams case. During a seminar organized by Global Strategy Forum at the House of Lords in London
WHAT DID THE TURKISH LAWMAKER THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? DID HE EXPECT THE BRITISH COURTS TO FLUFF THE CASE BECAUSE IT SUITED TURKEY, THIS MAYBE THE TURKISH WAY BUT NOT IN A CIVILISED AND COUNTRY THAT IS A MEMBER OF THE EU. HE MUST HAVE BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTED AS YOU WERE fevzi
Hasan Kemal from UK/Kyrenia comments:
Chris,
I don't like the Turkish troops in Cyprus but Turkish troops are not the cause of the Cyprus problem.
Everyone knows that the cause of the problem is GCs desire to unite Cyprus with Greece.
As regard to Greece keeping big number of Troops in Cyprus, I don't think that many GCs will not welcome this.
When Grivas died early 1974 about 60 GCs marched through Kyrenia harbour. March was organised by Bishop of Kyrenia. At the time polulation of Kyrenia was about 4000 GCs and 1500Tcs.
However, I also remember thousands of Mainland Greek troops stationed around Kyrenia during 1967.Turkish Navy was few miles off Kyrenia and finally these Greek Troops with Grivas had to withdraw and go back to Greece.
Figures for GDP in North Cyprus is hot air. No one knows what the income is. Unfortunalately TCs administrators are not that clever. This is a figure just being circulated.
Presence of Turkish Troops does bring in income as well as tourism and TCs like me living overseas investing.
TCs sales to EU through green line procedure is minimal.
If we going to create a free trade I don't see why TCs cannot buy from the South and GCs buying from North.
American from NY comments:
I think this is a repeating process, they leave so they can place some new ones their to make sure to get the nice pension after a year in office. Shame on all the politicians, shame on you useless garbage.
Kris from UK comments:
I think EDEK was wrong to quit the Government but I do not agree to a rotating President after all why just rotate with the TCs we also have Maronite Cypriots, Armenian cypriots and English Cypriots in Cyprus. I beleive in Democracy one man one vote.
Chris comments:
To Alexy Flemming
Alexy i don't know you and i don't know why i even bother answering every time but since you are so obsessed and in love with numbers let me enlighten you on some of the facts that you just presented...
you said...
"Even under embargo the GDP of NORTH (TURKISH) CYPRUS increased from US$5000 (year 2004) to US$12000 (year 2009)."
Did you know that this is the case because the T/c are actually trading their goods to the EU via the Republic of Cyprus since the roadblocks opened in 2004 and following the Green Line agreement/settlement on trading goods?
Well now you know that the goods that T/c produce in the north are exported from Larnaka and Limassol...So the G/c are actually contributing towards the increase of your GDP as you said it...
The way i see it, is that in case we solve the problem then maybe we as a Country wont have to pay that much so that the GDP between G/c and T/c is balanced...but in case it is not solved then maybe the T/c should be a bit worried don't you think?
Alexy Flemming from NORTH CYPRUS comments:
To Antifon:
I do NOT care whatever the Microsoft Bing or National Geographic use for the names of towns and cities.
I care how boundary between NORTH (TURKISH) CYPRUS and SOUTH (GREEK) CYPRUS is drawn!
As you may see, the BOUNDARY DRAWN BETWEEN NORTH (TURKISH) CYPRUS and SOUTH (GREEK) CYPRUS is COUNTRY-BORDER!
To Chris:
Even under embargo the GDP of NORTH (TURKISH) CYPRUS increased from US$5000 (year 2004) to US$12000 (year 2009).
After de-facto partion becomes de-jure: TURKISH CYPRUS WILL PASS HONG KONG:
AREA (Hong Kong) = 1/3 AREA (Turkish Cyprus) (only one third of Turkish Cyprus!)
Population (Hong Kong) =8 million Population (Turkish Cyprus)=400 thousand
GDP per capita(Hong Kong)= US$60 000 GDP per capita(Turkish Cyprus)= US$12 000
United Kingdom left every colony it has, including Hong Kong (and Macau...). But UK did NOT leave Cyprus. Because Cyprus is in the intersection of 3 continents. Hence Cyprus island is the most strategic place in the world.
This strategic importance will make Turkish Cyprus pass Hong Kong quickly in every aspects other than surface area (Since Turkish Cyprus is 3 times larger than Hong Kong).
jj comments:
to Mizgin Kaya ; i hope you get your Kurdish state in SE Turkey and the rest of the kurds vacate the remainder of Turkey...That way Turkey can move and become a democracy without Kurds cultural contributions of terroristism, honour killings, religious fundamentalists,and violent thugs which are terrorising turkish cities and take your ugly donkey voiced arabesk singers as well.
Antifon from the World Wide Web comments:
The Turkish Cypriot minority of 18% should have NEVER been given "community" status with unreasonable, offensive to the majority and the Cypriot people as a whole, super rights. It was only awarded such outrageous rights as a result of the threats of the fascist regimes that ruled and continue to rule the Turkish Republic, and contrary to the majority will of the Cypriots.
'
Such blatant violation of democratic principles not only will be removed from the Cyprus Republic soon, but the resulting normalized rights for the TCs will also be applied to the Kurdish ethnic minority of the Turkish Republic which constitutes 23% of its population.
'
The Greek Cypriots have been dormant and undemanding of themselves for too long, feeling victims of a reality shaped by a "stronger" fascist bully neighbor. Cyprus however, THE WHOLE, is theirs and they are ready to reclaim it. Peacefully and successfully. With no shred of hatred or vigilantism against the victim TCs of this political charade sponsored by the fascists over in Turkey.
'
WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO FACE SOME SELF EVIDENT TRUTHS ABOUT CYPRUS WITHOUT RESORTING TO ACCUSATIONS FOR HATING EACH OTHER THEN WILL BE READY TO CLAIM OUR COMMON FUTURE.
Chris comments:
Hasan Kemal from UK/Kyrenia
But this is not the 60s..it's 2010
Shouldn't we be working with the reality of today and not that of the past?
And my grandfather(unarmed civilian of the age of 62) was executed by the Turks in 1974 but here i am today arguing and discussing about the Cyprus problem with T/c trying to find some common ground. I know there's a lot that divides us due to our past but tomorrow does not belong to the past but to the future..and this is when our children and grandchildren will live.
Anyway..
Thanks to Cyprus mail for hosting our comments.
Chris comments:
to Alexy Flemming
Well...Alexy..if you really want Cyprus to be divided then we both lost...it's just i realise the consequences and you don't.
Believe it or not we all lose if Cyprus remains divided...
Antifon from the World Wide Web comments:
Alexy, in your rush to provide the links to the maps you neglected to zoom in and observe the names of the villages and cities mentioned. I ask you to zoom in.
Microsoft Bing Map: http://www.bing.com/maps/
National Geographic Map: http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/map-machine
'
Did it? Tell me now. Do you recognize any of your towns or cities? Somehow the Turkish fascist rulers' pathetic "OCCUPY-CHANGE NAME ROUTINE" did not work for you as it did in Turkish Kurdistan with Kurdish village and town names.
'
How do you feel? How should I feel?
'
'
Ps. By the way you chose a very beautiful Greek name. Read more on its etymology here:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=alexander
Chris comments:
Fevzi from London & Kyrenia
How is it that the G/c don't want reunification?
Do the T/c really wish reunification?
G/c have accepted a bizonal bi-communal federation as a compromise to share power and are negotiating on this. However i don't see Turkey or T/c doing anything or taking any compromises since 1974. They sit back and expect only the G/c to make more compromises.
Fevzi, why not you as a T/c ask from Turkey to withdraw its troops from our country so that the negotiations can continue in a better and more friendly environment rather than be suspicious of each other on every step we take.
The G/c not wanting to share power you say...you see that is typical ignorance to what the government of Cyprus provides you with even now, even before we find the solution. Thousands of Turkish Cypriots have European passports, and you can thank the G/c for all these years of hard work to achieve that, thousands of Turkish Cypriots work in the south and get paid well by their fellow G/c compatriots and last by not least it is the G/c that have made a big compromise by accepting a federal solution in 1977 and you claim that we don't want to share power??
I think G/c have been very tolerant and very generous all these years considering that all their decisions and compromises were made considering that :
1. Turkey is still occupying 37% of Cyprus
2. Turkey maintains 40,000 troops
3. Turkey does not allow G/c refugees to return to their homes and use their properties
4. Turkey still denies to provide information of people missing since the war
the list can go on for ever....
How should a G/c refugee feel like when you as a T/c have every right in Cyprus like a G/c does but instead the G/c has no right to return to his home?
Don't you think that's greedy and unfair? Don't you think at least that Turkey could make some compromises? Is it really the G/c that don't wish to share power? If so..then why do 50,000 T/c have Cypriot passports and why do they work in the south? What compromises have you made as a Turkish Cypriot since 1974?
Hasan Kemal from UK/Kyrenia comments:
Chris,
I would like to thank ROC for being so kind to us the TCs but you were not so kind in 60s
How come Abdullah Ocalan the terrorist leader of outlawed PKK had a Cyprus passport in his posesion, issued by the passport office in Nicosia?
So if a person and his only link to Cyprus is through terror can have a Cyprus passport, why can't I have one, after all my great grandad was born in Kyrenia in 1850s.
It is not an issue for us to fly to London with a stop over in Turkey but it is an issue for you not being able to fly over Turkey.
Alexy Flemming from NORTH CYPRUS comments:
Microsoft Bing Map:
http://www.bing.com/maps/
National Geographic Map:
http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/map-machine
Alexy Flemming from NORTH CYPRUS comments:
Sorry Chris! You lost! Everybody in the world prepared himself/herself to the partition of Cyprus (in fact, partition occured in 1963):
Look at Microsoft Bing Map! You see there is A COUNTRY BORDER LINE between North (Turkish) Cyprus and South (Greek) Cyprus.
Look at Natioanal Geographic Map! You see there is A COUNTRY BORDER LINE between North (Turkish) Cyprus and South (Greek) Cyprus.
The only one who did NOT prepared themselves to the partition are Greek Cypriots!
IN 2012, TURKEY'S WATER WILL BE IN NORTH (TURKISH) CYPRUS. WHEN SOUTH (GREEK) CYPRUS WANTED TO PURCHASE WATER FROM NORTH (TURKISH) CYPRUS, WE (TURKISH CYPRUS) WILL NOT GIVE WATER EVEN YOU (GREEK CYPRUS) RECOGNIZE TURKISH CYPRUS!
THERE IS NO UNIFICATION IN THE WORLD: THERE IS ONLY SEPARATION!
SINCE 1990, 33 NEW COUNTRIES EXISTED BY THE SEPARATION OF FEDERATIONS, CONFEDERATIONS, COUNTRIES (EVEN THE SAME RACED, SAME RELIGIONED, SAME LANGUAGED SERBIA-MONTENEGRO!)
SOVIET UNION = 1 Armenia + 2 Azerbaijan + 3 Belarus + 4 Estonia + 5 Georgia + 6 Kazakhstan + 7 Kyrgyzstan + 8 Latvia + 9 Lithuania + 10 Moldova + 11 Russia + 12 Tajikistan + 13 Turkmenistan + 14 Ukraine + 15 Uzbekistan
YUGOSLAVIA = 16 Bosnia and Herzegovina + 17 Croatia + 18 Macedonia + 19 Serbia and Montenegro + 20 Slovenia
21 Namibia (South Africa)
22,23,24 Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Caroline Islands), Palau(FROM USA!)
Czechoslovakia = 25 Czech Republic + 26 Slovakia
27 Eritrea (Ethiopia)
28 East Timor (Timor-Leste) (Indonesia)
Serbia-Montenegro = 29 Montenegro + 30 Serbia
31 Kosovo (Serbia).
Georgia = 32 Gerorgia + 33 Abhasia + 34 South Ossetia AND GOES ON....
INDEPENDENT, SOVEREIGN AND PARTIALLY RECOGNIZED NORTH (TURKISH) CYPRUS WILL BE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED WITHOUT ANY COMPROMISE JUST AS THE ABOVE 34 NEW COUNTRIES.
Antifon from the World Wide Web comments:
It is not about winning and loosing. It is about democracy.
It is not about enosis. It is about undoing a HUGE injustice planted as early as 1960.
It is not about wanting Cyprus to ourselves. It is about throwing the fascists out of our homeland and reminding all that Cyprus has been predominantly a Greek nation throughout history! And such it will remain.
'
It is about Cyprus to the Cypriots.
'
It is about Turkey to the Kurds and Turks alike.
'
The principles are universal. Turkish rulers' hypocrisy is about to be unveiled and critiqued by European nations, democratic nations, and beyond. There will be nowhere for Turkey's fascists to hide. No convincing excuses to give. The HYPOCRISY of Turkish regimes vis-a-vis its own ethnic minority and that of another nation, shall soon come out in the open. The parallels have been ignored for too long.
'
With the help of people like Mizgin Kaya. Millions of them. Proud and brave people longing to win their stolen PRIDE back and regain their SELF RESPECT. Both having been violated and mocked at since 1923 when the Kurdish people fought on the side of Turks against the enemies. They won too. But they were left on the sidelines in the name of a Turkish Nazi ideology, still at play today, forcing them to assimilate, forget their rich culture and language. They did not forget. They endured. Their thirst for freedom from slavery burns in their hearts. And it burns in their native Kurdish language.
'
Unlike Turkish elites, be it the Islamic or the TSK ones, we Greek Cypriots, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF CYPRUS, do not advocate different principles for the Kurds and different principles for the TCs. We advocate SAME. We demand SAME. In 2010 we will achieve to place these principles in motion. First in Cyprus. Then in Turkey itself.
'
Fevzi, Alexy, Emir, and all of you good people of Cyprus. We do not hate you. THE TIME HOWEVER HAS COME FOR US TO CLAIM OUR SELF RESPECT BACK. TO CLAIM OUR COUNTRY BACK.
'
Fevzi, Alexy, Emir, and all of you good people of Cyprus. You are a member of the minority once constituting slightly less than 20% of total population. I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND THIS BASIC FACT. Your demands and voice must be commensurate to your numbers. You today constitute about 14% of total Cypriot population.
'
WE ARE THE MAJORITY AND WE WILL SHAPE THE CYPRIOT FUTURE. Your rights will be safeguarded. Just as the Kurds' rights in Turkey. We will respect you but we will NOT ANYMORE allow you to define our nation's future. After all, you are a Cypriot for 400 years, we are for 4000.
'
The Turkish Cypriot minority of 18% should have NEVER been given "community" status with unreasonable, offensive to the majority and the Cypriot people as a whole, super rights. It was only awarded such outrageous rights as a result of the threats of the fascist regimes that ruled and continue to rule the Turkish Republic, and contrary to the majority will of the Cypriots.
'
Such blatant violation of democratic principles not only will be removed from the Cyprus Republic soon, but the resulting normalized rights for the TCs will also be applied to the Kurdish ethnic minority of the Turkish Republic which constitutes 23% of its population.
'
The Greek Cypriots have been dormant and undemanding of themselves for too long, feeling victims of a reality shaped by a "stronger" fascist bully neighbor. Cyprus however, THE WHOLE, is theirs and they are ready to reclaim it. Peacefully and successfully. With no shred of hatred or vigilantism against the victim TCs of this political charade sponsored by the fascists over in Turkey.
'
WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO FACE SOME SELF EVIDENT TRUTHS ABOUT CYPRUS WITHOUT RESORTING TO ACCUSATIONS FOR HATING EACH OTHER THEN WILL BE READY TO CLAIM OUR COMMON FUTURE.
Hasan Kemal from UK/Kyrenia comments:
Mizgin Kaya,
There is a difference between you and TCs.
You resort to violence torture and murder. We are none of these.
Currently you have hundreds of armed men kidnapping and murdering innocent people.
How many TCs do you know that are under arm and roaming the mountains.
You will be like TCs in 2-3 generations.
Chris from Cyprus comments:
To Alexy Flemming
Congratulations for living in an illusion.
You are proud to be Turk and that's not an issue but if you think that 2 or 3 ferry boats that come and go to Syria or a 5 star hotel makes up a country then my friend you better book a ticket and fly directly from Tymbou to London heathrow and let's talk about it...sorry you can't and you know why? Because there are no direct flights and you know what else...few months ago the british court has ruled that there cannot be any direct flights to a place where the Republic of Cyprus and the Civil aviation authority of Cyprus have no control.
And by the way..when you fly from Larnaca airport which passport do you use(unless you always take a connection flight via Turkey)? That's right..you probably use a Cypriot passport much like the one that I use.So which country is recognized and by whom? 50,000 Turkish Cypriots have a Cypriot passport.
You fail to understand that Cyprus's entry to the EU has made reunification even more realistic since Turkey whether they like it or not will not be able to enter the EU without solving the Cyprus problem.
So instead of spreading hatred amongst Cypriots better work towards peace...it's not bad to be proud of who you are but don't let that get in the way of other people that really love this country.
Fevzi from London & Kyrenia comments:
EDEK quits government: Good! Everything going according to plan. Permanent Partition is coming. Next, it will be DIKO quitting, and the talks will collapse. The international community will realise, if they've been naive enough not to have done it already, that the Greek Cypriots do not intend to share power with the Turkish Cypriots and build a new Cyprus. They want the WHOLE for themselves. They are going after the unachieveable again just like they did in 1955 fighting to kick the British out and unite the island with Greece.
How could they do that, with giant Turkey standing there only forty miles from Cyprus' northern shores. Who are the Greek Cypriots compared with Turkey? Nothing. It is stupid talking about Cypriot Hellenism for the whole of the island. Turks have a stake in it as well. Either the GCs compromise and come into the federation or its Partition.
MizginKaya from Turkish Kurdistan comments:
THANK YOU TURKISH CYPRIOTS FOR SHOWING MY PEOPLE WHAT WE CAN ALSO GET.
My Kurdish people from Turkey will have their own Kurdish passport and live in good neighbourly relations with Turks, and we will develop relations with the world. We also have an embargo against us, and we are more than 18 million people in Turkiye.
When Turkish Cypriots get separate state because they want "equality" because this means independance state, we ask for same..
We watch, wait and learn.
Alexy Flemming from NORTH CYPRUS comments:
To Antifon,
In 2012, Turkey's water will be in North (Turkish) Cyprus.
We (Turkish Cyprus) will NOT give/sell water to South (Greek) Cyprus regardless of whether South (Greek) Cyprus recognizes North (Turkish) Cyprus.
We stand on our foot now: Recently a 5-star hotel was opened in North Nicosia of North (Turkish) Cyprus.
Ferry travelling between North Cyprus and Syria: NO Concession
Ferry travelling between North Cyprus and Lebanon: NO Concession
Yahoo: Cyprus=Cyprus Greek Cypriot Rep. + Cyprus TRNC
2010 World Billard Championship: North (Turkish) Cyprus and South (Greek) Cyprus competed as different countries under different flags.
6 universities and nearly 50 000 students from more than 80 countries of the world in North Cyprus.
Sorry man, you greek (south) cyprus lost.
28 may 2009: Turkish F-503 Beykoz warship expelled Greek Cypriot ship from 7 miles away from paphos!
Alexy Flemming from NORTH CYPRUS comments:
To Antifon,
In 2012, Turkey's water will be in North (Turkish) Cyprus.
We (Turkish Cyprus) will NOT give/sell water to South (Greek) Cyprus regardless of whether South (Greek) Cyprus recognizes North (Turkish) Cyprus.
We stand on our foot now: Recently a 5-star hotel was opened in North Nicosia of North (Turkish) Cyprus.
Ferry travelling between North Cyprus and Syria: NO Concession
Ferry travelling between North Cyprus and Lebanon: NO Concession
Yahoo: Cyprus=Cyprus Greek Cypriot Rep. + Cyprus TRNC
2010 World Billard Championship: North (Turkish) Cyprus and South (Greek) Cyprus competed as different countries under different flags.
6 universities and nearly 50 000 students from more than 80 countries of the world in North Cyprus.
Sorry man, you greek (south) cyprus lost.
28 may 2009: Turkish F-503 Beykoz warship expelled Greek Cypriot ship from 7 miles away from paphos!
Antifon from the World Wide Web comments:
I know it pains you Alexy. I am sorry. I will claim what is mine. I will do it with respect for you and your rights. But accepting your fascist interpretation of democracy IS SIMPLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. I will preserve my self respect, also preserving a bit of yours in the process, that of the Cypriot in you.
'
[what it is this inferiority complex of Turks using latin or foreign sounding names anyway?]
'
You are a member of the minority constituting less than 20% of total population (today your numbers are even less actually). PLEASE UNDERSTAND IT. Your demands and voice must be commensurate to your numbers. No other way about it.
'
WE ARE THE MAJORITY AND WE WILL SHAPE THE CYPRIOT FUTURE. Your rights will be safeguarded. Just as the Kurds' rights in Turkey. We will respect you but we will NOT ANYMORE allow you to define our nation's future. After all, you are a Cypriot 400 years, I am for 4000.
'
The Turkish Cypriot minority of 18% should have NEVER been given "community" status with unreasonable, offensive to the majority and the Cypriot people as a whole, super rights. It was only awarded such outrageous rights as a result of the threats of the fascist regimes that ruled and continue to rule the Turkish Republic, and contrary to the majority will of the Cypriots.
'
Such blatant violation of democratic principles not only will be removed from the Cyprus Republic soon, but the resulting normalized rights for the TCs will also be applied to the Kurdish ethnic minority of the Turkish Republic which constitutes 23% of its population.
'
The Greek Cypriots have been dormant and undemanding of themselves for too long, feeling victims of a reality shaped by a "stronger" fascist bully neighbor. Cyprus however, THE WHOLE, is theirs and they are ready to reclaim it. Peacefully and successfully. With no shred of hatred or vigilantism against the victim TCs of this political charade sponsored by the fascists over in Turkey.
'
WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO FACE SOME SELF EVIDENT TRUTHS ABOUT CYPRUS WITHOUT RESORTING TO ACCUSATIONS FOR HATING EACH OTHER THEN WILL BE READY TO CLAIM OUR COMMON FUTURE.
Alexy Flemming from NORTH CYPRUS comments:
FUTURE OF CYPRUS:
THERE IS NO UNIFICATION IN THE WORLD: THERE IS ONLY SEPARATION!
SINCE 1990, 33 NEW COUNTRIES EXISTED BY THE SEPARATION OF FEDERATIONS, CONFEDERATIONS, COUNTRIES (EVEN THE SAME RACED, SAME RELIGIONED, SAME LANGUAGED SERBIA-MONTENEGRO!)
SOVIET UNION = 1 Armenia + 2 Azerbaijan + 3 Belarus + 4 Estonia + 5 Georgia + 6 Kazakhstan + 7 Kyrgyzstan + 8 Latvia + 9 Lithuania + 10 Moldova + 11 Russia + 12 Tajikistan + 13 Turkmenistan + 14 Ukraine + 15 Uzbekistan
YUGOSLAVIA = 16 Bosnia and Herzegovina + 17 Croatia + 18 Macedonia + 19 Serbia and Montenegro + 20 Slovenia
21 Namibia (South Africa)
22,23,24 Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Caroline Islands), Palau(FROM USA!)
Czechoslovakia = 25 Czech Republic + 26 Slovakia
27 Eritrea (Ethiopia)
28 East Timor (Timor-Leste) (Indonesia)
Serbia-Montenegro = 29 Montenegro + 30 Serbia
31 Kosovo (Serbia).
Georgia = 32 Gerorgia + 33 Abhasia + 34 South Ossetia AND GOES ON....
INDEPENDENT, SOVEREIGN AND PARTIALLY RECOGNIZED NORTH (TURKISH) CYPRUS WILL BE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED WITHOUT ANY COMPROMISE JUST AS THE ABOVE 34 NEW COUNTRIES.
We (Turkish Cypriots) hate Greek Cypriots, You (Greek Cypriots) hate us (Turkish Cypriots).
2012: WATER OF TURKEY WILL BE IN NORTH (TURKISH) CYPRUS, NOT ONLY FOR DRINKING BUT ALSO FOR IRRIGATION.
If Greek Cyprus does NOT recognize Turkish Cyprus, We (Turkish Cyprus) will NOT give/sell WATER to Greek Cyprus EVEN IF GREEK CYPRUS IS READY TO PAY THE PRICE OF WATER!!!
Antifon from the World Wide Web comments:
Emir Soler, speak, but speak with respect. Respect the majority and its will. Democracy will always secure the right for you to have and voice your opinion. A price has been paid, a huge one. The time is NOW RIGHT for Cypriots to get their country back.
'
You are a member of the minority constituting less than 20% of total population (today your numbers are even less actually). PLEASE UNDERSTAND IT. Your demands and voice must be commensurate to your numbers. No other way about it.
'
WE ARE THE MAJORITY AND WE WILL SHAPE THE CYPRIOT FUTURE. Your rights will be safeguarded. Just as the Kurds' rights in Turkey. We will respect you but we will NOT ANYMORE allow you to define our nation's future. After all, you are a Cypriot 400 years, I am for 4000.
'
The Turkish Cypriot minority of 18% should have NEVER been given "community" status with unreasonable, offensive to the majority and the Cypriot people as a whole, super rights. It was only awarded such outrageous rights as a result of the threats of the fascist regimes that ruled and continue to rule the Turkish Republic, and contrary to the majority will of the Cypriots.
'
Such blatant violation of democratic principles not only will be removed from the Cyprus Republic soon, but the resulting normalized rights for the TCs will also be applied to the Kurdish ethnic minority of the Turkish Republic which constitutes 23% of its population.
'
The Greek Cypriots have been dormant and undemanding of themselves for too long, feeling victims of a reality shaped by a "stronger" fascist bully neighbor. Cyprus however, THE WHOLE, is theirs and they are ready to reclaim it. Peacefully and successfully. With no shred of hatred or vigilantism against the victim TCs of this political charade sponsored by the fascists over in Turkey.
'
WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO FACE SOME SELF EVIDENT TRUTHS ABOUT CYPRUS WITHOUT RESORTING TO ACCUSATIONS FOR HATING EACH OTHER THEN WILL BE READY TO CLAIM OUR COMMON FUTURE.
Emir Soler from TRNC comments:
RoC is an EVIL regime run by Church.
NO ENOSIS NO PROBLEM IN CYPRUS
SIMPLE IS THAT
Pay the price
Antifon from the World Wide Web comments:
Emir Soler, you are a member of the minority constituting less than 20% of total population (today your numbers are even less actually). PLEASE UNDERSTAND IT. Your demands and voice must be commensurate to your numbers. No other way about it.
'
WE ARE THE MAJORITY AND WE WILL SHAPE THE CYPRIOT FUTURE. Your rights will be safeguarded. Just as the Kurds' rights in Turkey. We will respect you but we will NOT ANYMORE allow you to define our nation's future. After all, you are a Cypriot 400 years, I am for 4000.
'
The Turkish Cypriot minority of 18% should have NEVER been given "community" status with unreasonable, offensive to the majority and the Cypriot people as a whole, super rights. It was only awarded such outrageous rights as a result of the threats of the fascist regimes that ruled and continue to rule the Turkish Republic, and contrary to the majority will of the Cypriots.
'
Such blatant violation of democratic principles not only will be removed from the Cyprus Republic soon, but the resulting normalized rights for the TCs will also be applied to the Kurdish ethnic minority of the Turkish Republic which constitutes 23% of its population.
'
The Greek Cypriots have been dormant and undemanding of themselves for too long, feeling victims of a reality shaped by a "stronger" fascist bully neighbor. Cyprus however, THE WHOLE, is theirs and they are ready to reclaim it. Peacefully and successfully. With no shred of hatred or vigilantism against the victim TCs of this political charade sponsored by the fascists over in Turkey.
'
WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO FACE SOME SELF EVIDENT TRUTHS ABOUT CYPRUS WITHOUT RESORTING TO ACCUSATIONS FOR HATING EACH OTHER THEN WILL BE READY TO CLAIM OUR COMMON FUTURE.
Emir Soler from TRNC comments:
Antifon@, you had your chance at 1960 for a total Cypriot Cyprus. I am afraid that wasn’t good enough for Greek Cypriots which they wanted all of the Cyprus.
Dream of Enosis, 1963, 1967 and 1974 all miserably failed.
That’s why we are in this mess.
Let me remind Greek Cypriots, Ottoman Turks and Greek Cypriots lived in peace for,
400 years.
Fact of the matter is only Greek Enosis dream turned this 2 peaceful community to an enemies, for last 50 years.
‘
Rings a bell??
“Archbishop Makarios said “Until this small community forming a part of the Turkish race, which has been the terrible enemy of Hellenism is expelled from Cyprus the duty of the heroes of EOKA can never be considered as terminated”
UN OBSERVER from USA comments:
Opportunity missed 2004, Cyprus was going to unite, Turkish troops were going back to barracks in Turkey, Famagusta and Morfu was going back to Greek Cypriots.
What a shame.
asam comments:
EDEK has every right to pull out of the Government if it so wishes. And so does DIKO for that matter. It may be that one or both genuinely believe that Christofias is going about it the wrong way or it may be that politicians are putting their personal interests ahead of those of their own country, it would not be the first time. Either way I think the people of Cyprus are now capable of making the distinction.
The demand for unity across the board is a fallacy and even where it comes about it is normally a very temporary phenomenon, especially if politicians are involved.
Both Christofias and Talat (or their successors if these two fail) have no choice but to find a solution that both communities can live with. A solution that benefits one at the expense of the other, is doomed to failure sooner or later. Even a blind man can see that.
If by some miracle they do come up with something close to an acceptable solution, (miracles also happen in Turkey sometimes), then LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE and if one or both say no again then try another angle.
Its either that or a few more decades or maybe centuries of pain, hatred and scoring points at the expense of each other, and of course Turkey trying to convince the world that ethnic cleansing is a good thing.
Life is too short....so all you Cypriots GO AND GET A LIFE.
Demetrios from Limassol comments:
I think its too little too late. I was personally hoping that EDEK and DIKO would leave the coalition long time ago.
Then AKEL, (if Christofias was wise enough) would create a new government with DISY and move forward with re-unification.
However I think its far to late. The talks will continue in April and the election of Eroglu will put the whole thing to a halt.
Perhaps AKEL itself should have cast EDEK and DIKO out of the coalition long ago and joined forces with DISY. This was the only calculation that could make re-unification in Cyprus possible.
SABAN from Girne comments:
Mr Omirou must have 40000 troops (in full battle order) on the Island and 1000 000 across the water in order to get what he wants.
Bristollinos from Bristol comments:
Very Interesting Observations From Alexy,
I suppose he must realise that fragmentation of Turkey will also fit in nicely and follow this profile.
When it happens, I can only hope that he remembers his arguement below and can stomach it.
Bristollinos from Bristol comments:
Very Interesting Observations From Alexy,
I suppose he must realise that fragmentation of Turkey will also fit in nicely and follow this profile.
When it happens, I can only hope that he remembers his arguement below and can stomach it.
Bristollinos from Bristol comments:
Very Interesting Observations From Alexy,
I suppose he must realise that fragmentation of Turkey will also fit in nicely and follow this profile.
When it happens, I can only hope that he remembers his arguement below and can stomach it.
fknose from Cyprus comments:
Dear Alexy...I am a Cypriot who happens to speak Greek as an accident of birth and I do not hate either the Turkish Cypriots nor the Turks of mainland Turkey...why must minority voices on both sides continue to perpetuate the myth that we 'all' hate one another...?
Disappointed from Cyprus comments:
Petty, petty politicians.
When will they learn to grow up, instead of throwing their toys out of the pram?
John from NIcosia comments:
Interesting to see that they will not be giving up membership on the boards of semi-governmental organisations. Principle is one thing, jobs for the boys quite another!
Greek Cyp from Nicosia comments:
Some one forgot to get rid of the dustbin ages ago!
gibratsi from London UK comments:
Dina, it's such a welcome change to read sensible comments regarding any future agreement.Unfortunately as I said earlier, comrade Christofias will have a very hard job convincing the GCs that the future of Cyprus is one of compromise with the TCs.You rightly point out, what has already been agreed on principal by the two sides is a 'bizonal,bicommunal federation'. You can't change that Mr Omirou, so put that in your pipe and smoke it .
Dina from Limassol comments:
The objectives of the recent, intensified talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots is to form a bizonal, bicommunal federation for Cyprus.
I think the politicians need to explain the above to the population in order to prevent confusion. It is the population of Cyprus who will decide on the future of the island and not the politicians.....
gibratsi from London UK comments:
Welcome to the real world Kareem.
Very few GCs understand what compromise means and they certainly did not understand the contents of any of the Anaan Plan(s).Until now GCs always insisted on 'majority' rule because they are numerically greater in numbers than the TCs.I suspect Demetris Christofias is trying to change that by agreeing equality with the TCs.
The super patriots like Edek,Diko etc will not stand for it,so Christofias is going to have to try very hard to be able to'sell' any future agreement to the GCs
By the way I almost forgot.Edek leaving the coalition, I say good riddance to bad rubbish.
Dee from Paralimni comments:
Kareem I agree with your sentiments, but I fear that the 'Hellenists' are hell-bent on keeping the status quo in perpetuity.
There seems to be more smoke and mirrors used in Cyprus politics than a Masterclass magician could dream of, and the purpose is, of course, to keep the majority of the population in ignorance of the facts.
I fear there will be no change until the present politicians have faded away into old age.
Kareem comments:
I'm amazed at how little Cypriots and even their politicians know about the rotating presidency concept. If it's anything like the Annan Plan, the presidency would be largely ceremonial, as it is in Switzerland, and executive power would be exercised by the presidential committee made up of the same members over a 5-year term. Very simple and in my opinion very fair. Why, then, do most Cypriots I speak to seem to be under the impression that we'd have a Greek Cypriot president and cabinet for a few months, followed by a complete Turkish Cypriot overhaul during which the evil Turkish Cypriots would "sell us to Turkey"?!? Why has the government and the NAI campaign not bothered to inform the Cypriots of what 'rotating presidency' means, and finally call out these pathetic politicians as the stupid, selfish liars they really are?