Only a partitioned island will bring the dispute between Turkish and Greek Cypriots to an end

1. I, being the son of a Greek Cypriot migrant who had arrived in Australia in 1921, became aware of the problem in Cyprus in the early 1950’s. Strangely, at that time, the word Turkish did not enter the conversation. The problem then was that Britain was not honouring her pledge to the Cypriot people that after WW2, Cyprus would be joined to Greece (Enosis) as Britain was giving the island to Greece as from antiquity there was a continuing Hellenic population. At the outbreak of the war, Britain advertised to the Cypriot people with large notices displayed over the army recruitment centres that quote, “Fight for the Motherland (Greece)” and other such patriotic messages to induce the Cypriot population to fight along with Britain. Well many Cypriots did join to fight, some paid the price and the others who survived returned with the knowledge that Ctyprus and Greece would be under one government. Unfortunately this did not happen and after many meetings and years with the British establishment, armed resistance grew. Of course these resistance fighters were called Terrorists and because it happened during the period of the cold war also referred to as Communists. The newspapers here in Australia were writing terrible things about these terrorists who in fact their only crime was that they wanted the right to a vote in their own country.
   I recall that in 1957 it was reported that the United Nations had passed a resolution that the British were to evacuate Cyprus — much to my joy. But the next morning it was announced that the USA had vetoed the resolution.
   According to the statistics that I read in the Melbourne newspapers at that time, 4 fifths of the Cypriot population were Greek and almost one fifth were Turks. Have in mind that many of the so called Turkish Cypriots were as in the case of Cretan Muslims, people who had converted to Islam for many reasons, faith ,economic and other social reasons . We had live happily for centuries together in separate villages or shared villages. Then Britain pulled the ace out of the pack which was the card of “Divide and Rule”. Their policies put Greek against Turk and as history has shown time and again that it is quite easily done. To me it quite sudden that another factor had to be considered and that was Turkey. Originally Turkey was not in the equation.
   Britian did withdraw from domination of Cyprus under certain conditions and the Republic od Cyprus formed and it recognised internationally
   It is true that the Cypriot population became divided to the extent that bloodshed occurred and then came the invasion from Turkey. Turkey took 40% of the island and at that time 60% of the income. Turkey announced that it came to protect the Turkish Cypriots. If this was so why did they bring along with the settlers from Turkey ? Obviously they had intentions of staying.
   So now we have reached the situation of today where it already has been suggested that division is the only answer.
   Do we not learn? Britain in leaving India (1948) divided off Pakistan. So today, we have a hostile Pakistan (nuclear armed) staring down at a hostile India also with nuclear weapons.
   Dividing the island is not the answer. the people have to learn to live together especially people who are so compatible.
   There has to be the respect for the rule of law and without this there can be no peace. The Cypriot government is a fact and must be respected as it is recognised internationally and is by the United Nations and it is a member of the European Union. Whether the United Nations, Britain, Turkey like it or not Cyprus has a right to exist and it is in the charter of the U.N to uphold the law. If there is no semblance of justice for the Cypriot people , Turkish and Greek, then the United Nations may just as well sink into oblivion. It was formed for situations like this but most unfortunatly Mao was right in saying that ” Political Power grows out of the barrel of a Gun”.

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2. I, being the son of a Greek Cypriot migrant who had arrived in Australia in 1921, became aware of the problem in Cyprus in the early 1950’s. Strangely, at that time, the word Turkish did not enter the conversation. The problem then was that Britain was not honouring her pledge to the Cypriot people that after WW2, Cyprus would be joined to Greece (Enosis) as Britain was giving the island to Greece as from antiquity there was a continuing Hellenic population. At the outbreak of the war, Britain advertised to the Cypriot people with large notices displayed over the army recruitment centres that quote, “Fight for the Motherland (Greece)” and other such patriotic messages to induce the Cypriot population to fight along with Britain. Well many Cypriots did join to fight, some paid the price and the others who survived returned with the knowledge that Cyprus and Greece would be under one government. Unfortunately this did not happen and after many meetings and years with the British establishment, armed resistance grew. Of course these resistance fighters were called Terrorists and because it happened during the period of the cold war also referred to as Communists. The newspapers here in Australia were writing terrible things about these terrorists who in fact their only crime was that they wanted the right to a vote in their own country.
   I recall that in 1957 it was reported that the United Nations had passed a resolution that the British were to evacuate Cyprus — much to my joy. But the next morning it was announced that the USA had vetoed the resolution.
   According to the statistics that I read in the Melbourne newspapers at that time, 4 fifths of the Cypriot population were Greek and almost one fifth were Turks. Have in mind that many of the so called Turkish Cypriots were as in the case of Cretan Muslims, people who had converted to Islam for many reasons, faith ,economic and other social reasons . We had live happily for centuries together in separate villages or shared villages. Then Britain pulled the ace out of the pack which was the card of “Divide and Rule”. Their policies put Greek against Turk and Turk against Greek and as history has shown time and again that it is quite easily done. To me it quite sudden that another factor had to be considered and that was Turkey. Originally Turkey was not in the equation.
   Britian did withdraw from domination of Cyprus under certain conditions and the Republic of Cyprus formed and it was recognised internationally
   It is true that the Cypriot population became divided to the extent that bloodshed occurred and then came the invasion from Turkey. Turkey took 40% of the island and at that time 60% of the income. Turkey announced that it came to protect the Turkish Cypriots. If this was so why did they bring along with the settlers from Turkey ? Obviously they had intentions of staying.
   So now we have reached the situation of today where it already has been suggested that division is the only answer.
   Do we not learn? Britain in leaving India (1948) divided off Pakistan. So today, we have a hostile Pakistan (nuclear armed) staring down at a hostile India also with nuclear weapons.
   Dividing the island is not the answer. the people have to learn to live together especially people who are so compatible.
   There has to be the respect for the rule of law and without this there can be no peace. The Cypriot government is a fact and must be respected as it is recognised internationally and is by the United Nations and it is a member of the European Union. Whether the United Nations, Britain, Turkey like it or not Cyprus has a right to exist and it is in the charter of the U.N to uphold the law. If there is no semblance of justice for the Cypriot people , Turkish and Greek, then the United Nations may just as well sink into oblivion. It was formed for situations like this but most unfortunatly Mao was right in saying that ” Political Power grows out of the barrel of a Gun”.

   Reply

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