[pkpjamestown]

"Would both sides benefit form EU membership? Yes. Being a person that has personally not been able to comprehend the reasons for the inability of people of such similar cultures to get along with each other on a beautiful and sufficiently large island like Cyprus, I believe that both sides should get back together and live in harmony like they used to 50+ years ago. For this to be possible, I believe that both sides must come to terms with their past conduct and admit the mistakes they have done and the harm they have inflicted on each other. Another point that would make all sides involved feel safer would be to allow a limited amount of Turkish and Greek military presence under perhaps a joint NATO (or if/when Turkey is accepted EU) security force and disarm all Greek and Turkish Cypriot domestic defense/guard/police etc... forces. This would extinguish Turkish concerns of the Greeks attacking Turkish Cypriots and Greek worries of the Turks invading the south. The joint nature of the security force would also oblige the Greek and Turkish armies to work as partners for a common cause as they should have been doing for years since both are supposed to be NATO allies.

Let us not forget that the center of all Greek-Turkish disagreements is the Cyprus issue. The Aegean problem is just an artificial issue that Greece has made up to give it better bargaining power on Cyprus. The government of Greece is finally in the hands of a group of rather intelligent and reasonable people and they would almost certainly give up on their claims to increase their territorial borders when the Cyprus issue is brought to a solution. I will continue to elaborate on this matter if I get positive feedback from you."

I have no problem with what you say above.

1.I have attended a high school where I had Turkish Cypriot friends and classmates, which I would like to see again. 2. During summer vacations, I worked in a Greek factory, side by side with Turkish Cypriots, trying to make living, like I was.

I believe that if the two communities are left alone, without interference from Greece or Turkey, they will be able to live together in peace.

I do no want another dollar to be spent by the Cypriots on war machines. Public moneys should be spent on education, healthcare and infrastructure.

There are enough educated people, from both communities, that can sit down together, and figure out what is good for the island.

"Let us not forget that the center of all Greek-Turkish disagreements is the Cyprus issue"

The Cyprus issue was always an issue for Turkey. Turkey wanted Cyprus back from the British in 1960. The fear of getting rid of one conqueror, and acquiring a new one, had settled in, among the Greek Cypriots, so a good portion of them saw Greece as way out. The British did not want to leave an autonomous state behind them. A domestic problem was the best security for maintaining their three bases there, without having to deal with the domestic headaches of the Cypriots. This tactic was proven true, when they stood back and watched the Greek Junta stage the coup against Makarios. They had the right to intervene, but did not act. It was a scenario well planned and executed, by all involved parties, except the Cypriots. The three “guarantors” had something to gain. Cyprus lost.

The Greek governments never wanted anything to do with Cyprus. They had bigger and more serious internal problems to face. The Cyprus issue was used only for domestic consumption and politicking. The same situation occurs now in Turkey. Cyprus is and has been used by the Turkish politicians, as a diversion to the real problems of the common Turk. Neither Greece nor Turkey (governments) ever cared about the Cypriots. I don’t think they care right now.

I feel that, any solution that gives the chance to the two communities to be together again, is a good solution. I don't care what they want to call it. Trust will build with time and all Cypriots will prosper. The EU laws could be adopted, and an EU force can police the island for as long as it is necessary. Greece and Turkey should stay out of Cyprus, unless they come as tourists. They both have enough domestic problems to keep them busy.

Globalization is too powerful for a tiny island, like Cyprus, to resist it. It is also too powerful for a big country like Turkey, to resist it. The sooner they realize it, the better.

The wealth of a country, are its people and their culture. If you oppress them, they stop blooming. They either die, or turn evil. (This is mine)

What is your solution to the Cyprus issue? Have you ever been to Cyprus? Talk to me.

[Turk2]

What I wrote in the previous post was part of what I think could be a solution. The first step is to get Denktas and Clerides, who are supposed to be childhood friends, to sit down around a table and start talking. We'll have to see what comes out of the Dec. 4th talks.(Probably not much if anything, unfortunately)

I have been to Cypruz and think that the place has real potential. It could be an even bigger tourist attraction. Though the north is a bit dull, there are quite a bit of nice places to see there like Yesilyurt (forgot the Greek name) and Marash, near Famagusta, which was a highly prosperous place for instance.

The only way that the two sides could get together, IMHO, is for both sides to sit together and confess their sins. If both sides could agree to what they have done wrong to bring about this mess, a very strong step towards a solution will have been taken.