Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Is the solution of the Cyprus Dispute possible, or have we already crossed the return point for Cyprus?
No, we haven’t, at least that’s what sensible people of Cyprus want to believe.
A lot of people still want to believe that a solution is still possible and not only possible, but also a solution that is sustainable, and able to withstand time.
Cypriots understand that after 2004 there was, and there still is, much suspicion in both communities for different reasons.
Our Community is suspicious in relation to a solution which will not provide safety to the people.
The Turkish Cypriot community feels that we have rejected them, and I'm not sure which of the two will be more harmful to the relations between
the two communities when they come again before the question of reunification.
What is required for the solution to be feasible?
Well, obviously, I cannot talk about the necessary constitutional and legal ingredients, even though I believe that each of us,
after studying our recent history over the past decades, can easily understand the basis of these historic data. Well, obviously, I cannot talk about the necessary constitutional and legal ingredients, even though I believe that each of us,
after studying our recent history over the past decades, can easily understand the basis of these historic data.
Perhaps with reference to my academic background, I can talk more about the data which collectively bring the two communities closer.
We have much work ahead of us. Based on my previous response, the answer to your question is sincere trust and willingness to work.
Sincere trust in necessary as I have the impression that for many years there was much hypocrisy in both communities.
Hypocrisy in relation to a superficial acceptance of the otherness of the other, which was in essence a disguised form of a collective rejection of the other community as hostile.
Something extended to individuals as well, since virtually for almost three and a half decades the citizens of the two communities had no actual
not symbolic, relationship between them . The opening of the barricades, while it is something I support as it has assisted,
based on scientific studies, in promoting contact between the two communities, which in turn helps in reducing prejudices ,
it however, revealed the negative attitude of many of our fellow citizens with their refusal to visit the north
their refusal to have social or other contacts with our Turkish Cypriot compatriots , a stance previously rationalized by their inability to access the north side.
Simply put , “Turkey and Turkish Cypriots have been excluded. We cannot even visit our homes” and though this was a good interpretation of the status quo at the time
it is now evident that for some it also served as the perfect excuse.
What is the psychological stance of the people towards the solution, and how did it change after the referendum of 2004? Is there a difference?
It is very difficult to talk about a single psychological stance of the people. We need to talk about too many levels, and different psychological layers
in the two communities. It's a pretty complex issue and I am not avoiding the answer, it is just that this introduction is necessary for what will follow.
Two years after the referendum, we conducted, along with our academic partners, one of the first studies concerned with this research object.
We detected the psychology of fear, collecting data both form Greek Cypriot, as well as from Turkish Cypriot, subjects.
We were able to detect that this feeling was much more intense and frequent in the Greek Cypriot side verging on phobia.
I understand that this may not be understandable to many, so let me draw a distinction.
In psychology fear is something real. It's a feeling that we get when something threatens us .
What we discovered was not necessarily real fears of Greek Cypriots, resulting for example from the possibility that Turkey may reinvade Cyprus,
Turkish Cypriots may not work constructively and so on. What we discovered were data which verged on the absurd.
Rational trends of phobia which simply described negativity. Negativity towards a solution and reunification.
Of course, not deviating from my previous position was in my response to your first question, certainly this does not hold for the entire population.
Therefore, as I explained in the beginning of this answer, one should research this with respect to the different layers and levels.
There are phobias, fears, irrational fears, in different parts of the two communities and more into our community.
And why is this the case? We will have to look into our history and culture, our educational approaches. The kind of education we developed after the Turkish invasion.
The educational goals we achieved through that education and how we might have damaged two generations of people who grew up
with hostile representations of the Turkish Cypriots.
To what extend can education contribute to a possible solution?
Education should be used by a society in order to achieve long-term goals. Thus education must be seen as a component of society which will enable future generations,
not our generation as it is already destroyed, in order to operate in a more complex cultural environment , and in a unified society, economy, in a unified country.
which require educational investment in relation to understanding of the various versions of our history, to understand
and change how concepts of otherness and multiculturalism are taught and to revisit in sincerity the question of whether what we teach our children
is an objective representation of our history, or what we have formed as our history in our minds.
I'm not saying the two are diametrically different, but the distance between them, between the actual history and of how we perceive it in our minds
might be enough, as short as it may be, it might be enough to destroy another generation of people in this country
by deeming them incapable of acting in the way you implied in your question
That is to evolve into a people capable of taking matters into their own hands. They will be able to make sure that various constitutional provisions become functional.
Functionality is not found in legal documents, but within the people and thus education is what can guarantee that these people, the future generation,
will be able to use any legal tools, resulting from a possible solution, and transform them into functional tools.
Each community has a lot to lose by a possible change of the current status quo. What is the key element able to substitute for that loss?
Unification. Unification is a great event that many cannot or do not want to acknowledge as such.
We are a crippled country which, among other things, is an island, we are a crippled island. This item has been catalysing
the psychological development of people living here in the last few decades. The reunification of our country,
the ability of citizens to operate away from notions which gained momentum in the past generations,
like liberation, justice , self-righteousness, punishment. All these concepts have kept people captive,
not allowing them to focus on creation, culture, innovation, science, and education.
With whatever can promote the development of a culture, of a society, and of an economy.
Therefore, in my opinion, what we will lose is more psychological fear, rather than a reality that will be the result of reunification.
Identity? What would be more interesting that building again a unified multicultural Cypriot identity with the ethnic origins
of each community consciously , whether it is Greek or Turkish , Armenian , and so on. Finally, we should finally develop this integrated Cypriot identity.
Would Greece and Turkey benefit from a solution?
Perhaps, what is happening here in Cyprus can be perceived as a miniature. A miniature of the long-term hostility
that has been built in between Greece and Turkey against each other . The Greek who is always afraid of the Turkish malice.
And the Turkish who always worries about the ill iintentions , perhaps even the cunning of the Greek .
The situation in Cyprus is a miniature, which reflects on both countries, since your question concerns them.
Decades of military equipment, poverty, squandering of public money for buying equipment,
which I'm not sure whether they were able to guarantee the security of their people, or whether they served personal interests…
And maintaining a hatred that stagnated the two countries, which resulted in Greece today facing a political, and economic deadlock being on the verge of bankruptcy
with many people being on the verge of destitution.
On the other hand we have Turkey being characterised by a phenomenal economic growth, at least as far as economic indicators suggest,
But which has failed to promote the development of the Turkish people.
Large sections of society still live in poverty, not having access to education, and even healtcare
And to the liberation from the shackles of fear for the opposite side (Greece). Therefore, yes. The re-unification of Cyprus
and the solution to the Cyprus Dispute, perhaps will finally release both countries from their shackles , because, I think that the Cyprus Dispute
keeps both countries politically and socially enslaved.