WHY NOT TWO INDEPENDENT STATES IN CYPRUS? Public opinion polls held recently in both parts of Cyprus, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) and the Greek Cypriot side, revealed the stunning fact that both people see the sustainable solution in two separate states rather than a unified federal state. The ages-long mistrust of each other by both peoples of Cyprus finally sur-faced as in Brussels, where nowadays something toward separation is cooking in this capital city of the European Union and Belgium.
The political decision-makers of the globe and the borderline builders of the world consistently disregard the existence of the Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus, their self-proclaimed state, the KKTC and their basic human rights.
The KKTC is now in its 44th year of existence since the “Bloody Christmas” of Dec. 21, 1963, when innocent Turkish Cypriots were ruthlessly killed by Greek Cypriots in Tahtakala of Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus, as part of Greek Cypriot efforts toward “enosis,” or union with Greece.
Irrespective of separation or velvet divorce efforts in Belgium, po-litical decision-makers consistently apply pressure for unification on both of the peoples living on Cyprus, although they no longer want it.
There are two separate peoples of two different races living in two different states in Cyprus, speaking two languages originating from two different sources and using two different linguistic scripts, two different histories, two different literary traditions, two different flags, two different sets of national heroes, two different ideals, two different sacraments, two different legal doctrines, two different sets of religious practices, two different dogmas and two different holy books.
Nothing at all is common, except living on the same island under the same sun.
In the northern parts of Belgium live the Dutch-speaking Flemish and in the south the French-speaking Walloons. Their languages and nations are different; the Flemish are of German origin and Walloons French. They are separated in such a way that no Flemish can settle in a Walloon area and no Walloon in a Flemish area.
Now the separatist winds are shaking the federal system of Bel-gium from top to bottom. The rightist Flemish are determined to secure a velvet divorce; they do not want to carry the Walloons on their backs anymore.
The separation concept surfaced and grew stronger after the June 10 elections, and is expected to peak during the budget talks this month.
Uneasiness has enveloped the European Union, and the separa-tion in Belgium will create a new headache and open up new doors in politics.
The European Union, mainly built on the concept of “unification,” is now in the verge of a new burden originating from a separation, con-tradictory to the main concept of the EU. The Kingdom of Belgium was actually created artificially by the superpowers of Europe in 1830 as a buffer zone or buffer kingdom between them and their disputes. The concept of a common nation never existed in Belgium since the first day of independence, same as in Cyprus.
High-level politicians of the European Union, while advising the Flemish and Walloons to divorce if they cannot manage to live together, subject to keeping their EU membership separate, advise the opposite to Turkish and Greek Cypriots. They insist on a “united federal Cyprus,” knowing that both parties are not keen on this solution and the federal state will not last beyond a day, though both people on Cy-prus are willing to separate but stay EU members individually.
The EU, the US and the UN have disabled themselves as impartial interlocutors by taking the side of Greek Cypriots on the fundamental question which divides the two peoples — namely, whether the Greek Cypriot administration is entitled to be treated as the government of Cyprus.
Because of the one-sided international perception of Cyprus, Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots are always seen as being in the wrong and pressure is constantly applied to them to make accommodations for Greek Cypriot wishes. This is something they will not do and cannot reasonably be expected to do by anyone who understands how the present situation in Cyprus has arisen, originating from the one-sided attacks by Greek Cypriots to fulfill their eternal dream, “enosis,” on Dec. 21, 1963. The Cyprus problem did not start in 1974, but 1963.
The two peoples of Cyprus have negotiated for the many years since 1964, under the auspices of the UN. And in March 1986 and May 2004, Turkish Cypriots twice accepted UN plans for a settlement in its entirety. However Turkish Cypriots eventually realized that the UN talks go nowhere and the UN and EU can not be relied upon as impartial interlocutors.
It is time for the EU, the UN and the US to change their policy toward Cyprus and realize the existence of two separate people, like in Belgium, and their separation wishes. A united Cyprus will never be able to survive if both parties, as today, do not wish to live together.
