From: bse@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Besime Erin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish,soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.europe
Subject: Re: Yes, Remember Cyprus
Date: 9 Sep 92 00:18:13 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

>
>>I can look at my mother's families house from the green line in Nicosia
>>(It's also on the other side) too. Propotionately my people have been
>>displaced from their homes too and They had started living in refugee camps
>>LONG BEFORE 1974.
>
>To claim that you lost propery in the South and that you are refugees too
>is a stretch of reality.   The Greek Cypriots did not force you to
>flee to the North, like the Turks forced the Greek Cypriots to flee to South.
>If anything, the Greek Cypriots prohibited you to go to the occupied North.
>And certainly you are free to go to the South and claim your property,
>unlike the Greek Cypriots.  Some Turkish Cypriots did that.  To try to equate
>two totally different situations (forceful eviction - willing abandonment) is
>absurd.  Your mother or you are free to come to the South and claim your
>property.  Is any of the Greek Cypriot refugees free to do the same with his/her
>property to the North?
>
>>I have a counterargument to make for every argument you make to me about
>>Cyprus so once again continue your efforts to have the world believe that
>>you are the innoncent angels in this case WHEN YOU CLEARLY AREN'T and WHEN
>>YOU KNOW IT BUT YOU FAIL TO ADMIT IT.
>
>I do not claim to be "innocent angels".  That however does not excuse or
>legitimize the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the illegal occupation of 37% of
>Cyprus.  In a previous posting you stated that we should start with a clean
>sheet of paper.  This is easy to say when you are trying to legitimize an
>illegal (by any standards) action.  To me it is equivalent to a thief saying
>after he is being caught:  "O.K. you caught me.  I 'll give you half of what I
>stole and we will forget it. Fair enough?"  I say we should start from a clean
>sheet of paper, but go back before the illegal Turkish invasion.  Let's go
>back to the 1960 constitution.  That is the last thing we agreed on.
>By the way, your above statement indicates to me an unwillingness to talk
>honestly and openly about the problem.  You seem to be argumentative.  I trust
>that in your response (if any) you will be more cooperative.  I honestly tried
>to see your point of view and not be confrontational.
>
>P.S.  It was a very pleasant surprise to see the post by Mr. Serdar Boztas.
>      I feel that I can talk openly and honestly with this person about
>      all our differences.
>
>>Besime Erin
>
>Sincerely,
>-- 
>Constantinos Varnavas
>University of Illinois


I will give a general answer to your writing because I do not 
have the too much time to spend on this. Your article by the way is  
level-headed and sensible.

I used to write moderate articles too but after I went home and so the
situation in place once again, talked to my people etc. and see how 
they feel (i.e. they don't want to get together with the Greeks again 
because they have not forgotten their experiences) I kind-of changed my mind.

Also I have been writing in response to the fanatics around here 
lately(Caroutas, Theodore David, Serafim etc.) and thus my articles have
turned somewhat that way too. Actually I don't like it. I know some 
Greek Cypriot people over here and whenever I start responding that way,
very unfortunately I start feeling not too friendly towards them too. 
I guess I need to learn to separate politics from personal interactions. 

I believe that we the Turkish Cypriots have a direct conflict of interest
with the Greek Cypriots and it seems to me that although I have really tried
especially at the beginning of his Summer on this very net to find a meeting
point I wasn't able to find it but instead I was buried under the fire of the 
fanatics. 

I used to have a clear opinion as to what we should do about Cyprus, 
(for a while I thought a solution had to be it) now I am not sure
what to think! 

We have a lot of extremists,nationalists in our communities, 
I believe that's what's preventing the communication and understanding 
between the
two commmunities. Unless moderates take over in both sides in Cyprus and 
nationalistic and ethnic feelings let themselves to understanding, respect
and trust between the two communities, I don't see a real solution to the 
problem in Cyprus.

I believe if the Turkish and Greek Cypriots are to ever understand each other
it's going to be thru the eyes of moderates. 

Also please keep in mind that I bother to write these articles because 
I care! both for Cyprus and especially my community.

I guess I will close by saying I wish to hear from the moderate Greek Cypriots
because I have lost touch with my understanding and tolerance towards the other side after my trip home and because of the extremists on this net. 


Besime Erin
A Turkish Cypriot