From: bse@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Besime Erin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish,soc.culture.greek
Subject: Re: Remember Cyprus
Date: 5 Sep 92 22:01:02 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

In article <1992Sep4.002522.11201@eecs.nwu.edu> efstse@epsilon.eecs.nwu.edu (Serafim Efstratiadis) writes:
>One point only:
>
>In article <Bu0v83.GH3@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> bse@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Besime Erin) writes:
>>In article <Sep03.024446.54049@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> cc433336@LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Constantinos A. Caroutas) writes:
>>>
>>>>You are talking about a Cyprus in pieces and shambles! I am not so sure
>>>>that EEC will pick it up for you!
>>>
>>>The pieces and the shambles were picked very nicely by us in free Cyprus.
>>>We could transform occupied Cyprus too, but you don't want to.
>>
>>We CAN and WILL do it ourselves, THANK YOU! 
>
>I am really sorry to say that, Besime, but this is called: Wishful Thinking.


How very clear it is that you don't wish well for the Turkish Cypriots! 

You want us to be second-class citizens in a so-called Republic of
Cyprus(like the Muslims/Turks in Western Thrace) and let the Greek Cypriots 
have it totally their way. 

In addition to that the nationalists/extremists could continue to hate us 
and see us as hinders in making Cyprus a real Greek island like they did in the 
past and like they do now!(except Thank God they are on the other side!)
which would lay the foundations for disagreements->dislike->ethnic fights
making Turkish Cypriots unable to live securely on the island.


>
>Why? Because you are too blind to see reality. You Turkish Cypriots
                                                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                                 1.
>had it all and now you are FORCED to have crumbles thrown by the Turkish
 ^^^^^^^^^^     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
                2. 
>Government. If you think that you can achieve the kind of prosperity you
 ^^^^^^^^^^

>enjoyed before 1974, or what you would have had if Cyprus was free...
>the you must be on ACID, my friend. Anyway, mark these words and you'll
>remember them sometime.


1. May I ask you what WE HAD ? 

We were made INACTIVE in Cyprus Government in 1963 and we had to get
out and form our own governing body!  
[ This happened due the changes in the constitution proposed by the 
  Greek Cypriot leadership to cut down the privileges and rights given
  to the Turkish Cypriots in the the original 1960 constitution which
  the Turkish Cypriot leadership declined to agree ] 

After we formed and were run by our own governing body, we were pretty
much deprived of access to the official Greek Cypriot government's resources.

The positions in various government offices were given to the Greek Cypriots
while the Turkish Cypriots were mostly deprived of such positions.They were 
in worse shape economically and socially (i.e.most places they 
went they were discriminated against).Some of them had to leave their houses 
and move to more secure places among their own community or to ghettos(living in
tents)in fear for their lives etc. etc. etc.  

You call that "We had it all"!!! Pehhh! 


2. You would like to think that because that gives you one more reason 
   to demand that the Turkish Cypriots go under the Greek Cypriot rule
   to supposedly (!!!) live better!

Give me a break! You sound like the guy with the beard in Greek Cypriot TV.'s
"aktualite"program(inTurkish)who call the Turkish Cypriots back to their 
villages (Sniff! Sniff!) and say "Oh! Our beloved Turkish Cypriot 
compatriots please but please!!! come back to your houses in 
(pictures from this village with all sorts of wild plants around with a 
couple of Greek Cypriots walking around(which in the program are called
temporary settlers of the village ;-) :-)) which almost seems to say 
"We were bad with you when we lived together but come back! We promise!
We will treat you OK and won't attack you this time!!) 

Any apparent guarantees, No!!!  

The Turkish Cypriots have tasted freedom, self-determination and
restored their pride.

We will NOT give it up, Mr. Not again! 


***** Here my flow of writing turns into an open letter to the 
      Greek Cypriots!

The opinions expressed below are attributed to a good majority portion 
of the Turkish Cypriots, a friendly and rightful community in Cyprus
currently residing in the North of the island(away from the Greek
Cypriot community).  

You: refers to the Greek Cypriots!

You treated us bad when we lived with you. You made us suffer!
We have nothing good to remember from the times we lived with you
so don't expect us to come back! 
  

As to the land that we have etc. etc., that's the price you are paying 
for your misdeeds in the past! You made that choice by mistreating the 
Turkish Cypriots or by not stopping those who mistreated them. Finally 
by organizing a coup in 1974 to unite Cyprus with Greece and (by directly
or indirectly planning for the extermination or expulsion of Turkish 
Cypriots from Cyprus) you had put the final drop in a full glass and
caused the intervention of Turkey to Cyprus using its power spelled
out in the Treaty of Guarantee signed at the time of the establishment
of the Republic of Cyprus! 

You can cry all you want but unless you 
change your attitude against the Turkish Cypriots and see them
as an equal status community and not as a minority and negotiate
with us on the subjects of bizonal,bifederational setting, land etc.etc. 
thoroughly and sincerely for a better Cyprus, do not expect us to reach 
any sort of an agreement with you for the purpose of reaching AN agreement
so as to satisfy the superpowers or anybody! 

As to our economical status do not worry about us, we are not doing 
that bad. We are living decent lives and despite all the difficulties 
(most of which you create for us)we are determined to hang in there and 
continue to make it better. We will continue to work for a better and
stronger NORTH CYPRUS despite the difficulties! and we are HOPEFUL
that the day will come when we will be recognized by other countries
despite the whinings of the Greek Cypriots either as TRNC or if we 
are able to reach an agreement with you as one of the 
FEDERATIONS of the Republic of Cyprus.
 
As to Turkey's effect in North Cyprus, it mostly has been good willing help!
We will always be thankful to them for the support they have been providing 
to us since 1974! 


***** End of open letter


Besime Erin

>Serafim.