Both sides argue violently over land. Greece say Turks should return seized lands and allow Greek refugees to return home. The real problem blocking two decades of attempts to solve the Cyprus dispute is psychological. Greeks are always in a state of high nervous agitation over Turks. The two hot- blooded peoples share 600 years of unhappy history, overladen by poisonous mythology, religious hatred, and pernicious racism.
Greek politicians keep beating the war drums over Turkey whenever the economy goes bad.
Put simply, Greeks believe they, not the despised Turks, are the sole, rightful masters of Cyprus. Greek Cypriots have managed to impose and economic and diplomatic blockade on isolated Turkish Cyprus, gravely damaging its weak economy. Mainland Turks are more relaxed about Greeks, whom they outnumber 6 to 1. Turkish Cypriots, however, feel economically and psychologically outclassed and threatened by the clever, far more industrious and prosperous Greeks. They see how Greece's 150,000 Muslim minority in Thrace are second class citizens, and fear being swamped by the Greek Cypriot majority which harbors deep hatred for Turks.