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Cyprus Media Summary |
2 November 20041 November 2004 , Turkish and Greek Cyprus Media Summary
Supposing a Turk did this documentary
2004-11-02 | Afrika | Şener LEVENT (A+ðı)
About Angastiniyotis' documentary on a massacre in the NorthÔÇÐ
Supposing a Turk did this documentary
Şener Levent (A+ðı)
According to news reports Angastiyotis who prepared a documentary on Murataga, Atlilar, Sandallar Massacre couldn't get his work broadcast in the South as all the TV stations were refused to do so but BRT did so.
Angastiyotis happened to be at this wife's village the day the work was due to be put on by BRT.
He said he asked his relatives to redirect the TV aerial to the North "Not on your life" war the reaction of the aunt! What should we watch the TV of those dogs?"
According to Angastiyotis the very same aunt was in tears within the minutes of the start of the film, on seeing the boys killed.
Angastiyotis says there's a concerted pressure on him in the South, the media refusing the publication of his articles.
"If the Administration goes on like this" he says "I'll go and settle in TRNC". "After all my family used to live in Magusa before 1974, I've had a lot of Turkish friends" adds Angastiyotis.
Angastiyotis is honest intellectual risking ostracism in his community. He has well aware of the fat that his people wouldn't approve the work he was going to do and that he might even be facing some dangers.
But, he carried on as an intellectual to defy the views of the majority and risk even the danger of ostracism by his people to complete his work.
What about the other side of the coin?
Did the Turkish intellectual do the same?
Let's think of a Turkish Cypriot doing what Angastiyotis has done?
What would happen? Nobody has ever tried, but supposing, he did. He shot a documentary showing massacres carried out by the Turks at Balikre and near the walls of Girne cemetery, what would happen?
Would Turkish Administration allow the broadcast? Turks work as BRT did Angastiyotis work amid the Cypriotturk saying, "I'd rather go and live in the South?"
Murataga, Atlilar and Sandallar massacre is not likely to be forgotten in Cyprus; neither the massacres of Ayvasil and Dohni. Pr their perpetrators ever pardoned.
There are a number of other massacres besides these that shouldn't be forgotten. If a trial is in question they should all be inquired into and subject to trial. The matter is like a knife with too sharp edges.
It's important to have an account of a massacre carried out by the Turks from Turkish point of view and the Greek ones from the Greek point of view. We have already a larger number of accounts from Turks detailing the Greek ones and Greek ones giving the Turkish ones.
After all blood is in the center of the official policies of both sides.
But, it's not possible to agree either with Angastiyotis who says, "I'd rather go and settle in TRNC" or the Turks shows readiness to "go live in the South", after such an experience.
Nobody would stop anymore from living either in the South or in the North provided they find it pleasant to do so. But they wouldn't find what they want if they simple base their choice on the freedom of speaking about the Greek massacres in the North and the Turkish massacres in the South. It's not heroic to speak about one after moving into another community.
What's courage is raising one's voice in one's community against the wrong of his won people.
Antonis Angastiyotis succeeded in doing just this; whereas, among the community he is inclined to live, North Cyprus, nobody has yet had the courage even to try it.
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It's time for break
2004-11-01 | Politis | Στέφανου Κωνσταντινίδη*
Ongoing debates about the developments in the domestic front (Stock Market, funding of the referendum, and so on) risk downplaying our political issue, while the efforts of the political forces and of society in general should focus on this, in view of December 17. Things have reached such a point that half-measures will simply not do. It's time for break. Unfortunately, both the government and the opposition are on the same wavelength.
In the domestic front, there will either be a break with a 40-year-old political culture, or there will be an ongoing reign of corruption. The current government, with the participation of the left-wing parties, will have the chance to do it if it wishes. Will it? Will the left-wing parties dare to do it or will they contend themselves with half-measures that suit them best? Surely, a break is not usually made at the end of a government's term of office. A break is made in the very beginning. Valuable time has been lost already.
The same applies to the Cyprus issue. It's time for a break with a policy that led us to the Annan plan. President Papadopoulos had the chance to make this break with the mandate of the people after the referendum. One way or the other, the price for such a break would be no different from the one we have been paying now because we democratically rejected an apartheid solution. We had a good chance for a break that would have raised the Cyprus issue in its correct dimensions, which are none other than the facts of the occupation. Moreover, this break would have given an answer to those who ask, hypocritically, most of the times, what is it that we want. We want nothing more and nothing less than a solution securing the same human rights, the same democratic structures on a state level that our EU partners enjoy. Surely, we are nobody's protectorate. There are ethnic groups in other European countries as well, but no one has ever thought of proposing political settlements of the problems that arise, while they themselves deviate from the international law and from fundamental democratic principles. For instance, who would have thought of proposing such a thing in Spain that has been dealing with the issue of Basques and Catalans?
Instead of such a break, the President of the Republic states that he endorses the philosophy of the Annan plan. This philosophy, though, by no means leads to a European solution. If this policy continues, we will end up, sooner or later, to another version of the Annan monstrosity. I am afraid that the President will be faced, at some point, with a situation similar to the one that came up when he sent that famous letter to Annan, where he was stating that he wished a solution by May 2003, under pressure by the foreign powers and by those in the domestic front who accused him for rejectionism. So we were led to the New York talks and to the Annan arbitration with the well-known results.
So it's time for a break with a deadlock policy. It's time we submitted our own proposals, our own solution plan. When I say ÔÇÝours', I don't mean a plan of the Greek-Cypriots alone. Both the President of the Republic and the political parties should consult the Turkish-Cypriots as well. The proposed plan for solution should enjoy general acceptance both among Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots. We should finally get away from the philosophy of the Annan plan, a philosophy of the Cold War era. Our pursuit should be clear: a European solution. And some people had better not pretend that they do not understand the meaning of such a solution. One way or the other, within the framework of such a solution plan, of a European philosophy, there is no place for democratic deficits and reductions in the implementation of human rights. What is certain is that, in order to deal with any Turkish-Cypriot reservations about such a solution, there should be guarantees for a transitional stage that would safeguard the rights of our compatriots as a community, besides our common human rights. In any case, our pursuit should be to jointly reach a level of political culture that it won't matter so much whether the President of the Republic, for instance, will be Greek-Cypriot or Turkish-Cypriot, since he will be the democratic choice of the people.
All in all, it's time for a break both with our domestic front and with our political issue to be able to build a human future for this country. Besides, it was our current partners in the government who talked about change, social justice and sound management of the Cyprus issue.
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Greek Cypriot Administration is not capable to veto Turkey's accession ÔÇô Serdar Denktash
2004-11-01 | Halkin Sesi | ---------
Serdar Denktash said Greek Cypriot Administration was not capable to veto Turkey's accession.
Greek Cypriot Administration is not capable to veto Turkey's accession ÔÇô Serdar Denktash
Serdar Denktash said Greek Cypriot Administration was not capable to veto Turkey's accession. Serdar Denktash said Greek Cypriot Administration was not capable to veto Turkey's accession. "Nobody should doubt about this. They cannot do that", he added.
Speaking about the early election, Serdar Denktash said Turkey did not intervene in the
internal affairs of TRNC. This is our internal affairs. Reminded the statement of TRNC Prime
Minister Mehmet Ali Talat saying Turkey shouldn't intervene in our internal affairs. Serdr
Denktash said of course Turkey doesn't intervene in the election. All the governments
give importance to work harmoniously with the Republic of Turkey but the elections are
carried out democratically.
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Good news for the Cypriot Greeks: Verheugen stays!
2004-11-01 | Kibrisli | ------
Gunter Verheugen, whom the Cypriot Greeks had announced as ÔÇÝthe bad guy', and had been yearning for the expiration of his mission, and whom they even not allowed in their TV and radio shows at the time of the referendum, stated that he would continue to perform his mission.
Good news for the Cypriot Greeks: Verheugen stays
Verheugen stated that it was certain that he would be assigned as the commissar in charge of enlargement in the EU Commission, which had been constituted with problems, and will be reconstituted again. It is stated that this progress would give rise to indignation in the Southern Cyprus in the following days. Verheugen had lately been stating that the failure to terminate the isolations on the Cypriot Turks was unfair, and doing so was a must.
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Greek Cypriot obstacles to negotiations
2004-11-02 | Halkin Sesi | -------------
Talats' interview with the Greek Cypriot daily Phileleftheros
Greek Cypriot obstacles to negotiations
PM M. A. Talat says they are ready to present a number of changes to the Annan Plan for negotiations with the Greek Cypriot community.
This was published in the Greek Cypriot daily to which Talat granted an interview some time ago. Talat went on to say that there wasn't much that could be changed in the Annan Plan. He added that the Turkish Cypriot side was ready to negotiate for the unification of the island but that the Greek Cypriot administration was putting obstacles against any such negotiations. He denied an allegation that during a close session of the Turkish Cypriot parliament it was suggested that Turkey was not intending to have the Annan Plan put into effect in Cyprus Talat said that was completely unfounded. He had information that unfortunately it was fabricated by some well-known members of AKEL party.
In reply to a question who would be the negotiator for the Turkish Cypriot side in a possible new round of talks between the two communities, Talat said President Denktash continued to be President and regarded by the outside world as the leader of the Community though he had a limited number of areas where he was effective at present.
Talat said the Turkish Cypriot community wanted integration and to carry out trade with the Greek Cypriot people. That was why they suggested a number of new crossing points to the South. The work was going on for Bostanci checkpoint. They had proposed the opening of the checkpoint at the end of Ledra Street (Uzun Yol) but the Greek Cypriot side was not forthcoming.
In the meantime, according to Philelephteros, Gunter Verheugen, EU Commissioner for the Enlargement, in a letter to British MEPs said Annan Plan was no longer on the table in the form that it was presented at referendum in April 2003.
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Translated by CyprusMediaNet.com
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2 November 2004
Cyprus
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