Cyprus-Forum.com

[repulsewarrior]

Cypriot Greeks and Turks never have and never will able to live in peace and harmony.

On numerous occasions, I have heard both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots talking of the peace and harmony that used to exist in mixed villages. Are they lying?

Yes Tim, this is true, they were not lying.
...Each village was isolated from the other without the mobility of the Modern Age, their objective was to sustain themselves.

Cypriots were at the vanguard, as farmers were, since Toad Lane (1840), Great Cooperators in their social-exchange, having established a most socialised culture, amongst themselves, organised as villagers, making cheese, gathering crops, celebrating each others communal holidays long before then.

There was a house in my village I liked so well, growing up as a young boy. Some of its parts were the oldest in that neighbourhood, it was old, and around it there were other houses not unlike it about 250 yrs. old.

But, in this court yard, the glory of those old lemon trees, that stood to divide this house from the neighbour, which bloomed in the spring, made me happy. That smell and this house had the bliss which made it a home.

As the story goes two men worked like brothers, and these trees marked the friendship one gives to another in respect, as brothers, to share, a "Greek" and a "Turk", for one who had none a home.

soyer I am sure you are smart enough to suffer the Ignorance of others. Thus your assumption is not true, and I do not believe that you believe it either. It is a weakness in which we find some comfort with others, and it represents the intolerant behaviour which as people with reason we must choose to act against.

...I won't bother to read the rest of this thread, i am tired, although it starts with a very interesting premise... however since I see Tim asking a question I can answer and I am here; hello, Filitsa thank-you.

You guys should really consider my Manifesto...

there will be thousands displaced in any Solution, if there is Justice for the already displaced, enclaves are not a dirty word. and Bicommunal means, for us to be equal, and in control of our own Freewill, three governments or one; it does not mean two.

[Tim Drayton]

This is a story I have heard from a number of different people about life in mixed villages in Cyprus before the conflict broke out. At Easter and Christmas, the Turkish Cypriots would do the various daily chores such as tending to livestock and watering gardens on behalf of the Greek Cypriots, so that the later could fully enjoy their religious festival without having to work. When the Muslim festivals of Kurban Bayramı and Şeker Bayramı came along, the Greek Cypriots reciprocated. I have only lived in Cyprus for four years, so I am simply being guided by what I have heard. However, if this is true, it sounds like a pretty harmonious form of cohabitation to me. The statement that, "GCs and TCs never have and never will leave in peace and harmony" strikes me as being a bit extreme.

[Viewpoint]

This is a story I have heard from a number of different people about life in mixed villages in Cyprus before the conflict broke out. At Easter and Christmas, the Turkish Cypriots would do the various daily chores such as tending to livestock and watering gardens on behalf of the Greek Cypriots, so that the later could fully enjoy their religious festival without having to work. When the Muslim festivals of Kurban Bayramı and Şeker Bayramı came along, the Greek Cypriots reciprocated. I have only lived in Cyprus for four years, so I am simply being guided by what I have heard. However, if this is true, it sounds like a pretty harmonious form of cohabitation to me. The statement that, "GCs and TCs never have and never will leave in peace and harmony" strikes me as being a bit extreme.

It may be a remote possibility of union via a BBF but a mixed country like pre 1974 is a non starter, we lost that chance back in 1963 and no one wants to go back to those bad times in our history.

[observer]

I think that what is being examined here is a world-wide phenomenon. It is easy to hate/fear the faceless GCs or TCs in the abstract. It is more difficult to hate/fear your neighour Stavros or Mehmet because he has a face.

[Tim Drayton]

This is a story I have heard from a number of different people about life in mixed villages in Cyprus before the conflict broke out. At Easter and Christmas, the Turkish Cypriots would do the various daily chores such as tending to livestock and watering gardens on behalf of the Greek Cypriots, so that the later could fully enjoy their religious festival without having to work. When the Muslim festivals of Kurban Bayramı and Şeker Bayramı came along, the Greek Cypriots reciprocated. I have only lived in Cyprus for four years, so I am simply being guided by what I have heard. However, if this is true, it sounds like a pretty harmonious form of cohabitation to me. The statement that, "GCs and TCs never have and never will leave in peace and harmony" strikes me as being a bit extreme.

It may be a remote possibility of union via a BBF but a mixed country like pre 1974 is a non starter, we lost that chance back in 1963 and no one wants to go back to those bad times in our history.

Do you not think that a BBF could be a seed that over time, as contacts between the communities increase and mutual confidence grows, will blossom into a fully fledged mixed country? Even if this takes several generations, is this not a better future for this small island than partition and mutual animosity?

[perdike]

My husband and his family were displaced from the north of Cyprus, and all talk of life before that was of reasonable co-operation and mutual acceptance between the two communities. And in the UK, folk from the same area/village in Cyprus greeted each other with real affection, no matter which 'side' they came from.

[Viewpoint]

This is a story I have heard from a number of different people about life in mixed villages in Cyprus before the conflict broke out. At Easter and Christmas, the Turkish Cypriots would do the various daily chores such as tending to livestock and watering gardens on behalf of the Greek Cypriots, so that the later could fully enjoy their religious festival without having to work. When the Muslim festivals of Kurban Bayramı and Şeker Bayramı came along, the Greek Cypriots reciprocated. I have only lived in Cyprus for four years, so I am simply being guided by what I have heard. However, if this is true, it sounds like a pretty harmonious form of cohabitation to me. The statement that, "GCs and TCs never have and never will leave in peace and harmony" strikes me as being a bit extreme.

It may be a remote possibility of union via a BBF but a mixed country like pre 1974 is a non starter, we lost that chance back in 1963 and no one wants to go back to those bad times in our history.

Do you not think that a BBF could be a seed that over time, as contacts between the communities increase and mutual confidence grows, will blossom into a fully fledged mixed country? Even if this takes several generations, is this not a better future for this small island than partition and mutual animosity?

Has I have always stated the trust factor and the benefits for all are very important, if over time the GCs prove that democracy and sharing can work then I do not see any problems with forming a unitary state which will happen naturally. But if the opposite occurs and GCs are still hell bent on dominating and controlling the whole island then they should know that the island will be once and for all divided forever.

[Viewpoint]

My husband and his family were displaced from the north of Cyprus, and all talk of life before that was of reasonable co-operation and mutual acceptance between the two communities. And in the UK, folk from the same area/village in Cyprus greeted each other with real affection, no matter which 'side' they came from.

Was that the case from 1963 to 1974? or was it during British Rule?

[perdike]

Hello V.P. No, you are right. It was prior to 1963.

What is the matter us, with human beings?

Paradise here, if only we could live with each other. Wish we could.

[Viewpoint]

Hello V.P. No, you are right. It was prior to 1963.

What is the matter us, with human beings?

Paradise here, if only we could live with each other. Wish we could.

I agree unfortunately due to the past neither side trusts the other so it will take a long time and a great deal of goodwill which is not forth coming for that be erased, if ever.