Cypriots view renewed efforts to reach an agreement with caution

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 11:54

ONLY 18 per cent of Greek Cypriots and 13 per cent of Turkish Cypriots are hopeful for a Cyprus solution through the current peace process, a study by the Centre for European Policy Studies said yesterday.



The Brussels-based organisation worked with analysts Alexandros Lordos, Erol Kaymak and Nathalie Tocci to compile the 90-page report, which was presented yesterday.



“Beyond their perceptions and (mis)trust of each other, both communities are pessimistic regarding the peace process,” said the report.



This pessimism is particularly acute amongst Turkish Cypriots, who following the Annan Plan precedent have little faith in the peace process and Greek Cypriot willingness to deliver a compromise solution. Greek Cypriots, emboldened by their new president, appear somewhat more hopeful of the ongoing negotiations.”



It said that after decades of failed negotiations and the ultimate failure of the Annan Plan, Cypriots viewed renewed efforts to reach an agreement with some caution.

ilovecyprus


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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 11:54

ctd from msge 1



Lack of trust was a major factor according to the findings.



Two out of three Greek Cypriots, “possibly influenced by their long-standing political narrative that ‘our problem is not with the Turkish Cypriots but with Turkey’, say they trust ordinary Turkish Cypriots, while 99 per cent do not trust the Turkish Cypriot leadership nor Turkey.



However nearly three out of four Turkish Cypriots say they mistrust Greek Cypriots, and 74 per cent say they mistrusted President Demetris Christofias and political party leaders.



Still, while differences are large Cypriots were open to compromise, ready to revisit their official historical narratives and abhor a resort to violence, the report said.



“This sets Cyprus apart from other conflicts in the European neighbourhood,” it added.



“Cypriots are not fundamentally hostile towards each other and both communities have reached a level of political maturity necessary to re-evaluate their conflict-ridden pasts.”



It s

ilovecyprus


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31/10/2008 11:56

ctd frommsge 2



It said 85 per cent off Greek Cypriots and 50 per cent of Turkish Cypriots were able to acknowledge the mistakes committed by their own community in the conflict.



Nearly 90 per cent on each side are “absolutely opposed to the idea of ‘solving’ the conflict through armed struggle”.



Only 15 per cent on the Greek Cypriot side say they are satisfied with the status quo, and even fewer Turkish Cypriots, less than ten per cent.



“A possible explanation of these differences may be that whereas 51 per cent of Greek Cypriots are on the whole satisfied with their personal lives, only 29 per cent of Turkish Cypriots are, not least because they are more directly affected by the consequences of the conflict,” said the report, adding that they blamed Greek Cypriots and the EU for their current situation due to the ban on direct flights to the north, and the lack of direct trade for the ‘TRNC’.



“It is of paramount importance for these issues to be debated openly and creat

ilovecyprus


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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 11:57

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creatively in the south and for political and official actors to diffuse and repackage the divisive and polarising language used to discuss these issues in recent years,” said the report.



On the positive side, large majorities of each community view themselves as being both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot rather than merely Greek or Turkish.



“In other words, Greek and Turkish Cypriots tend not to identify themselves as Greeks or Turks exclusively, and both communities share an affinity to Cyprus,” the report said.



It suggests a number of confidence building measures to run parallel to the new negotiating process “to engender public confidence” and to ensure that when an agreement is reached, Cypriots will go along with it.

ilovecyprus


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31/10/2008 11:58

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A list of ‘easily-agreed measures’ could include jointly fighting organised crime, joint participation in international sporting events, joint protection of cultural heritage, supporting Turkish-Cypriot-EU harmonisation and renovating and making joint use of buildings in the Green Line.



Other confidence-building steps could be taken to facilitate negotiations on the more contested issues such as conducting an analysis of threats and threat perceptions and producing an economic development plan for post-settlement.



These fact-finding activities would both increase public confidence in the peace process – which will be viewed as a result of such efforts as more participatory, inclusive and grounded on the needs of the people – and at the same time may help bridge the gaps dividing the two communities on some of the most contested dossiers of the conflict settlement agenda,” said the CEPS report.

ilovecyprus


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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 11:59

ctd from msge 5



It also listed a number of more contentious proposals such as including the north in the EU customs union and including Turkish Cypriot higher education institutions in the European higher education system, direct trade and direct flights, and the resolution of the Varosha issue.







Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
31/10/2008 12:02

Looks to me as though the ball is in the GC's court. They have to lift embargoes, allow TC's to get involved in sporting events etc

Coachie



Joined: 29/07/2008
Posts: 2135

Message Posted:
31/10/2008 12:05

ILC Just sounds like the NI situation of years ago.Lets hope they change in very near future, it will have to be people pushing there leaders very hard,as they did inNI.....

ilovecyprus


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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 12:12

That would seem so coachie, but the report says that not many people are unhappy with the status qou, so where is the momentum going to come from.

ilovecyprus


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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 12:16

msge 9



my mistake only a small minority are happy with the status quo, so there is the possibility of momentum

PtePike



Joined: 20/05/2008
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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 12:21

How large was the interview sample, when was the survey carried out and what specific questions were asked of the interviewees? It's pretty meaningless without that information.

ilovecyprus


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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 12:33

http://shop.ceps.eu/BookDetail.php?item_id=1748

Coachie



Joined: 29/07/2008
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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 18:22

ILC... Before I became amember on this forum I never really gave much thought to the Cyprus situation,new had happened,But never thought there were some serious issues to be resolved. I suppose this due not to ignorance on my behalf, but I think due to the media.I watch tv regulaarly, read news papers most days, and can honestly say I have never seen anything that would lead me to think there was any thing wrong out there.I have friends who have holidays there inTRNC on a regular basis and they have mentioned anything,except how nice the people were and what a beautiful place it is.I know I have mentioned that I was there in the 60s and of course I never saw any trouble then.First time I new of any trouble was in 1974 but like most people back here believed the problems were over.I only hope that the"islanders" manage to sort out there differences quickly without further bloodshed.....

newlad



Joined: 02/03/2008
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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 20:14

Coachie,

Interesting.You say you were there in the 60s in what capacity may i ask,

Paul.

WAZ-24-7



Joined: 18/10/2008
Posts: 695

Message Posted:
31/10/2008 20:49

ILC. Thank you kindly for your report. Certainly there appears to be a general positivity in the apperently detailed survey. Physical hostility seems not to be accepted as helpfull. Very different to the religous and sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.



Sorry to hear about Mr Pikes scepticism. I feel quite positive and the report is very much as I would expect. With time, I sincerely believe that issues, fears and problems will be overcome and the people of Cyprus can again be proud to be a unified and single Community participating in the European and World agenda.



Let the negotiations continue and as I have previously indicated let the EU get stuck in and move the whole issue forward.

ilovecyprus


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Message Posted:
31/10/2008 20:53

msge 15



"ILC. Thank you kindly for your report."



You are welcome

PtePike



Joined: 20/05/2008
Posts: 2334

Message Posted:
31/10/2008 20:53

Coachie,



I would have thought general knowledge for most reasonably informed adults would have left them pretty sure the island had been fought over and split, thereby sounding alarm bells for property buyers. Especially for someone who had been in Cyprus in the 1960s, a twilight time for many Cypriots.

Coachie



Joined: 29/07/2008
Posts: 2135

Message Posted:
31/10/2008 21:57

newlad I was there twice but only for a couple of months each time.I was with RAF.

Coachie



Joined: 29/07/2008
Posts: 2135

Message Posted:
31/10/2008 22:18

PtePIke...I was aware of the 74 situation after the fact like most other Brits, but what I was saying there was very little published in the press or tv about what was happening after bloodshed..Maybe some people did hear the alarm bells ringing and most of them bought there property in the south which they considered a safer bet. From most of the information I have read about purchasing in the North there must be an awful lot of dishonest lawyers etc being allowed to practice there.Its not something the average Brit is notused to when purchasing property, but apparently TRNC is not alone on that front.

PtePike



Joined: 20/05/2008
Posts: 2334

Message Posted:
02/11/2008 00:15

coachie,



But surely the very status of the TRNC alerted you to either avoiding the place out of hand or being extremely wary when doing business there? The truth is out there, as they say.

WAZ-24-7



Joined: 18/10/2008
Posts: 695

Message Posted:
02/11/2008 00:26

message 17,

property buyers should certainly, and most are, aware of the conflict. Buyers have made their own risk assesments and proceeded to buy or not to buy.



The risks involved are pretty well discussed on this forum. The risk is reflected by lower property prices. Without doubt some positive progress has been made towards a posible solution or at least co - exhistance. Consequently the risks are diminishing with time.

A depresed market is not soley based upon the current level of risk alone.

European property prices are in free fall generally.