TRNC (the legally DEFENDED territories!)

• Land and property in both South and North was lost by Greek and Turkish Cypriot owners respectively in 1974. For example I believe that Larnaca airport is built on Turkish Cypriot owned land. The Turkish invasion of 1974 was precipitated by a Greek mainland inspired coup. The action was proportional to the threat to the security of the minority Turkish Cypriots. The UN and the world at large implicitly acknowledges the status quo in the island (and in effect the Turkish Cypriot administration). Indeed the UN proposed a balanced peace plan which was accepted by the Turkish Cypriots but rejected by the Greek Cypriots. Greek Cypriots consistently fail to acknowledge these facts and to my knowledge have not made any sensible proposals (or counter proposals to the UN plan) for a solution since. The residents of TRNC (the legally defended territories!) would be understandably cautious of any Greek Cypriot administration based on the Greek led coup. The responsibility for compensation to land lost by Greek Cypriots should I believe rest with the Greek Cypriot administration and/or the Greek mainland government who sponsored the coup that led to the Turkish invasion. After 35 years of isolation it is only to be expected that Greek and Turkish owned land has been utilised in the North and South respectively. It would be refreshing to get a response from a Greek Cypriot acknowledging the above and outlining a genuine proposal for peaceful reconciliation.

  Jonathan Collins 11 Jul 2009, 11:04 - Report

North Cyprus is better than the South