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Parties call for Downer’s head on a plate
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Cyprus
UN envoy Alexander Downer is not popular with some of the political parties GLOOM PREVAILED among party leaders yesterday after being briefed at the National Council meeting on the latest developments in the Cyprus problem, with calls even made for the head of UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer.
The Greens and EVROKO called on Downer to step down, while DIKO leader Marios Garoyian accused the Australian diplomat of operating beyond his mandate.
Speaking after the meeting, Garoyian said Ban’s visit to Talat’s ‘presidential palace’ in the north was not by chance but a result of efforts made by his advisers. He further accused Downer of acting beyond his mandate.
Regarding the visit north, he said: “It was not an accidental outcome, it was a conscious effort by some of (Ban’s) associates” who orchestrated the visit after failing to get an interim agreement or recorded convergences.
Garoyian left no room for speculation regarding the identity of at least one of those associates under suspicion, saying: “There is a Downer issue. It’s not the first time he operates beyond his mandate. It’s not the first time he operates in a way which presents a fait accompli or puts the Republic of Cyprus in a difficult position.”
EVROKO leader Demetris Syllouris called for Downer to step down as Special Adviser, saying he was “not an objective official of the UN” and had damaged Cyprus. Greens leader Ioanna Panayiotou concurred.
EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou described Ban’s visit to Talat’s offices as “provocative” and accused Downer of refusing to take responsibility for it.
The UN has consistently denied that Ban was knowingly sent north to meet Talat at his offices. Various sources maintained that the original plan was for the UNSG to meet Talat at his residence next door, adding that the UN team, including Downer, was “totally surprised” to find out just moments before that the meeting would be held at the ‘palace’.
The DIKO leader and House President also argued it was wrong to use the word “progress” when discussing the talks.
“There have been some steps forward. It is very early to talk about progress, it’s misleading and serves the PR games of the Turkish side and the UN which wanted to justify Ban’s visit here at a time when there were no substantial reasons or convergences,” he said.
Even opposition DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades, who has continuously propped up the government when its coalition partners failed to do so over the talks, released a statement saying adjectives such as “remarkable” or “impressive” progress did not match reality. Noting that steps forward had been made in some areas of governance, he added that other important aspects of the Cyprus problem had yet to be negotiated. “And we are just weeks away from elections for a new Turkish Cypriot leader. Unfortunately, this does not permit anyone to talk about optimistic prospects,” he said.
Unsurprisingly, ruling party AKEL Andros Kyprianou endorsed the president’s handling of the intensive talks and Ban’s visit.
Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou, was more upbeat: “There have been steps forward; there have been further convergences which for us constitute progress. From there on, the political parties give their own interpretations and their own positions.”
During yesterday’s meeting, President Demetris Christofias “extensively briefed” the National Council members regarding the outcome of the intensive talks and the visit of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Cyprus. No joint statement was released as is usual practice, due to one party objecting to it, said Stefanou.
The spokesman reiterated that progress had been made in the talks but not because of a shift in the stance of the Greek Cypriot side towards Turkish positions, as Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat had claimed.
After the party leaders have been briefed on the areas of convergence, “no one can claim that our side has endorsed unacceptable positions that fall within the framework of the Turkish proposals,” he said.
Asked about Downer and the position of a number of political parties that he should be removed from office, Stefanos said the government was not a political party, and did not act like one but handled issues carefully and not in public.
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CYPRIOT from NICOSIA comments:
JT - CARRY ON AND DECLARE YOUR REPUBLIC NO 2 JUST TO CONSOLE YOURSELF.
NIK LESCURE FM LONDON - CPRUS WAS TAKEN FROM THE VENETIANS BY TYHE SULTAN SELIM II AND NOT BY SULEIMAN, AND NOT FROM THE LATINS. AND BEING A FRENCHMAN WHY DO YU POKE YR NOSE INTO OUR AFFAIRS. THIS CASE IS A FAMILY FEUD BETWEEN US, AND NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.
JT from UK comments:
Guys eroglu went to london briefly and guess which passport he landed aqt heathrow airport, tes you guessed it the RoC passport. yet this person who is known in the occupied areas as the pseudo prime minister. guys I will be known as the prime minister of my neighbourhood from now on and i want you all to second this and i also want my little state which was formed today to be known as Cyprus 2. by the way the tc's must be a laughing stock globally as they badge themselves up as govt officials and NOBODY recognises this.
Nick Lescure from London comments:
Lets face it. I'm French so forgive me for sticking my nose in. This site is quite vitriolic. Turkey and its unrecognised criminal banana puppet state will never be accepted by EU Referendum voters to be part of the EU; unless they become civilized, acknowledge historical genocide on original inhabitants of Asia Minor and Cyprus, give full Acquis rights to Kurds and finally get rid of the hidden state and acknowledge RoC Sovereignty over whole of Cyprus, GC and TC, and let the Cypriots resolve differences on their own. This is what Greece has been doing since the restoration of Democracy on 20 July 1974.
Also for this to happen Turks have to come to terms with their cultural inferiority complex vis a vis Greeks, the Persians, Russians, Armenians and other ex-resident peoples of Anatolia before 15th, 16th century who actually form ironically 80% of Turkish blood i.e. all of you were Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox to start with and converted for social or survival reasons to Islam. Original Turks who were a Mongolic race, in eveidence nowhere bt eastern Anatolian villages and have slit eyes. These people have intermixed and hardly exist nowadays, though attitudes and bloodthirstiness exists in some circles see articles on Solomos Solomou and Isaac. Denktash your Ancestors were probably Greek Orthodox or Catholic Christians before Suleiman captured Cyprus from the Latins in the 1500s. Lets not forget the Genissaries, oldest sons taken from non Islamic families and brainwashed into Turkish soldiers - their elite forces. Hope same didn't happen in Cyprus in 1974. So Turks of today, you are most likely of Greek origin anyway.
What an irony to spill blood over a cause which simple doesn't historically exist.
Christoph from USA comments:
All Emir and others like him have is hate. Hate and anger that Turkey is centuries away from their years as the Ottoman Empire. Those days are gone forever, Emir. Deal with it.
Kyriacos Roumbas from Cyprus comments:
Emir and others, why are you so bitter I cannot understand why you have so much hatred inside you that you have to post some of the remarks that you do on this site. This also goes for some of the GC's that do the same.
Don't you all think the time is long overdue for this bickering and insults to stop. PLEASE STOP CURSING EACH OTHER! If there is a solution to the Cyprus problem then we will all be living together as Cypriots, and if there isn't a solution we are still all living together as Cypriots, as Cyprus is neither Greece nor Turkey.
I ask you Emir, do you not call yourself a Turkish Cypriot? It certainly sounds like it as you keep mentioning the TRNC and not Turkey! let's say that there is partition and the TRNC becomes recognized will you then call yourselves Turkish or Turkish Cypriots, there's that word again CYPRIOTS!
When are the rude and disruptive people from both sides going to grow up and start living their lives as caring, loving human beings, as they should be. Does not Allah and the Koran not teach these same values as well as the Bible does for the Christians?
It's the abusive people who post on this site that are one of the main reasons politician on both sides use one of the excuses of security for each community as one of the stumbling blocks to reaching a solution, among others of course.
For all our sakes and to all of you that seem to have so much hatred towards each other, please stop being abusive to each other. The time is long overdue for reconciliation and peach in Cyprus. not the kind of peace that exists today by being divided but peace and being able to live with each other.
As I stated before in one of my postings I am a Greek speaking CYPRIOT! I lived in the UK for most of my life from 1957 and when i was asked what nationality are you I would, and still do say that I am CYPRIOT! Only if I was asked Greek or Turkish I would then and only then reply that I am Greek Speaking CYPRIOT, there that word again CYPRIOT!
I also stated that I was a volunteer in the GC's army from 1973-1975, not a great period of Cyprus history. I was also very saddened to see how divided the GC's were and obviously the TC's were as well. For in the UK we lived as brothers and sisters as one Cypriot people, and I still have many TC as my close friends even on the North of Cyprus.
As I have stated atrocities had been committed by both communities towards each other and both EOKA B and the TMT killed people from their own communities for the sake of nationalism and the pathetic dream of becoming part of both of their so called motherlands. How pathetic to not be proud of our own heritage and wanting to belong to some other country.
As for how many different nationalities now live in Cyprus, what is the difference since Cyprus is part of Europe and if a solution is found or not and then TRNC is recognized will the TRNC not become part of Europe as well since Turkey is negotiating to become a member of the European Community? Since that is the case then Turkey being or Greece being a one of the guarantees for the security of Cyprus is rather ridiculous as all European countries guarantee each others security.
Let us, together, move forward and live in peace and prosperity with each other. Let reconciliation really start and Cypriots to Unite together for our children and their children and many generation thereafter. The time is long overdue for this to happen and the time is now for this to happen.
I say to Emir and others that site hatred and live in the past, let us all meet in peace and have a coffee together and see if we cannot talk with respect to each other. Let us be as one nation and one nationality for in the eand we are CYPRIOTS and nothing else!
Adam D comments:
Another point. Emir, you should be proud of your ethnicity. Your statement: "Greeks feel superior to all other nations on Earth" just highlights your insecurity about your own ethnicity.
Be proud of who you are! Again, therapy is needed........
Adam D from London comments:
I've marked all the comments that are homophobic.
Emir, you keep going on about homosexuality. Why? Most psychologists believe that those who bring this subject in out of nowhere are gay. Is that the case with you? Why don't you just come out of the closet and leave us alone.
There are quite a few Nazi's posting here. Figures and stats flying all over the place. I must say that Emir's stats on the 2006 ROC election made me laugh out loud. Did MIT give you those figures directly? You also seem to rejoice at the number of Cypriot Greek deaths with comments like "you started it" etc. You need some therapy and some outside exposure. Stop listening to propaganda and learn to love your neighbour. Lets mourn all those Cypriots killed by people with similar sentiments to you....
Cyprus Conscious comments:
Emir Soler you are a lost case!
Hope you had realized it, in an earlier stage so that someone could have helped you. Now, it is too late.......
Apparently you are one of those who do not want unification of the island because you are NOT LEGITIMATE.......You do not exist unless you have a country....a passport......legal property.
PS. There is ONLY one country in Cyprus and it is called RoC=Republic of Cyprus. One country and one flag.
Regarding whatever flag you think that exist (other than Cypriot one), I could say, you can stick it anywhere you want........and you can light it and you can place photorythmic lamps if you want, to flash it like in a disco!!
Christoph from USA comments:
Turkey has a long history of ETHNIC CLEANSING, GENOCIDE, VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS and MURDER. The Armenian Genocide in 1915. Massacres of Kurds and Assyrians. Burning of Smyrna in 1922. Conscription Brigades of Pontian Greeks in the 1930's and 1940's. Punitive taxation of Christian 'subject peoples'. The Pogrom of ethnic Greeks in 1955. Forced emigration of ethnic Greeks in 1964. Invasion and ETHNIC CLEANSING of Cyprus in 1974.
It goes on and on. That's why they have no credibility today, their history has shown them for what they are.
JT from UK comments:
soler and his boyfriend are now trying to be comedians, smith have you calmed down yet ggrrrrrr, easy tiger.........the 1921 episode in CONSTANTINOPLE was another example of genocide and ethnic cleansing, along with the armenians and kurds shall I also mention Cyprus, yes may as well. Now then where shall I start and which example shall I use that the turks simply caused many warcrimes and will pay for them all in due course. Yes thats all you can do is kill innocent people like the guy collecting snails too. Like I said turkey will pay one way or another. remember you only have 38k soldiers stationed there because the super powers are allowing it other you would be running like rats in the sea, which will happen for sure, you will probably stay behind no doubt calling the GC mastro. Much to what you do already whe you come to work in the free areas.
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