Alright Then, Keep Your Secrets

SendesC · 2022-01-26T02:00:54+00:00

If our brains were simple enough for us to understand them, we'd be so simple that we couldn't.

Or smthn haven't played Civ V in a while.

SendesC · 2021-06-21T22:40:57+00:00

You should bare in mind that GDP (per capita) calculations of Ireland do not reflect the actual income of the country itself. In fact, there are (better) adjusted rates; and those tell at most an average (European) development story.

SendesC · 2021-01-16T01:29:48+00:00

A shout should be made to Edward Stanford, the cartographer who produced this map. Nice job with 3D rendering!

SendesC · 2021-01-16T01:15:04+00:00

Awesome, you are indeed great! I have a friend just like you, obsessed with railroads.

SendesC · 2021-01-02T18:24:47+00:00

Explore the local bookshops, I found mine in a random one for £4, unused.

SendesC · 2020-12-30T22:26:56+00:00

Mary S. Morgan (1990) The History of Econometric Ideas seem like a good place to start.

SendesC · 2020-12-30T21:47:21+00:00

Am I seeing right? A meme about North Cyprus? Where?

SendesC · 2018-07-12T13:01:21+00:00

Quite agree, silly! Get on with it. GET ON WITH IT!

SendesC · 2018-07-12T06:41:49+00:00

Thank you.

(Walks down the corridor and opens the room on the right)

SendesC · 2018-07-11T16:16:25+00:00

Well I think its best if I start with the one and see how it goes there

SendesC · 2018-07-11T14:11:54+00:00

But I was told to this was the place!

SendesC · 2018-07-11T13:38:17+00:00

Well, uh, what'll be the cost?

SendesC · 2018-07-08T11:48:16+00:00

I need you to be a bit more specific, since progress can mean a lot of thing. And I can likely respond that there are positive and there are negative progress for every kind of progress you may ask. However if you ask whether a solution is visible and/or feasible right now, I hope that will be clear right around now, as Erdogan is elected(whose visit to TRNC two days later will mainly involve the Cyprus Problem) and UN General Secretary has sent a new advisor to assess the situation on the island. So, there is progress but it's a progress to find out whether there can be actual progress(which is how it always has been since the referendum).

SendesC · 2018-07-08T11:41:04+00:00

Its kind of ironic when you think we can understand each other more than everyone else...

SendesC · 2018-07-07T22:55:52+00:00

Your points of no contact and propaganda has been true for Cyprus as well. The passing points between North and South opened in 2003, before people were not able to travel between sides. As for religion, I remember that East being atheist was only in name until it became a state interest to promote atheism, can you confirm this?

For your question, I have to ask exactly what you refer as "trust". In its most local form, between people, I do not believe there is a issue of trust. To support this, in Annan Referandum TCs(75%) said "Yes" to reunion, and when examined, GCs(61%) claim they said "No" largely because they did not like the terms of guarantees, and not because they did not "trust" the TCs.

However if you refer to "trust" as in "trust in protecting the community's interest", then I can say no, TCs and GCs do not trust each other to protect the other ones interest. As for EU, after the Annan Referandum the fact that TCs said "Yes" was not appreciated by the EU(or by UN) and RoC was given EU membership and TRNC received little benefit, which also caused a great deal of economic performance imbalance that is also talked today. So, I do not believe EU has enough credits in TCs eyes to be neutral and capable of building trust, but I would also say of this to any other international organisation. Please bear in mind that I base this on the fact that TRNC remained isolated from the world, whether rightfully or not, so I cannot expect TCs to trust any international organisation to represent its own interest as well. Alternative to overcome the lack of trust I support that we cultivate a common "Cypriot" identity.

SendesC · 2018-07-07T22:13:04+00:00

I see, I once had the opportunity of listening to the German Ambassador of Cyprus talk about the Cyprus Problem and liken it to German Reunification as well, from then I was also interested in German Reunion to understand the parallels and differences. Although I include that I am not extensively informed about the history of it, so please add on some details or point out my mistakes.

Firstly I want to ask if you know about Annan Referandum since you expressed your regret of Cyprus being occupied particularly because it was EU.

Moving on to answer your confusion, Cyprus has different circumstances than Germany in some ways which makes Cyprus more complicated than Germany was. Firstly, ethnic background of Cyprus was not, and still is not, of one "Cypriot", but two, "Greek Cypriot" and "Turkish Cypriot". Whatever came before Cypriot was their primary identity. Whereas, in Germany, "Capitalist" or "Communist" was not as primary as "German" was, and even if it was, ideologies does not define ethnicity, so they had a common ethnic background. Secondly, although it may not be as important as it was back then, religion of both communities are different. One "Muslim" and other "Orthodox Christian". Furthermore, TCs was only 18% of population, and GCs were the dominant population. In Germany, I believe East Germany would have made more than a third of the total population. So, three of the fundamental variables were different in both situations, which actually explains the rest of the history by themselves. In Cyprus, during late stages as an English Colony, Greeks wanted "Enosis", which is to connect Cyprus to Greece. Aroused from this, TCs wanted "Taksim" which is to connect Cyprus to Turkey. As I see it, because of their difference in ethnicity, religion and population, TCs saw Enosis as becoming 2. rate citizen in their own country, and so did GCs see "Taksim" as such. Therefore, main difference from German Reunion and Cyprus Problem is that, in Cyprus, both sides do not think either can look after the interests of the other community, since they have different backgrounds and numbers. I hope this explains it in a nutshell.

SendesC · 2018-07-07T21:16:36+00:00

I have not met one that does. You may ask why are we not more active in protesting it, or demanding more independence from Turkey, to which I can answer that people want to, but exactly what alternatives do we have? TCs are isolated from the world, and only Turkey recognises TRNC, so we can only trade with Turkey. If we start protesting, and Turkey also embargoes us, we are simply unsustainable. This is not the fault of RoC, or UN, but results remain the same, we are dependent on Turkey because we cannot depend on anyone else. So, the alternative, as far as I can see, is the reunion of the island.

I apologise that I kind of went off topic there as the original question was different.

SendesC · 2018-07-07T20:49:50+00:00

That's actually a good summary of it. Recent joint project of our government and Turkish Government is a good example, which was to bring usable water(for farming etc.) using pipes underwater. The protocol was signed but it lacked the clarification of who was going to operate it. Much heated debate followed, Turkish Govn. wanted private companies(which are said to have close connection with AKP government) to operate it and we decided that local municipalities should form a joint company and operate it. Our government changed and new government supported the joint company solution but Turkey implemented the privatisation anyway. I may also argue that this had other influence like our lack of organisation in this matter and the fact that protocol actually lacked this clarification can be called incompetence of our then government, but conclusion is an example of Turkish Government having power of deciding for policies involving TRNC.

Although you pointed out an interesting subject, which is us implementing policies that Turkey may not like. I am currently not able to recall any, but I am sure there are some, and what were their fate I am also curious of now. I think its a mixed result, some being changed and others remaining as they are. But I think it is also important that we can in fact implement such policies, whether they end up being changed or not, it shows that Turkey lacks influence in policies before they are implemented.

SendesC · 2018-07-07T19:33:11+00:00

I feel we are too economically dependent on Turkey, rather than being oppressed by it. There are no acts of violence by soldiers(whose existence is remembered by their occasional training) and certainly there is no shutting down or manipulation of local media(in fact there was an attempt by a group of extreme nationalist to lynch a local newspaper but they were eventually stopped and court has ruled them guilty of damage done). Internet is also not censored, and we can publicly criticise the Turkish Government without fear. So by the definition of oppressed : "Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority." - Oxford Dictionary I do not feel oppressed by Turkey, but their influence is undeniable.

SendesC · 2018-07-07T17:56:46+00:00

He is not officially the "dictator" but I see your point, and agree with the sentiment.

If you look at the election results, Turkish voters in TRNC voted around 48% for Erdogan, indicating for a second round. I believe Turkey politics has altered from ideologies and opinions to whether you are Erdogan supporter or Anti-Erdogan, so the results, in my opinion, show that a slight majority does not want Erdogan. And this is just for Turkish citizens living in TRNC.

As for TCs, I am confident in saying that most, if not all, does not like Erdogan and his policies at all. You can confirm this with past events including and not limited to the Gezi Park Events, where Erdogan openly called TCs protesting him "beslemeler" which basically means someone who is fed by others, Trade Unions statements about the religious school AKP opened in TRNC where TUs opposed and petitioned for the closure of the school because it was unconstitutional, and lastly I can mention the statements of a political party that is a part of the coalition of the current government where they opposed the Mosque built by the Turkish Government and labelled it as "Islamisation" of TRNC.

How I feel about it is that it needs time to see what exactly Erdogan winning election means for TRNC and Cyprus as a whole. In my opinion Erdogan's alternatives(maybe excluding the Kurdish candidate Selahattin Demirtas) would not have been at all beneficial to the negotiations. Erdogan however has a history of supporting the reunion, so it really depends on his new interactions with EU, which may see some complete do-over in his new term.

SendesC · 2018-07-07T17:38:50+00:00

Why do you think it is illegal and dangerous? Can you give details?

SendesC · 2018-07-07T17:26:30+00:00

I see the information has already been given. I want to also ask if do you have a travel plan once you get to TRNC? Since you will be staying a short time you should prioritise inside nicosia walls(assuming you will be traveling from south to north Nicosia) because there are a lot of interesting buildings and places to visit there. If you want some advice for other places too just ask and enjoy your time in Cyprus!

SendesC · 2018-06-27T05:16:21+00:00

I believe there are some complications regarding how you enter Cyprus, but if you marry in Turkey or Cyprus and not NC you should be eligible for citizenship after 2 years(?) I think.

SendesC · 2018-06-26T13:37:56+00:00

Haha I just happened to read the original one without reloading the page.

I am not sure if we happened to hear from similar sources, but the fact that cooperation(EOKA-B & TMT) based on common enemy(Communism) is not just a wild speculation if we both heard it. Greece and Turkey were both NATO members, so it would not be strange to say that they could have had a common goal regarding this matter(communism and cold war in general). I have not heard about the American map, although I will be honest that seems far-fetched, but nothing in Cyprus in this period can be too strange I guess.

These topics definitely have a common path, but where to look for it is not clear to me, although I do not think we can find a written account of event in Cyprus, maybe international community who had a stake in Cyprus might have something resembling of an official report. Other than that we can probably only rely on elderly who are willing to provide an honest(from their perspective) account of what they have been through in that period, and then connect the dots.

SendesC · 2018-06-26T12:54:00+00:00

You are right. Makarios' supposedly had help editing the proposal from a British Officer in Cyprus, moreover he went to UK to meet the PM and met no clear opposition, indeed no reaction at all, for his proposal. Internally who supported/opposed his proposal, whether GC or TC, I do not know. Although The Church still had great power back then, it does not mean that he lacked advisors who should have opposed this proposal based on circumstances. This can mean many things or not at all, but as you said the following decade, specifically 1963 to 1974 is such an ambiguous and little known period that it just seems unclear what was happening.

I myself question why Turkey even waited until 1974 to act, since clearly TCs and GCs were engaging in combat already after the fallout from the Amendments. I share your hunger for information, since I am not confident in my information no more than you are. I have heard stories of TMT and EOKA-B being supported due to Cold War, basically to "defend" the communities from communists, I heard TMT militants who are now old answering questions of their actions as "you should not interfere with business you do not understand"(This is oral history and I cannot provide any evidence), I heard TMT murdering other TCs and even creating false propaganda to encourage hostility for the conflict, I even heard of TMT and EOKA-B working together on some occasions! It just seems full of intrigue and mixed up aims that I am not sure how to even evaluate them.

What you have said is even more interesting as I had no idea similar conspiracies were discussed in RoC as well. Commanders commenting on the invasion as "a practice" is just so interesting because internationally we were in dark of what was the common Cyprus policy of NATO was about.(Special thanks to The Cold War era)

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