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No
Greeks
Bearing
Gifts
Over the
past
months I
have
heard,
read and
digested
the
ongoing
debate
regarding
the
Turkish
accession
to the
EU.
I
awaited
the
verdict
on the
Armenian
massacre
and
Turkey's
cross
border
threats
against
the
Kurds in
Northern
Iraq and
wondered
how the
results
would
influence
Brussels
and the EU
states.
The
debate
and
opinion
polls
ever
fluctuate
with no
shortage
of
political
spin and
opinion,
which
coupled
to the
positioning
of the
United
Nations,
made the
issue
difficult
to
dissect
and
evaluate.
What is
the
general
opinion?
Man in
the
street
Disregarding
the
political
slant I
wanted
to hear
what the
Greek
man in
the
street
had to
say -
ordinary
people
without
an
agenda
or
platform.
Greece
is our
closest
ally on
the
political
map so
suitably
fuelled
I packed
a case
and flew
to
Athens
to
discover
the
opinions
of the
average
Greek.
It
seemed
perfectly
logical
to me -
that as
the
Cypriot
population
is
regarded
as
either
Greek
Cypriot
or
Turkish
Cypriot
- the
Greeks
would be
aligned
to the
Cypriot
side of
the
political
coin.
After
years in
the
media I
am still
capable
of
mistakes
and I
had just
made the
most
basic of
all. I
assumed
I was
correct
in my
evaluation
of the
basic
facts.
I
settled
in to a
city
centre
hotel in
the
Plaka
region
of
Athens,
within
sight of
the
Acropolis,
the home
of
democracy.
A busy,
bustling
area
with
cafes,
bars,
restaurants
and
shops
a-plenty,
so a
good
base to
meet
people
and
realise
my
objective.
Over
three
days I
made
lengthy
contact
with ten
people
of
varying
ages and
was
staggered
by the
consistency
of their
response.
A
mixture
of males
and
females
aged
between
25 and
62
offered
their
independent
views in
and the
response
was both
surprising
and
direct.
The
Athenians
are
pleasant,
polite,
articulate
and
welcoming
but,
more
importantly
for me,
forthright
in their
views.
The
consistency
of their
response
was
expected
but it
was
exactly
the
opposite
of what
I had
envisaged.
The
Greeks
see
Cyprus
as one
issue,
Turkey
another
and the
Cyprus/Turkey
problem
as a
completely
separate
issue
which
they
stress
is
nothing
to do
with
them.
'Cypriots,not
Greek
Cypriots'
A local
businessman
said
'Cyprus
is
Cyprus,
it's not
Greece,
it has
gone its
own way
so it
shouldn't
look to
Greece
for
specific
help.
Cyprus
flies
its own
flag,
not the
Greek
flag.
Of
course
there is
a
relationship
because
of our
history,
but not
today.
The
Cypriots
chose to
be
Cypriot
not
Greek
and yet
they
call
themselves
Greek
Cypriots.
They are
not,
they are
Cypriot
and they
have to
stand on
their
own
feet'.
This
took me
by
surprise
but the
feeling
was
consistent
with
everyone,
Cyprus
is
Cyprus.
So I was
wrong on
the
first
count.
'Flag of
convenience'
He
continued
'the EU
offers
Cyprus
opportunities
and
along
with
that
goes the
security
of being
a member
state
and so
there is
a
strength
in
numbers.
However,
Cyprus
cannot
assume
that
Greece
will
automatically
be a
crutch
to lean
on.
Greece
does not
fly a
flag of
convenience
for
Cyprus
or
anyone
else to
use as
and when
they
feel
necessary'.
A
restaurant
owner
stressed
the
point:
'The
Cypriots
speak a
dialect
of Greek
but not
true
Greek
and yet
when
they
come to
Athens
they
nearly
always
speak
English'.
Why?
'Who
knows,
maybe
they
don't
understand
true
Greek so
well,
but we
think
they
want to
sound
different'.
He said.
'Cypriots
have
made too
much
money
too
quickly
and it's
a lost
island
now and
struggling
for its
own
identity.
They are
not
Greek so
why say
Greek
Cypriot;
they
should
forget
Greece
and just
say
Cypriot'.
A hotel
manager
continued
the
theme:
'Greek
people
do not
think
about
the
Cyprus
problem
with
Turkey
despite
what the
politicians
say,
it's too
far
removed
from us
here. Of
course
we are
aware of
the
issues
but we
have our
own
agenda
and
problems
so
Cyprus
is not
something
we
consider
as our
problem'.
The
consistency
was all
too
clear
and the
topic of
Turkey
and the
EU was
obviously
part of
the
agenda.
'At the
moment
we
(Greece)
do not
have a
problem
with
Turkey,
its ok
for now,
so why
would
the
people
want the
government
to
interfere
in
something
to cause
a
problem'.
Turkey
'not
European.'
So what
about
Turkey
joining
the EU?
'This is
a
different
issue
all
together'
the
hotel
manager
said.
'In
general
I think
the
Greek
people
do not
believe
Turkey
should
be
allowed
to join
because
they are
not
European
in their
ways or
their
thinking.
That is
what we
think
but it
is
nothing
to do
with the
Cyprus
problem.
If the
Greek
people
had to
vote the
answer
would be
no to
Turkey,
because
of
things
other
than
Cyprus'.
What is
the
problem
with
Turkey
joining
and what
issues
would it
open up?
'Turkey
is more
Asian
than
European
and
their
internal
affairs
and
human
rights
are
poor.
There is
always a
problem
with the
government,
the
military
and the
religious
leaders.
Whatever
they say
and do,
there is
still,
and
always
will be,
much
instability
in the
country,
he said.
Why
would
Europe
want
Turkey
as a
member
when
they
bring so
many
problems
to the
table?
If it
wasn’t
for the
Americans
and
their
problems
in the
Middle
East,
Europe
would
not
consider
Turkey
as a
future
member.
The
Americans
want it
and so
Europe
says ok.
But the
biggest
problem
for
Greece
is we
will
have no
control
over who
comes
into our
country
through
Turkey.
How can
we
control
these
things
once
they are
a
member?'
Border
control?
I
tackled
the
issue
again
with a
female
journalist
and in
her
opinion
there
was a
bigger
issue at
stake
for
Cyprus:
‘The
events
of 1974
and the
division
are
difficult
for the
Cypriots
especially
when the
issue is
nowhere
near to
a
resolution.
I can
understand
their
frustration
and the
desire
to
return
to their
property
and so
the
unification
is seen
to be
important
to
everyone
she
said.
'But
consider
the
option -
suppose
Turkey
joins
the EU,
the
partition
is
removed
and
Cyprus
is no
longer
divided.
How does
a small
island
like
Cyprus
cope
with the
influx
of
foreigners
through
Turkey?
Cyprus
will be
an easy
target,
all
nationalities
will
flood
through
and
Cyprus
will
struggle
to
control
the
problem'.
She
continued:
'Within
five
years
the
Cypriots
would be
wishing
for the
partition
to be
reinstalled
because
the
consequences
will be
worse
than the
current
problem'
What did
she
think
would
happen?
'At the
moment I
cannot
see
Turkey
becoming
part of
the EU
and one
reason
is the
Cyprus
issue,
but that
is only
a small
part.
They
will not
withdraw
troops
from the
Island
and so
there is
no
ground
for
movement.
As hard
as it
is, I
think
Cyprus
is
better
as it
stands
unless
Turkey
completely
withdraws
from the
island
and
doesn’t
join the
EU but
that is
not a
realistic
option.
There is
always
talk but
nothing
happens,
no
grounds
for a
settlement
just
political
talk.
Compromise
is not
forthcoming
and so
over 30
years
later
nothing
has
really
changed'.
The
final
words
lie with
a shop
owner
who
said:
'Everyone
has an
opinion
on
everything
especially
politicians
because
it’s
their
job to
have an
opinion.
But
Greek
people
don’t
think
about
Cyprus
any more
than
they
think
about
Germany,
Portugal
or Egypt. It's
just
another
country.
It’s not
a Greek
island,
it has
its own
flag and
government
so what
is there
for us
to think
about.
Does
Cyprus
want to
disband
its
government,
be ruled
from
Athens
and have
a Greek
flag?
No.
Therefore
my
friend
they are
not our
concern'
Surprising
Stark,
blunt,
honest
and for
me a
surprising
and
somewhat
disappointing
conclusion
to my
initial
view of
the
situation.
I walked
up to
the
Acropolis
and sat
looking
over
Athens
and
wonderedhow the
ancient
Greeks
would
have
considered
the
problem.
Would
the
philosophers
and
theorists
of the
Parthenon
have
thought
differently?
Perhaps,
but it
highlights
the fact
that
whatever
politicians
say it
doesn't
necessarily
represent
the
views of
the
nation.
I went
to
Athens
wanting
to
return
with a
wealth
of
quotes
on a
special
relationship
between
Greece
and
Cyprus,
an
unseen
link
between
the
peoples
and a
special
bond
reaching
back
through
history.
I
remembered
the huge
celebrations
in
Cyprus
when the
Greek
national
team won
the
European
Football
Championship
in 2004.
The
Cypriot
fire-fighters
going to
Greece
last
summer
to
assist
with the
forest
fires. I
expected
a
connection
between
the
people
but I
was
wrong
and
returned
with a
completely
different
perspective.
In
politics
reality
is often
clouded
by spin,
but in
Athens
the
people
spoke
and
while
harsh it
was
honest.
The EU
has
changed
nothing
in terms
of the
people
but it
remains
a
'common'
market
in one
respect.
Everyone
is
looking
after
their
own
interest.
I
departed
somewhat
morose
and as
the
plane
descended
I stared
at the
lights
of
Paphos
and realised
Cyprus
is an
island
in more
ways
than
one.
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