Years ago, the Greek Cypriot side proposed a return to the 1960 system. In the spring of 1994, as is often the case, there was a deadlock in the Cyprus talks. When I moved from Ledra Palace barricade to the Greek part for an interview with Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulidis, a new arrival in Greek Cypriot politics at the time, I had many questions in mind but I did not plan to ask questions about a return to the 1960 system.
[penci_ads id=”penci_ads_1″]
Both at the entrance of the building and on the door of Kasoulidis, the writings were all only in Greek and English. Thus, I was compelled to make an addition to the questions I prepared.
As a matter of fact, when Kasoulidis said during the interview that he was the minister of the Turkish Cypriots and that the government represented all the people and land of the island, I asked the question naively. “Mr. Kasoulidis, you say that you are both the foreign minister of the Turkish Cypriots.
[penci_ads id=”penci_ads_1″]
Despite the founding treaties and the constitution, only Greek and English are written on your door and at the entrance of the building. It appears you have long forgotten that the Turkish language is one of the three official languages of the island.
It shows you have forgotten the Turks, which are under the founding agreements and the constitution are one of the two equal founding communities of the Cyprus Republic.” Kasoulidis, a “cunning fox,” was always calm and blushing, as the late President Rauf Denktas described him.
I could not understand why he was so shocked. Was it because he was messed up as he forgot a fundamentally important detail, or because I noticed that anomaly? “The next time you come, you will see that this important deficiency has been addressed.
I didn’t notice that before; you’re right.” He was a cunning man. How useful the 1960 system could be? He claimed that Vice President Dr. Fazil Kucuk and Denktas’ “separatist” programs, as well as Turkey’s “desire to have more say on the island,” were the reasons for the collapse of the 1960 system.
He must have acute amnesia as he appeared to have totally forgotten the genocidal attacks and the pogroms the Greek Cypriots unleashed on the Turkish Cypriots.
In the following years, as George Vassiliou warned me, sometimes I forget that I am just a journalist and not a negotiator, and that day as well, I found myself in a heated discussion defending the Turkish Cypriot case.
[penci_ads id=”penci_ads_1″]
It was an unnecessary, meaningless and inconclusive discussion. It’s youth, sometimes mistakes like that are made. But at the end of that discussion, Kasoulidis said: “Mr. Kanlı, tell Denktas. If he says that the 1960 system collapsed because there was no bi-zonality – now there is de facto bi-zonality – we will welcome him and the Turkish Cypriots’ return to the parliament, the government, without touching the de-facto territorial situation, dividing line, or even military issues.
Once they return to the 1960 system, we may start discussing the remaining issues.”
[penci_ads id=”penci_ads_1″]
I think the answer to Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, who now says let’s go back to 1960, is no different. That page has already been closed.