What the papers say
HAVADİS columnist Cenk Diler hit out this week at politicians who desire a “velvet divorce” for the two sides in Cyprus.
Writing in a column on Wednesday, Mr Diler mentioned the impact on those who grew up with separation and blasted propartition politicians: “Fifty long years. Half a century, almost a lifetime. A history . . . You have kept talking the same ridiculousness. You took on the world as antagonist instead of taking the world with you. You drew your sword against the world and pushed the people into isolation.”
He added: “Wasn’t that the purpose anyway? To separate. And you have partially achieved it. However does it bring any benefit to separate without having that separation recognised by the world, even if it’s a ‘velvet’ [one]. Even it’s ‘silk’ and not velvet . . . it’s worthless [otherwise].”
Mr Diler said it was “comical” and “misleading” that a two-state solution was not being put forward as a new policy “as if this wasn’t what you have been doing for those 50 years”.
“Have you and those like you not dedicated your whole your life to this? So why have you failed to achieve it so far then? Isn’t talking as though the world is ready for separation, without having brought it on to the agenda, a way of portraying the person on the opposite side [of the argument] as a ‘fool’?
“Sorry but we are not ‘fools’! This is an insult to the public. We return it to you.”
The writer said there was no suggestion that those who espoused the other side of the political argument were “innocent”, but explained: “What is important, is that if you are right, you have to prove it to the world. You have to work to this end and obtain your rights by force.”
He said pursuit of a “separation” would mean “betraying the parameters and principles of 1977-79 high-level agreements; the blooming UN-led Annan Plan which proved our sincerity to the world; the parameters of [peace talks at] Mont Pèlerin and Crans-Montana; and the [leaders’] joint communiqué dating back to February 2014”.
“Do you think that those documents will simply be thrown out like you discard government programs written on toilet paper?”
He accused: “Those were not gains for you — they were delaying tactics. Your approach was one of deceiving the person you were negotiating with as you did not believe in the negotiations.
“‘Secessionism’, which you tried at the outset and has always remained your secret agenda, has been tried for a long time, but hasn’t won approval.
“You haven’t managed to save people from embargoes, isolation, inhumane treatment. You have failed to open them to the world or deliver them welfare. Instead you made them dependent, begging for things. You put a “servant” label around their necks.
“You stood for any position for your own political benefit, and won. But you want more. You are putting forward an old, rejected path in front of us. Accept it: you haven’t achieved it. Know that we are not fools. You are trying to get blood out of a stone.”