The credit belongs to the people, not the government

WONDERFUL. There were almost a million and a half crossings of the Green Line over the summer months. More than half of the Greek Cypriot population is believed to have visited the occupied north at least once. More and more Turkish Cypriots are bringing their cars over to the south. And the money is flowing – in both directions.
These were just some of the encouraging developments presented at a news conference by Justice Minister Doros Theodorou on Tuesday. Quite rightly, the minister pointed out that the peaceful intermingling of the communities through the thousands of daily crossings had destroyed the myth for decades peddled by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash that the two sides could not live together, that any contact would spark bloodshed. Quite the contrary, the reunion has been miraculously peaceful, even in cases of refugees returning to their old homes and finding them inhabited by strangers – in many cases mainland Turkish settlers.
Quite rightly too, the minister pointed out that money spent by Greek Cypriots in the north was establishing the Cyprus pound as the common currency for the whole island. He could have added that such spending also marked the first tentative steps towards a more integrated economy, allowing elements of the Turkish Cypriot market to detach themselves from their reliance on Turkey and become increasingly dependent on cashflow from the south.
But while it’s encouraging that the government should take pride in such developments, it’s also somewhat perplexing. Is this not the political establishment that has since April bombarded the public with subliminal – and not so subliminal – messages about how wrong it was to take advantage of the partial lifting of restrictions on the freedom of movement, even worse spend money in the north? Is this not the government that described Denktash’s opening of the checkpoints as an “illegal” decision? Is this not the government that said it was keeping tabs on Greek Cypriots staying at hotels in the occupied areas and even suggested it might assist their rightful owners in civil prosecutions? Is this not the government that has hammered home the message about how “immoral”, “unethical” – verging on the treasonous – it was to present passports to the occupation authorities?
Had Greek Cypriots followed the mood music coming out of the Presidential Palace, they would have barricaded themselves behind a veneer of self-righteous principle and stayed at home, instead of crossing in their thousands to the north. They would have stayed at home and confirmed Denktash’s propaganda that the Greek Cypriots don’t want a solution, that they don’t want to build a common future with the Turkish Cypriots.
But they didn’t stay at home, and it’s about time the government gave them credit for that, instead of merely reaping the results of their personal and political commitment to a united Cyprus. Those people who did cross took a personal and political risk in doing so. They risked possible ostracism from friends and family, let alone the political establishment. They didn’t feel happy about showing a passport, but they felt that a small sacrifice of principle was worth the greater good that we are now seeing emerge.
It’s heartening to see the government welcome that greater good. It’s galling to see them take credit for it, without acknowledging the bankruptcy of their rigid, legalistic and patronising policies towards relations with our Turkish Cypriot compatriots.