Euro in north would be a win-win for all

Sir,

I agree totally with your article earlier this month about the north adopting the euro when the southern part of Cyprus does in 2008.

I’d also like to add that anything that moves the Turkish Cypriots away from Turkey, this time economically, has to be a good thing. Their economy will no longer be so closely tied to that of Turkey’s and they will be more dependent on that of Europe.

Also there is the psychological aspect, with the introduction of the euro in the north the Turkish Cypriots may slowly feel more European and more Cypriot because they will share the same currency with us.

Even if there is a partition solution (which, let’s admit a lot of Greek Cypriots want and which is quite possible the way things are going), the Turkish Cypriots adopting the euro is still a good thing as this will make it more difficult for the northern half to become an actual province of Turkey if they have a different currency and their economy is tied in with the EU. They will get the obvious benefits of having the euro and be less reluctant to revert back to relying on Turkey and its economy.

Whatever type of solution there is, federal or partition, the north having the euro is a win-win situation for both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

Let’s not allow blind prejudice to get in the way and let’s work on how to help the north adopt the euro, even if it means delaying it for a year or so. The benefits are worth it.

Yiannis Iacovou
London SW7

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.