Separation has brought peace

Sir,
Important lessons should be derived from the separate simultaneous referenda held on April 24, 2004 in Cyprus on the comprehensive settlement plan of the UN Secretary-general.

The strong and sound ‘no’ referendum result on the Greek Cypriot side proved beyond doubt that, in their overwhelmingly majority, neither the Greek Cypriot people, nor their political leadership are ready to enter into a power-sharing arrangement and to live together side by side with the Turkish Cypriots.

Since the timely intervention of Turkey in 1974, which was undertaken in accordance with her rights and obligation under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, and the establishment of two separate living areas as a result of the Population Exchange Agreement of 1975, not a single significant incident has occurred between the two communities.

The separation in Cyprus brought peace and ease to the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots. The referendum demonstrated that the Greek Cypriot people still have fears and they prefer to live in separate areas rather than sharing their living areas with the Turkish Cypriot people.

From now on, any efforts aimed at solving the Cyprus problem should entail the realities mentioned above. Separate living areas and good neighborhood should be the basis of any new attempt for the resolution of the Cyprus question.
Sevcan Karabiber, Famagusta

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.