Cyprus | What Do You Want to Know?

In my last video, I took a look at the Cyprus Issue. There were lots of questions and so I thought to try to tackle some of them in this video. I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who contributed questions and sincerest apologies to everyone who submitted a question, but I couldn't get round to answering it here.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction and Titles
0:35 Was the Annan Plan a just and viable solution for Cyprus?
6:45 Are the Greek Cypriots to blame for the failure of reunification talks?
10:43 Is the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots unjust?
16:01 Could Turkey annex Northern Cyprus?
18:55 Do Greek Cypriots still want to unite with Greece?
23:36 What will happen to the British Bases?
25:11 Are the sides better of together or apart?
28:12 What is the best reunification model for Cyprus?
32:05 Does energy complicate or help Cyprus settlement efforts?
35:23 Do the Turkish Cypriots have a vision for their future?
40:01 Will the Greek Cypriots have to recognise Northern Cyprus?
45:28 Will more countries recognise the TRNC? Can they be stopped?
52:11 Can Greek and Turkish Cypriots live with each other?
55:21 Concluding thoughts on Cyprus

RELATED VIDEO
Cyprus | Can It Still Be Solved?

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FURTHER READING & USEFUL SOURCES

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MY BOOKS

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MY PROFILES & SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

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EQUIPMENT& TOOL USED TO MAKE THIS VIDEO

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KEYWORDS

#Cyprus #TRNC #Conflict
#InternationalPolitics #CurrentAffairs #InternationalRelations #Turkey
#UnitedNations

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[JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks again for all the great questions. I hope it managed to answer some of your questions people. As ever, do drop and comments or further questions below.

[FreelancerFinancialsUK]

Such a great video. I’m a British born Cypriot and I’m fascinated by your love and knowledge of Cyprus. I must say I agree with many of your views. One of the other reasons why the Greek Cypriot community voted against the Annan plan was the deployment of some 40, 000 mainland Turkish soldiers on the Island. Unfortunately, as long as Erdogan is in power in Turkey there will never be a solution in Cyprus. You should read the book Cyprus Conspiracy, it’s very enlightening. Good job professor.

[georgephilis]

Your knowledge and presentation of the Cyprus Problem is amazing, better than the average cypriot expert. I think you navigate through nuances very well, but our generation also needs to address head on all the topsy turvies on the issue that no longer can be ignored. If people can do this responsibly, it would be people like you. Lazarus come forth!!!!

[MYBTheGusbo]

I have to honestly say that this is one of the most informative and, in my opinion, most accurate videos out there, that I have seen, regarding the Cyprus issue and its sub-elements . I want to thank you for creating and putting this video out there all the way from South Korea as a Turkish Cypriot !

[luxembourgishempire]

Thanks for this James! Cyprus is fascinating! And thanks even MORE for answering my question! It's fascinating to see your views on this! Enjoy the island James!

[mettz]

Thank you so much. This is probably the best video I've ever seen on Cyprus. For so many years I've seen only one side told on the Cyprus issue but you represented both sides so well with fact and a level of the highest knowledge on the Cyprus issue, and I think this issue needs that level of knowledge. I'd love for you to keep making these Cyprus videos if possible, I think it gives not just neutrals a better level of understanding but I also think it gives both sides a better level of understanding of the other sides story and thoughts. Thank you again, from a Turkish Cypriot friend.

[giannb]

Professor, I am a Greek Cypriot living in London (one of many). Congratulations on this video, overall I liked it (I have some disagreements of course, but this is Cyprus we're discussing, so...) and hopefully you will help educate the people who will see it and have no idea of the complex history of the conflict.
Let me give you a fairly mainstream Greek Cypriot reading of the situation and our options:
* The status quo is the best out of the bad options available
* Engagement has failed, in the sense that although lots of Turkish Cypriots now accept the idea of a United Cyprus, they still demand excessive (in our view) privileges and insist on bizonality (even the most progressive among them) which isn't really different from what Turkey asks. So we get the same intransigence but in a more beautiful language.
* The EU is seen as a joke (the British media don't have the privilege of being the only ones to trash the EU). We especially can't stand hearing how "The EU fully supports Cyprus" without doing anything to sanction Erdogan.

[ahmetkbrsl]

As a Cypriot I believe that 2014 Annan Plan should come to the table again and both sides should work just a bit on it and solve this Cyprus issue. I believe it will be solved in 2 years time. Thanks for the video and thanks to both sides who live on this beautiful island in PEACE for years. No war Make love ❤

[TwentyZZ]

As a Cypriot, this is the first time I see someone talks about the Cyprus problem on Yotube better than Cypriots themselves. Thank you for your effort for being objective as a Turkish Cypriot. Peace is near I hope.

[VladTevez]

Papadopoulos made his proposals, by were not taken into account by the UN. On the contrary, all Turkish proposals, on March 26 in Burgenstock, passed into Annan 5. It became way too unbalanced...

[TheSociate]

I love how the British left behind countries that are divided, after giving "independence" to most of the territories they invaded. They now have the advantage of being the negotiator, but the instability in these countries is certainly advantageous to them. It's a shame to see the chaos that Post-Ottoman lands are experiencing; it's like a 200-year-old scar that never stopped bleeding...

[philo]

Thank-you for your video and all your others; they are greatly received. I have a Question which I have never had satisfactorily answered, and that is how does reunification actually benefit the Greek-Cypriots (Republic of Cyprus)? I have asked a number of people over the years, including AI (recently) and all the answers I get only ever seem to benefit the occupied territories. AI gave me a substantial list of benefits and when I asked it if the reasons it had listed were ACTUALLY of benefit to Republic of Cyprus it agreed that they either were not or only in a minimalistic way. I may be wrong (and am happy to concede with good reason), but the sense I get from you regarding the benefits is more ideal (geographic unity or solving an apparent problem or something else) than it is to attain some form of just resolution (however naive the pursuit of justice is in this case).

[chrisk]

A very fair, balanced and accurate account.
It is true that the origins of the Cy Prob belong to different times with different people and different mentalities under very different circumstances.
Today we have neighbours from all over the world and having a TC/GC neighbour will not raise eyebrows.
Still beginning largely separate and letting things flow is the answer.
85% of the legislation is now voted at the EU level so potential disputes will be minimized.
There are thousands of TCs working in the ROC area and tens of thousands come and go daily in both directions.
It is time to take into account these facts as well.

[glitchyikes]

A loose federation will not work, we have seen what is happenning in Bosnia, where peoples continue to live and rule separated, with suspicion across different communities. Furthermore, true unification will never happen as nationalists on different sides continue to stir separatist sentiments. For a nation to work, the two sides should be encouraged to mix to dispel the distrust between the communities. If both sides are not willing to form a state together, it would be more beneficial to exist as separate nations. Which will being precedent efforts to tinderbox areas like Palestine, Taiwan issues.

[max]

Hello James. Fascinating videos and I love your book as well. I love here in Cyprus. I am married to a Turkish Cypriot but work and spend a lot of time in the south. I often find myself in social situations where TCs and GCs mix.

From my perspective the tension you mentioned is very real. Seeing barbed wire and automatic weapons is uncomfortable and even the moderates on both side have certain entrenched opinions. Further more crossing can often be awkward.

From my experience there is far more common culture than many Cypriots would care to admit. A solution would provide many benefits, particularly if we saw a change in leadership in Turkey that wanted to strengthen it's relationship with Europe.

From my personal perspective life is somewhat cheaper in the North, beaches are less busy and there are more family owned independent businesses.

I do want a unified island without barbed wire where I can walk from across the divide freely. In your opinion what other tangible, day to day, benefits could a solution provide for those living here today?

[Randomstuffs]

I've always wondered : How do the Cypriots in general feel about the British presence on the Island? Are they hostile, in favor, or just somewhat neutral?

[oihanlarranegi]

Thanks for answering my question James, I feel really honored :) I wish you talked a bit more about the position of Greece itself on the matter, but thanks nonetheless.

[Pavlos_Charalambous]

22:29 the teasing thing is a very Greek habit in general, if you put Greeks from northern Greece, from Athens, Cyprus, Germany, United States and Australia together you probably going to get a very explosive mixture 😄 you know like a family coming together in holidays because they miss eachother only to end up fighting? 😄😄
And that's one of the reasons why been drafted in the Greek army is such an experience
Especially if your last name is screaming " Cypriot" 😄😉

[mariosbardis]

Just a point I want to make on 2:22. I personally rejected the plan since the settlers would be allowed to stay. Many settlers are strongly aligned to Turkey and there are a lot more extremists as well, like the Grey Wolves who murdered Tasos Isaak. The bizonal bicommunal federation is really the only realistic solution, that avoids another war, but it has to consist of a Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot community, not a Greek Cypriot and Turkish community. That is unacceptable. These people are not Cypriots and they have no place in the island. They settled as a means to ethnically cleanse the occupied area and alter the demographics, which is a war crime. But you are right that there is no political will to find an actual solution and the people didnt really realise what a bizonal bicommunal federation would look like. But the settlers are a major problem in my opinion.

[damaskosc]

I don't think Cyprus uniting is any more likely that the USSR doing so.

On the same note, so long as the Turkish-Cypriots have access to Turkish passports, jobs and funding from Turkey as full citizens and not as immigrants then this isn't really an issue of two states, it's an issue of Cyprus vs Turkey and Turkey is too imperialist to come to a settlement.