Only Britain Stands In the Way of a Cyprus Solution

A piece of news made the headlines about two British fighters flying over occupied Cyprus, much like Israeli jets did a while back, causing the Turks headaches. A foreign friend asked me whether it is good to have the British on Cyprus after all. The answer is, it might be. Based on a new agreement between two independent nations, after we agree that Britain has no inherent rights in Cyprus, no rghts other than those Cypriots agree to give her.


After all, few Cypriots will argue that the British did not leave a substantial positive mark as well on Cyprus, in essence enabling us to fight the dire repercussions of their idiotic policies. The above piece of news, if at all reflected accurately, is too little to indicate a change of heart. A whole lot more is required.

For starters, an honest, gentleman-like appraisal of the 1960 constitution and those apartheid elements that led to decades of suffering & a clear policy statement that a bizonal federation is both an exercise in futility as well as being contrary to the true nature of the island and its history, along with a courageous statement that the UK will exert all its efforts to reach an '63-minus' agreement instead, i.e. an agreement based on the proposals the British encouraged Makarios to present back in 1963, minus its apartheid and foreign intervention clauses/logic.

If we know Britain well, and we do, then we know this: such unconventional thinking can occur only if Britain comes to perceive her interests differently. To date we have no such indication.