[muse900]

While Erdogan is behind the wheel, Turkey will keep suffering his power-plays. Its very unfortunate that he doesn't want any conflict resolution, just power games (don't forget blocking social media sites in Turkey etc). I have a feeling that Turks do want to progress and be part of the westernized world but he is keeping them behind. A week ago he converted a highly valuable world heritage monument into a mosque knowing it will damage his relationships with Europe. Reopening Famagusta is only gonna make things worse.

Generally speaking the area has been conflicted from all sides, e.g Israel-Palestine etc, and it feels like noone really wants to fix things up and let the area heal for generations to come? I mean come on people we are in 2020 and we act like we are 70 years ago... we should be thinking out of the box.

Although I am biased on this subject as I legally own land that I can't use or visit in Famagusta, I thought I'd share my opinion.

[StavrosK]

My Turkish friends tell me that Turkey is divided between the ultra-conservative, iisolationist nationalists m that Erdoğan appeals to, and the more liberal people who don't like any of this at all.

A friend of mine has told me that the only way he'll return to Turkey is to attend Erdoğan's funeral. I sympathize with him, he's as sad about the current situation as I am (though from the other side).

[onemoresoop]

What side are you from?

[bryanrasmussen]

I think from the name he is sad from the Greek side?

[StavrosK]

That is correct.

[temp-dude-87844]

Erdogan is applying the same strategy used by Russia, in that he's keen to always push as far as the International Community is willing to tolerate. And they're apparently willing to tolerate a lot, because Turkey possesses immense geostrategic leverage, and he knows this. Other regimes that like to push against the grain, like in Poland and Hungary, wish they were as relevant as Turkey.

This sort of act is one where a couple western countries throw out some sanctions against some state-adjacent figures, but nothing too severe; then in a few years, those sanctions quietly go away during an effort to "normalize" relations.

[stevenjohns]

70 years ago the post-Ottoman Middle East began to unite under a pan-Arabist identity (the brainchild of diaspora Greeks, funny enough).

The progressive West spent the next 70 years ensuring that identity never took hold.

Specifically on Turkey, the West more or less gave Erdogan the green light for expansion by 1) installing a neutered puppet government in Northern Iraq that is unable to control its borders and 2) supporting anti-Turkish militias against the Syrian government and as a direct consequence set the scene for Turkey to begin occupation. So it’s hardly surprising he begins to flirt a bit more with Cyprus as well.

[616c]

I'd like to see the source on diaspora Greeks please.

[cblconfederate]

probably referring to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurji_Zaydan who was an orthodox christian, but lebanese, not greek