WHERE IS CYPRUS?
I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO STUDY IN THE USA TWICE. I AM THANKFUL TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR THAT AND I HOPE OTHERS AFTER MYSELF HAD LUCK IN SECURING SCHOLARSHIPS AND ASSISTANTSHIPS TO STUDY IN THE USA.
WHY DO I START THIS ARTICLE AND ART PIECE WITH THE ABOVE. SOON AFTER I ARRIVED IN USA, I WAS INVITED TO A FAMILY’S HOME ,WHERE THE VERY WELCOMING FAMILY KNEW OF THE ISSUES REGARDING CYPRUS PRIOR TO 1974. LITTLE DID WE ALL KNOW THAT AN INVASION OF CYPRUS IN 1974 WOULD HAPPEN AND IT IS STILL AN ISSUE TODAY AFTER 44 YEARS; OCCUPATION OF 37% OF CYPRUS REPUBLIC BY TURKEY IS STILL AN ISSUE, ILLEGAL COLONISATION OF CYPRUS IS STILL AN ISSUE AND I AM A REFUGEE WITHIN EUROPEAN UNION. WHO KNEW WHAT CYPRUS WAS THEN AND WHERE WAS A SERIOUS ISSUE AS FEW DID THEN.
THE WORLD KNOWS NOW!!!
OCCUPIED BY TURKEY, BARBED WIRED BY TURKEY!! THE GHOST TOWN OF FAMAGUSTA!!
ONE STEP FORWARD FOR CYPRUS WAS ITS ACCEPTANCE TO BECOME AN EU MEMBER STATE AND THE EXPECTATION THAT EU WOULD USE ITS MUSCLE TO FORCE TURKEY MOVE OUT OF CYPRUS AND THE ONLY DIVIDED COUNTRY IN EU BY VIOLENT INVASION CAME TO AN END. NICOSIA THE CAPITAL OF CYPRUS IS ALSO THE ONLY DIVIDED CAPITAL IN EU AND INDEED IN THE WORLD.
IS THERE ANY HOPE OF A SOLUTION TO CYPRUS PROBLEM? CYPRUS IS NOT ON THE AGENDA AND ITS INHUMAN DIVISION BY FORCES FAR STRONGER THAT CYPRUS AND ITS PEOPLE. WHERE IS EUROPEAN UNION AND ITS PROCLAMATIONS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY REGARDING CYPRUS?
THE PEOPLE OF CYPRUS
I USE THIS IMAGES TO DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM AND WISH CYPRUS AND ITS PEOPLE A FREE CYPRUS WITH NO ARMIES OCCUPYING IT. CYPRUS REMAINS UNDER THE BOOT OF TURKEY AND THE CYPRIOT PEOPLE REMAIN THE VICTIMS OF POWERS COMPETING TO DEVOUR SMALL PREY!!
SIANT KASSIANOS NEAR THE DIVIDING GREEK LINE IN NICOSIA!!
PETER CONSTANT
