https://old.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1f1tewj/cyprus_an_island_divided/lk22hct/
The truth is that too much blood has been spilled for a peace to come. People are scared. There are still lot of people around who has seen the days where people would get rounded up and murdered just for belonging to wrong ethnic background.
Lot of people want peace but they don’t know how it’ll happen. Turks fear that if Turkey pulls back its army there will be none left to protect them. I mean, people talk about international law and all that which is all noble and all but look at what’s happening at Gaza in 2024. In this new millennium. Where we thought we’d leave the horrors of WW2 behind.
I have never seen the south side of my country in my life. I left before the borders were open.
To be honest I have a love-hate relationship with Cyprus.
I love the island of my childhood as part of nostalgia and what it had the potential to be one; a place of love and understanding.
But I have no hope for this ever happening. My best friends overseas are Greeks from Greece, my first girlfriend overseas was also a Greek Cypriot, her family were wonderful people, it was incredible how similar we are, yet extremists always played to our differences.
My grandparents used to tell me how they lived in mixed villages and slept with their doors open, and if they lost a wallet their Greek Cypriot neighbours would bring it home to them.
The respect they had for each other, their traditions and religions, was another level.
Turks would have a parade with drums and people would walk through the village road, dancing and singing before weddings, but when they approached the Greek church on their way, with people praying inside, they’d go quiet to avoid disturbing the church service.
Greeks would do the same when they had similar events and they walked past the village mosque.
When their harvest turnout was too much and Turkish farmers didn’t have enough manpower, my grandpa would ask his Greek neighbours if they could let their sons help them with harvest, as thank you, my family would organize a big feast for them in their house with roast lamb and baklavas.
Everyone talks about wars and our differences but I rarely see our similarities and good memories shared.