Article about Cyprus

[Spud50]

Interesting article by Jack Straw in the Independent.

https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&u ... WX7eEJOCDA

[Panchocat]

A good blog by Jack Straw but he still uses the term "Invaded"
The comments below the article sadly show the bias usually shown in any discussion about this topic.

[paul90]

Jack Straw is consistent with his views.
On 27 November 2014 the Kibkom Times reported:
"UK Former Foreign Affairs Minister Jack Straw called on the international community to accept the division in Cyprus, so that the two communities in Cyprus could develop their relations. Straw gave an interview to Anadolu Agency (AA) and said “If a bi-zonal, bi-communal, happy and united island is possible, it will be the best solution” when he was reminded of the problems faced in the negotiation process. Stating that, however, especially the Greek Cypriot side did not want to accept this, which was observed 10 years ago in the referendum for Annan Plan, Straw said “I know what happened in the recent negotiation process. Turkish Cypriots are not the one to blame for the freezing of the negotiations. So my view is, the international community should accept the division in Cyprus. Then two communities could develop their own relations. This will be a better system.”

[frontalman]

He's a good bloke who has lived through all the nonsense over the years. His opinion is "informed" due to his years in the foreign office. He has the balls to tell it how it is, so more strength to his elbow.

[COG]

Whilst I agree with the sentiments expressed in the article, wasn't Jack Straw Foreign Secretary between 2001 and 2006?
I stand open to correction, but surely this covered the period of the abysmal decision to allow EU membership to 'Cyprus'..... With the support of the U.K. Government.

[jofra]

Just a thought, but perhaps in those days Foreign Secretaries, Home Secretaries and all other sorts of bods tended more to obey and follow the orders of the PM (despite their own agenda/beliefs), unlike Buffoon Boris with Teaser May....
(and he does mention " If the quid pro quo had been EU membership, a deal in my view would have been agreed...")

[frontalman]

Maybe he was hoodwinked like everyone else. Papadopoulos gave the impression that the GC 'yes' vote was a 'given' and that the TCs were the ones who might put a spanner in the works. The Greeks were blackmailing the EU by threatening to veto any further expansion of the EU unless Cyprus was let in. The rest is history.

[Groucho]

Letting Greece join the EU was like letting a peadophile become a scout leader...

[COG]

In some ways, Jack Straws retrospective comments outlining his true feeling at the time, makes the agreement of the U.K. Government even worse. I suspect that it puts into context how very low on the international priority list the needs of the Turkish Cypriots have always been.
Whatever the ethos of the cabinet under Tony Blair, or how collegiate it was, there were obviously side issues which over rode the concerns of the Foreign Secretary, and led to the UK agreeing to the Cypriot EU membership.
Sorry to sound cynical, but hindsight isn't that helpful unless JS's comments are listened to on a world stage.