Onasagoras
The president seems a little on edge after Erhurman’s election. He insists, as always, that everyone will be judged at the negotiating table. Whether that should worry us, I’m not sure.
A longtime friend of mine who’s been following the Cyprus talks for decades predicts… well, “tragicomic developments.” When I asked why, he dropped a bombshell: Turkey says it wants two states but really prefers a federation. We say we want a federation but actually prefer the status quo, i.e., two states. With the hope that the “pseudo state” gets recognized as late as possible.
Say what?!
I spent hours thinking about that comment after my friend left. Is it really possible to lie to ourselves? Could it be that our national cousin was right all along, that the President doesn’t really mean what he tells foreigners? No way. I suppose, though, that everything will eventually be decided at the negotiating table, or, as the local vernacular would have it, the 'kounousma' table. Right?
Meanwhile, my black spy van reports that early scouting for the upcoming cabinet reshuffle is already underway, with one...possibly two...big surprises in store. So don’t assume those in the political eye of the storm are leaving, nor that the “safe” ones will stay. Get ready for surprises.
On a brighter note, a young British couple decided to leave England and move to Cyprus with their child. Finally. Minds in Cyprus. The president’s effort to repatriate young talent seems to be paying off, starting with British minds, and maybe soon our own. Now the question is: will they pick Limassol, the city that flies, or Nicosia, the city that sinks? And my personal curiosity: if they ever drive here in the morning traffic chaos, what language will their curses be in? Damn it.
Jokes aside, the complaints about the 'Minds in Cyprus' program are growing, though I say, never mind, and trust in “believe and don’t question.” Some wonder if it’s fair to give tax breaks to those who study or work abroad, while those who stay behind in Cyprus see nothing. I fully support bringing back Cypriots who left, but the bigger challenge is making those who stayed not want to leave, or at least not feel miserable that they couldn’t. The study showing that our youth are among the unhappiest in Europe still haunts me.
And finally, a staggering deal...worth billions...between Erdogan and Starmer (yes, that star) to supply fighter jets to Turkey. Clearly, the Turks "panicked" when they heard that our National Guard would be reinforced with… two volunteer women, forcing them to spend billions trying to counter us. We really are ahead of the curve.
