A Matter of Choice

Since the launch of the FPN I am often invited via facebook to all kinds of different events,  by all sorts of people, which are often only written in Greek.  As much as I try to translate if I can't figure it out I won't share it (it could be anything!)  and I usually dismiss them until if and when it becomes apparent what they are.  Once such event was the ' ΝΑ ΑΝΟΙΞΕΙ Η ΛΕΩΦΟΡΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΠΙΣΤΡΟΦΗΣ'   It was only once I realised that many of my contacts had been invited and after reading an article in the Cyprus Mail that it got my interest and I realised it was an event to try and get the checkpoint in my village Deryneia opened.  With the peace talks between the Cypriots leaders having just restarted I excited to see another positive step being taken towards the future and I knew I had to be there.  I quickly put together an piece for the FPN website using information from the Cyprus Mail and the event pages on facebook to spread the word in Eng...

Although I have a huge interest in the division of Cyprus, and fate of Varosha, opening of the dividing line etc it's something that I have very rarely mentioned on my blog.  The reason being is that although I try and find out as much as I can, I am by no means an expert and I wish to avoid getting anything wrong. The subject is fraught with difficulty as you try and remember the correct way to mention it - its very confusing for someone who is essentially an outsider to remember that the difference between saying border / checkpoint,   whether you say the north of Cyprus, or North Cyprus,  the Republic of Cyprus or Southern Cyprus,  the Green Line / the dividing line / the border / the buffer zone / Atitila Line and the list goes on. This is of course because it is a very sensitive subject and so close to many peoples hearts, even though the troubles had been brewing for years it was only 1974 that the island was divided, a long time to be separated but in liv...