PEOPLE who have followed the political career of Mustafa Akinci would not have been surprised by the comments he made about the tragic events of 1974 this week. In a nutshell, Akinci’s position is that the military coup made the Turkish invasion inevitable and that the ensuing war caused pain and suffering to the whole population of Cyprus, but those that suffered the most were the Greek Cypriots.

Akinci has always held this view, has felt no need to change it since becoming the Turkish Cypriot leader and is now transforming his vision for peace and reconciliation into a political act. Recognition of the other side’s pain is essential for reconciliation. Another pre-requisite is to learn from our mistakes and put our past behind us.

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http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/07/26/akincis-view-of-1974-reflects-makarios-own/