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In a simply titled book, the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation has just released a new book — by Jane Stylianou of BirdLife Cyprus: The Birds of Cyprus.

The Birds of Cyprus, by Jane Stylianou

In keeping with Jane’s (now former – she recently retired) position as development officer for BirdLife Cyprus, where she did a lot of outreach education and communication work with the Cypriot community, this book looks to be directed towards a novice when it comes to birds in Cyprus. And for that purpose it is an outstanding book, introducing important and basic concepts about birds: what they are, why they are important, and a general overview of breeding, habitats, flight, migration. It contains excellent descriptions and photographs of endangered and endemic birds, as well as the same for common resident, breeding, and migratory birds.

Migration and Cyprus

Perhaps the description of migratory flyways could have been emphasized more extensively, but that it’s introduced as a concept to the public is of vital importance. Everything about bird conservation in Cyprus revolves around it’s role as a stop-over for passage Afro-Palearctic passage migrants, a fact that is underscored by observations that two-thirds of the species on the Cyprus list are migrants, and the relatively (very) low abundance of breeding and winter visitor species.

So… congrats Jane on putting together an excellent book!

The flag is clearly visible on Google Earth, even at a relatively high altitude

It isn’t easy to get too involved in the political life of Cyprus, especially as a recently arrived visitor. Every argument has a counter, and every historical grievance has antecedents on an island that has been so strategic for so many empires … including, historically, one’s own. But some things can’t really be avoided – if only because they keep cropping up in your photographs.

Point your camera north from any high ground in the capital, and there’s a strong chance that you’ll get a Turkish flag in the shot. Clearly visible on the Kyrenia Mountains, in the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island, is the giant flag seen at right, in the image.

At night, the section on the left (“proud to be Turkish”) is illuminated in flashing lights.

This is propaganda on a rub-it-in-their faces scale, celebrating the 1974 occupation of the north by Turkey. They’d say it was protecting the Turkish-Cypriot population after a coup by Greek Cypriots; the south (and most of the rest of the world) consider it an illegal invasion that has left thousands of Greek Cypriots displaced from their homes for a generation, tens of thousands of Turks imported into the north of the island, and Nicosia the last divided capital in the world.

Getting nearer to the controversial flag

All that aside, the scale of this effort to brand the geography of the north with the Turkish flag is extraordinary. It’s visible on Google Earth, the source of the top image (once you find the flag and zoom out, you can still clearly see its location while most of the island’s outline is visible). It’s visible from across the great plain that makes up the centre of the island, and it’s increasingly visible as you head north.

Son günlerde ShowTV kanalında yayımlanan EZEL adlı dizi gerçekten rağbet görmeye başladı. Durumun böyle olacağını farkeden ShowTV yönetimi dizi başlamadan bir süre evel panafilm ile yollarınıda ayırmıştı zira biz bu durumdan sonra sağlam bir dizi projesinin yolda olduğunu farketmiştik. Kenan İmirzalıoğlu’nun Ezel Bayraktar adı ile rol aldığı dizide geçmişte kendisine dost olarak bildiklerinden yediği kazığın intikamını almaya karar veren ve bu nedenle yüzünü değiştiren Ezel, kendisini bu duruma itenlerin arasına sızar ve dizi bu şekilde başlar.. Başına gelenlerin hesabını sormaya kesin kararlı olan Ezel geçmişte sevmiş olduğu kadını bile intikamı uğruna affetmeyecektir.. Dizi sayesinde ayrıca kıbrısda turizm patlaması gerçekleşmiştir.. Bir dizinin ekonomiye bu kadar mı katkısı olur ortada..

İşte diziden bazı kareler

Kaynak: ezel

Hello!

The European Union Film Festival starts in Vancouver at Cinematheque on Howe Street. Many great movies are going to be screening during next two weeks. I have had a chance to interview with Corinna Avraamidou, director of “The Last Homecoming” (Cyprus). This film screens on November 30.

“The Last Homecoming” won several awards in 2009 – for Best Feature Film at the London Greek Film Festival and for Best Newcomer Director at the Alexandria International Film Festival. This film was also an official finalist at the Canada International Film Festival in 2009.

I would like to share now some of my interview with Corrinna Avraamidou. The entire interview has been published in the Russian newspaper Vancouver Express.

- The “Last Homecoming” is your first feature film. Tell me a little about your previous work.

- In 2001 I wrote and directed a 25 min short film with the title “The Secret of the First Day” which was a psychological study of a young man’s frustrated life and his complex relationship with his disabled mother. It won Best Screenplay at the Cyprus Short Film Festival. Since 1992 until today I have been working in the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation as a director, mainly of serials and television movies. So my strongest experience comes from the background of television.

- What prompted you to make this film?

- I always wanted to make films, ever since I can remember. Also, when growing up, the sorrow and memories of the 1974 events in Cyprus “haunted” my childhood, in such a way, that artistically I needed to find a way to “exorcise” my country’s tragedy through my work. My mother’s family house was in Kyrenia; she was born and raised in that beautiful seaside town that has been under Turkish occupation ever since. So the idea of a family reuniting just before the break up of war during that specific summer of 1974 started to develop, with the characters becoming more and more alive, full of their own passions and secrets.

- How long did it take to complete “The Last Homecoming,” from the time you began to write the script? Did you experience any difficulty during making the film?

- I wrote the script in 2003 and went through script development until the day I shot it in the summer of 2007. The main difficulties we experienced had to do with the funding of the project. Cinema is a very expensive “hobby” and especially in Cyprus where the funds are limited and Cyprus cinema is at its early stages we fought some difficult battles in order to be able to gather the amount to start production. In 2008 the film was completed and was ready to face the world!

- Producer Kyriacos Tofarides said in one of his interviews that movies are made either with big money or big love. If this movie wasn’t made with big money what was your big love? Cinematography? Cyprus? Something else?

- Our great love was and will always be the art of making films. That and our need to make films that are Cypriot, that have the smell, colours and “taste” of the Mediterranean island that we call home. As Theo Angelopoulos once said the more specific and local one film is the more universal it becomes.

- Tell me about the name of the film? Why is it the last homecoming?

- Because for the characters it signifies the end of their life as they had known it up to that moment. The war changes their country, their home forever. It draws a dividing line between the two communities, nothing is the same after the disaster.

- Why don’t we know what happened with Alexandra and the two brothers after the war? Were these also their final days in the homeland?

- It is open to interpretation. The fact is that the betrayal, both in their personal life and in the level of their country was what had such a strong impact on them. What happens after, will always have the dark shadow of their loss haunting them. They can never be innocent again, the way both Cyprus and their youth were innocent. They have matured, pain has made them stronger, maybe more sad, but definitely wiser. So they are not the same and their choices would be more unpredictable.

- Despina Bebedeli said that art in Cyprus today is a weapon, both offensive and defensive, of a peaceful attack. She also thinks that art works as a tool of enlightenment. Is the The Last Homecoming a weapon, or a lesson, or both?

- I would hope as Despina Bebedeli says that the film is seen as a way to open a window, to make a point in the peaceful way that art makes a point, to be able to let people in Europe and elsewhere understand what happened in Cyprus, the way it affected our world and hopefully help us find a way to resolve our differences and move on. That would be a real blessing…

- In the end of the film one of heroes said “The world is sometimes so beautiful that my heart aches”. Are these your words: is it your heart that aches?

- Yes, indeed, my heart aches for a world that is no longer…

- What are your future plans? Are you currently working on any other films? (If so: Would you care to share anything about your next project?)

- For now me and Kyriacos Tofarides are working as co-directors in the development of a new feature film called “Home, Sweet Home”, which is a political comedy. We are working with the development of the script as well as trying to find money for the production-again! It is a never ending struggle, but… it’s great!

To see you.

]]> http://peaceplayersintl.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/thanksgiving-cypriot-version/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:30:44 +0000 roryleddyoneil http://peaceplayersintl.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/thanksgiving-cypriot-version/

 

PPI-CY took time to give thanks for everything this past week.

“I’m thankful for my family.” – Agathocleous, 12

“I’m thankful for my cat, Aphrodite.” – Maria, 13

“I’m thankful for my friends, especially my girlfriends.” - Lougas, 14

“I’m thankful for my brother.” – Marios, 14

“I’m thankful for my school.” – (refused to be identified for fear of being ridiculed by classmates)

“I’m thankful for the game of football.” – Stelios, 14

“I’m thankful for the breaks during school.” – Galatia, 14

“I’m thankful for my favorite football team, Apoel [in Nicosia].” – Kyriakos, 15

“I’m thankful for the game of baskteball.” – Panyiotis (and everyone else at practice)

“I’m thankful for weekends, when I don’t have to go to school.” – Tellis, 15

“I’m thankful for my family, especially my mom and dad.” – Elena, 13

“I’m thankful for my village and everyone in it!” – Nicolas, 12

“I’m thankful for my new baby, Ourania.” – Marina Vasilara, PPI – CY Managing Director

“I’m thankful God has blessed me and my wife with a baby coming soon.” – Coach Antonis Tsolakis, Agros

“I’m thankful I didn’t over/undercook the turkey and that I didn’t have to take any of my dinner guests to the hospital.” – Rory , PPI – CY Fellow

“I’m thankful for the 9 puppies that my dog Pepsi gave birth to recently.” – Orhun Mevlit, PPI – CY Turkish-Cypriot coordinator

“I’m thankful that I get to play basketball…with PeacePlayers.” – Stefano, 12 and his brother Nicolas, 13

Thanksgiving is usually celebrated by a small number of American ex-pats on the island of Cyprus, but this year the spirit of the American holiday was also brought to a number of PPI – CY members.

Take a wild guess which pie is from the bakery and which one Rory cooked. The answer will not suprise you.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, participants were asked in practice what they were thankful for this past year and in general. The responses ranged from the very funny to the very serious. Regardless, PPI – CY participants all displayed an amazing amount of maturity, intelligence, and even humor in recounting what they were thankful for in 2009. Cypriots are certainly thankful for all that is most important in life: family, friends, education, their local community, and sports.

While PPI – CY as a majority took time away to reflect on this past year, a small group of PPI – CY staff and stakeholders sat down to traditional turkey dinner. PPI – CY MD Marina Vasilara, her husband George, PPI – CY Turkish-Cypriot Coordinator Orhun Mevlit and his wife Coach Bahar Mevlit, Advisory Board member Nadia Karayianni, and PPI – CY volunteer and pro basketball player T.J. Taylor all sat down to a Thanksgiving meal cooked by PPI – CY Fellow Rory O’Neil (with lots of help from Marina!). The menu: An 8 kg turkey (17.6 lbs.), 2 kinds of mashed potatoes (sweet and regular), 3 boxes of smuggled Stove-Top stuffing (Thanks Mom), salads, halloumi cheese (can’t have a meal in Cyprus without halloumi),  and two pumpkin pies, of which one was baked by Rory. (A bakery-produced pumpkin pie was ordered as a precaution in the event of a cooking disaster).

Believe it or not, there were no complaints regarding the turkey. The pies...were a different story.

Surprisingly, there were no trips to the hospital, resignations, or lawsuits, and very few complaints.  Orhun even said, “This is the best turkey I’ve ever tasted.” However, there were some issues with the pie that Rory had cooked himself (with ingredients shipped by his mother). When the two pies were put on the table, Marina’s husband George inquired if they were two of the same type of pie, or two completely different ones. And he wasn’t joking. After TJ was selected as the taste-tester and sampled both pies, the bakery-produced pie went down smoothly. Rory’s pie…was almost coughed up and barely made it down his throat. After catching his breath, TJ softened the blow by saying: “I don’t like pumpkin pies in general.” Thanks TJ (tear drop)…thanks.

Needless to say, the spirit of Thanksgiving made it as far as the Eastern Mediterranean this year. From all of us at PPI – CY, we hope everyone who celebrated the holiday in the United States experienced a great turkey-day with their friends and family. We here at PPI – CY echo the words of PPI – SA Fellow Tim Roche by saying that we are extremeley thankful for all the the support that comes from the D.C. office of PeacePlayers International. Without their help, guidance, and direction PPI – CY does not operate on a week-to-week basis.  To Tim, Tal, Brian, and Brendan, thank you and Happy Thanksgiving (belated).

As mentioned previously the non-squareness of the walls of this house provided some interesting challenges during the renovations.  Prior to moving in they caused us to re-work plans for the utility room when it became clear that things simply wouldn’t fit due to the allowances that had to be made for the quirky walls.

Upstairs proved just as challenging, but for different reasons.  When we acquired the house the upstairs was essentially an unfinished open space with a bathroom built into one corner.  Around about the centre of the room was a supporting pillar, and half way across a 3 inch step down.  To be able to plan where and how we’d divide the space we needed at least a rough plan of the space.

We spent hours and hours measuring and remeasuring the space … and nearly came to blows.

Hey! A drop in the floor. Shall we put a wall there?

The intention was to confirm the width of the space by measuring it in three different locations;

• Measurement #1: the inside of the back wall of the house + the depth of the bathroom
• Measurement #2:  wall to pillar + width of pillar + pillar to other wall
• Measurement #3:  the inside of the front of the house

All three measurements should have been the same; each was the long end of a rectangle measured at a different point, but there was a massive inconsistency, over half a metre.

We re-measured, and then measured again.  We shouted, we swore, and there may even have been a little throwing of tape measures and the like.

We were totally baffled.  If the shape was a rectangle then those three measurements should be the same.

Eventually the penny dropped.  The house shape is not rectangular, it’s trapezoid.

The front and back walls are (vaguely – let’s not go there right now shall we?) parallel, whilst the side walls extend out.  Essentially the front of the house is a little over half a meter longer than the back of the house.

No, once more, we have no idea why this should be so.

Anyway, our measurement #1 was ‘a’ in the diagram, #2 ‘m’ across the middle of the space and #3 across the front of the house ‘b’.

With hindsight it might be clear how we got to hurling insults before we figured out what was going on.

Note the 1000 litre water tank in danger of collapsing through the bathroom ceiling

Incidentally, a little research for a handy diagram of a trapezoid finds that it’s not a term used in North America.  Who knew?  For any American or Canadian readers the shape in question is an irregular quadrilateral!

The Troodos Mountains cover a vast part of West Cyprus. In addition to the nine Byzantine churches listed as UNESCO heritage sites, this area offers winter sports and hiking through forests.

For those who visit Cyprus in July – August (aka very hot dry summer), you may feel a bit suffocated. Troodos is the perfect antidote, in case you had an overdose of Mediterranean beach life. (Is that even possible?)

That wasn’t my case. My life in Larnaca, between work, home, gym, grocery shopping, didn’t really include a beach view. I had to drive over to the beach which just wasn’t part of the every day.

This second trip to Troodos was really about wanting to see the Cypriot color palette change – from coast to inland, along with smells, views and temperatures. And boy, how it changed! From terracotta to dark green, olive, asparagus, lime. From arid landscapes to wide vegetation. From dusty winds to fresh pine scented air.

We drove the long way – through Limassol instead of Nicosia; to explore the small villages and pleasant surprises along the way – wineries, waterfalls, pick nick sites, parks, trout farms and cute cobble stoned streets to wander around; always walking in and out of taverns for some wine, olive or jam tasting. We wanted to live the rustic, rural, slow, village life of this side of the island.

Each village has its own harvest, handcraft or product that it’s known for – cherries, apples, pears, peaches; straw baskets; tomato, fig or lime jam; wine, ouzo (anise flavored liquor); ceramics… the list goes on.

We stopped by Platres, a mountain escape destination – with cozy restaurants (the kind with platted tablecloth and homemade wine) and homes decorated with flowers on the window.

We later arrived in Troodos, with a great green panoramic view. We drove through Olympus Mountain – Cyprus´ highest point (1,952 meters). We spotted what was left of winter’s snow – which was enough to attract snowboarders in late March! It was a beach day in Larnaca and suddenly I saw snow. Weird but nice.

The next stop was the charming village of Kakopetria. At first it seemed just another cobblestoned street village, with old ladies dressed in black sitting outside their houses, souvenir stores, Greek Orthodox priests walking around. The secret was to enter the “old village”. Aha! We discovered in time and headed that way and it was absolutely worth the trip!

Kakopetria - old village

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Getting accommodation at Cyprus

That Cyprus is a paradise on Earth is known to all. Surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is a very popular tourist spot where people visit from various parts of the world. It is also of a historical significance, being the home land of Aphrodite, who is the goddess of beauty and love.

For accommodation in Cyprus, go for the villa houses, where traditional and modern features are seamlessly integrated. Being the ideal place to spend your vacation, many of the villas at Cyprus have privatized pools and luxurious residence houses. Also, these beautiful houses have all the modern facilities like being centrally air-conditioned and a central heater, patio, pool and a modern kind of a kitchen, all at a very competitive price.

On a silver scale, what Cyprus offers is the lazy life of waking at whatever time you feel like and doing whatever you want to. With privatized pools, villas in Cyprus are ultimate in terms of luxurious treatment. It is said that just a single visit to Cyprus won’t satisfy you, and you will come here all over again to experience its beauty and charm and find leisure at this place.

It’s a big advantage that all these facilities can be availed at a very cheap rate which won’t be too harsh on your pocket. In fact, a few villas have around four to five houses will well-furnished rooms in them. As already mentioned, the private pools and the ambience is an ultimate pleasure for any visitor who rents a villa at his stay in Cyprus, however short or long it may be.

A barbeque ambience only adds to the fun that you will experience at this place. You can just sit lazily and watch the sunset by the side of the pool and set the tone for a perfect evening. In fact, the private pool helps you create a lot of memories whether it is the time that you spend with family or with that special someone. Even otherwise, you can invite guests and throw a party for full enjoyment, not only yourself but also for the guests.

There are many price ranges for villas and so there are quite a few options where you can make a choice from. On one hand, there is the luxury villa just exposed to the sea, whereas on the other hand, there are plush ones which offer a private bedroom as also a private pool. A few of these villas with pool are conveniently placed right near the airport and other places of tourist interest. Apart from that, there are the Coral villas which lie quite near the beaches and give you a sunbath as also a pool bath which counts for a memorable experience. The Kato Paphos as also the Pervolia villas are the ones which have an in-built space for swimming purposes.

Given the various facilities available at Cyprus, the island can easily be considered as a home away from home. The whole island is up there for you to explore or you can simply enjoy yourself with a drink at the swimming pool. Young people, and also those with families will find this place a heaven as children love such kinds of holiday spots. Thus, villas that have pools are a great source of recreation and immense pleasure.
The kitchens also allow you to cook food at home so that you can have your traditional dish. Hospitality is a second name

A flyer came with the latest credit card bill.  Apparently the credit card company, Marfin Laiki Bank, are launching a new card aimed specifically for women.  With that in mind the card is called the Woman’s Card.

Laiki Bank's new "Woman's Card"

Like many cards these days it offers a variety of benefits as well as having a loyalty element. But possibly for the first time ever with a credit card those benefits include free mammograms.

Really.  Free mammograms.

Yeah, free mammograms!

Is that not just incredibly weird?

An offshore company is simple and easy to form. With increase in the demand for this type of company, many corporations have come up to make the formation of these companies easy and simple. The companies are formed outside the countries of jurisdiction for the following reasons. They are formed to help those with dire need to have a faster formation and development of companies in other nations easier. This is mostly done when the company sees some possibility of profit making in a given nation easy. Historically, offshore companies have been known to provide many services. This is determined by the reason for choosing a certain jurisdiction. The major reason for starting these companies is to help other companies acquire the assets of a subsidiary on its liquidation.

To form an offshore company, there are set rules and procedures that must be followed to legally own such companies. The following must therefore be taken into account during the formation of such companies:
- A memorandum and articles of association or the set bylaws must be given in a properly detailed document. This shows all the rights that an individual has as a member of that company. The set objectives and goals of the company and the internal activities must be clearly outlined in the Memorandum.
- Certificate of Incorporation which is issued by the Company Registry Board must be given. This serves as a proof that the company is registered and is has a good business standing.
- Appointment of an agent in the country in which the company has been formed. This helps in cases of official communications with the registry board. The agent is allowed to carry out some official duties in company.
- The official address of the company must be provided. This will act as a legal provisional for the company correspondences.
- The legal owners of the company must be identified. This is done by giving the list of shareholders of other members that have a legal link to the business or company. These are only people who are meant to directly benefit from the company.
- The names of the directors, managers and members who will be involved in the daily running of the company must be provided. This comprises of all directors, shadow directors and company secretaries.
- Finally, during the formation of offshore companies, the type of offshore company that is to be formed must clearly be shown. This is because offshore companies are found in different major types namely: an Offshore Company with a share capital, an offshore company limited by guarantee, hybrid type which is a combination of the two and finally protected cell company.

An example of an established offshore company jurisdiction is Belize. This is because it has a government registered company called Belize Offshore Formation Ltd which deals mainly in offshore company formation and registration. This company is guided by the standard set rules IBC. From this Act, an individual or group of people is able to incorporate a company. The Offshore Company Act in Belize does not allow a residence of Belize to conduct business.

We provide the following company formation services, Seychelles Company Formation |Belize Company Formation|BVI Company Formation as well as the opening of bank accounts for clients worldwide.

To celebrate the 26th anniversary of the National Day of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the representative, Hasibe Sahaglu hosted a reception at the Shamadan Hall of the Serena Hotel, which was attended by ambassadors of the CARs and Arab countries and Pakistanis from different walks of life.

The guest of honour was Minister for Industries and Production, Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo and he cut the cake along with the hostess, the ambassadors of Turkey and Azerbaijan against a backdrop of the flags of Pakistan, TRNC and Turkey.

Guests were happy to see the hostess looking well after her recent illness and congratulated her not only on her national day, but on her recovery. It was a cosy and enjoyable reception not too crowded so that invitees had a chance to interact with each other and relax while having their dinner in which cuisine from TRNC was served. Some guests were surprised to see ‘herise’ on the menu which is similar to the Kashmiri ‘harisa’ both in looks and in taste, except that the Kashmiri dish has small kebabs and is a little more oily because onions are browned and spread over before serving.

A young Cypriot lady from the embassy was the centre of attention both of the guests and the cameramen because she wore a peacock blue sari and carried it off very well although she said it was only the third time she had worn one!

On the gents side it was a smart young officer of the Armed Corps, who was wearing the dress uniform of his battalion, drawing admiring remarks. Guests wondered aloud, as to which country he came from with most of them saying Turkey, but they were surprised to learn he was from Pakistan!

Information on the TRNC says politics takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is head of state and the prime minister head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Assembly of the Republic. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

The president is elected for a five-year term. The current president is Mehmet Ali Talat who won the presidential elections on April 17, 2005. The legislature is the Assembly of the Republic, which has 50 members elected by proportional representation from five electoral districts.

In the elections of April 2009, the right-leaning pro-independence National Unity Party defeated incumbent Republican Turkish Party and won an overall majority. Freedom House has classified Northern Cyprus as free in its annual reports for the last several years.

In case you are thinking of purchasing the new global version of Amazon’s Kindle for Christmas, be aware that there are still quite a few places that the global version will NOT work.  I was disappointed to find that the new version still will not work in my country.

Apparently the new global version will only work in SOME countries.   I thought it would be helpful to most expats to have a complete list of which countries it will, or will not work in (below).

It’s also interesting to note the PATTERN of groups of countries where the Kindle doesn’t work–some countries probably lack satellite coverage or delivery systems, while others probably don’t WANT readers to be able to download whatever they want by satellite.

STARRED (*) countries marked below indicate that Kindle needs to be ordered from a SPECIAL PAGE on the Amazon site.

The Global Kindle version DOES work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Aland Islands, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liberia, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozembique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,  Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands – British, Virgin Islands – U.S.,  Wallis and Futuna, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Global Kindle version does NOT work in (as of Dec. 2009) the following countries:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, French Southern Territories, Gambia, Guinea, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of, Korea – Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including the Western Sahara), New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pitcairn, Qatar, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan,  Yemen.

Με τις ευλογίες του σεπτού Πατριάρχη Αλεξανδρείας και πάσης Αφρικής Θεοδώρου Β΄, και τη χάρη του Θεού, πραγματοποιήθηκε επίσκεψη του Σεβασμιωτάτου Μητροπολίτου Ζάμπιας και Μαλάουι, κ.κ. Ιωακείμ, στο Μαλάουι, από τις 8 Νοεμβρίου μέχρι τις 11 Νοεμβρίου 2009.

Αυτή ήταν η πρώτη επίσκεψη του νέου μας Αρχιεπισκόπου στη χώρα, αφού η επίσημη ενθρόνισή του αναμένεται σύντομα. Η αγάπη και η έγνοια του νέου μας ποιμένα δεν μπορούσε να τον κρατήσει μακριά από την Ιερά Πανήγυρη του Ιερού Ναού του Αγίου Νεκταρίου, όπου έσπευσε να παρευρεθεί και να συνεορτάσει μαζί με όλο τον ελληνισμό του Μαλάουι στον Μεγάλο Πανηγυρικό Εσπερινό στις 8 Νοεμβρίου και στην Αρχιερατική Θεία Λειτουργία με Λιτανεία, ανήμερα στην εορτή του Αγίου μας Νεκταρίου, στις 9 Νοεμβρίου.

Την επόμενη ημέρα εορτασμού, ο Σεβασμιώτατος, την αφιέρωσε στην Ιεραποστολή. Έτσι, την Τρίτη 10 Νοεμβρίου πραγματοποιήθηκε επίσκεψη στο Ιεραποστολικό Κέντρο Αγίου Γεωγίου στο Καμπότζι, όπου ο Σεβασμιώτατος ενημερώθηκε από τον ιθαγενή ιερέα π. Νεκτάριο για το έργο που επιτελείται εκεί. Ο Σεβασμιώτατος μοίρασε δώρα στα παιδιά του Νηπιαγωγείου και καλαμποκάλευρο στους ενήλικες ιθαγενείς, που σε ένδειξη ευγνωμοσύνης τραγούδησαν και χόρεψαν στους παραδοσιακούς τους ρυθμούς.

Μετά τη λήξη της επισκέψεως, όλο το Ορθόδοξο ποίμνιο, Έλληνες και ιθαγενείς του Μαλάουι, αναμένουμε να υποδεχτούμε και επισήμως τον νέο μας πατέρα στην ενθρόνισή του στον Ορθόδοξο Αρχιερατικό θρόνο της Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας στο Μαλάουι.

Από το γραφείο στο Μαλάουι της Ιεράς Μητροπόλεως Ζάμπιας και Μαλάουι

( http://www.iersyn.gr/news56.html )

ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΕΙΟ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΕΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΣΗΣ ΑΦΡΙΚΗΣ ΙΕΡΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΙΚΟ ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΜΑΛΑΟΥΙ

Μπλαντάιρ, 13 Οκτωβρίου 2009

Αγαπητοί εν Χριστώ αδελφοί και εκλεκτά μέλη του συλλόγου «Άγιος Κοσμάς ο Αιτωλός» χαίρετε εν Κυρίω πάντοτε.

Σας γράφουμε και σας ενημερώνουμε για το έργο που χρηματοδοτείτε. Με τη χάρη του Θεού οι εργασίες προχωρούν πολύ καλά. Ο Ιερός Ναός της Αγίας Άννας των 250 τ.μ. στην περιοχή του Μουλάνζι υπολογίζεται να μας παραδοθεί ολοκληρωμένος τους επόμενους 2 με 3 μήνες. Οι Ορθόδοξοι Χριστιανοί της περιοχής παρακολουθούν με χαρά την εξέλιξη του μεγάλου έργου για την περιοχή τους. Είναι καλοί και ευλαβείς και πολύ ευγνώμονες προς τον Σύνδεσμό σας που ανέλαβε αυτή τη μεγάλη δωρεά προς την περιοχή τους.

Ήδη συνεχίζονται οι κατηχήσεις και σε λίγο καιρό θα γίνουν περισσότερες βαπτίσεις σε αυtη την περιοχή. Τα καλά νέα δεν τελειώνουν εδώ! Από καιρό είχαμε πόθο να βοηθήσουμε τους κατοίκους αυτής της περιοχής και σε μια άλλη τους ανάγκη σχετικά με το πρόβλημα που αντιμετωπίζουν. Το πιο κοντινό τους νοσοκομείο είναι αρκετά μακριά και οι άνθρωποι πραγματικά υποφέρουν. Πόθος μας είναι να χτίσουμε μια κλινική δίπλα στον Ι. Ναό της Αγίας Άννας.

Στις επαφές μας με τις υπεύθυνες κρατικές υπηρεσίες για την περιοχή, οι υπεύθυνοι μας υποσχέθηκαν ότι εάν εμείς χτίσουμε το κτίριο, δίπλα στο Ναό, αυτοί θα το επανδρώσουν με το κατάλληλο ιατρικό προσωπικό και θα το εξοπλίσουν με ανάλογο φαρμακευτικό υλικό. Εάν η Εκκλησία μας προχωρήσει σ’ αυτό το έργο, οι ιθαγενείς θα είναι πολύ ευγνώμονες, διότι, όπως μαθαίνουμε δεν υπάρχει τόσο μεγάλη έλλειψη ιατρών ή φαρμάκων, όσο έλλειψη κτιρίων. Τα κτίρια στοιχίζουν ακριβά και η Κυβέρνηση δεν μπορεί να ανταποκριθεί και σαν αποτέλεσμα οι άνθρωποι υποφέρουν.

Σύμφωνα με την έρευνά μας μια κλινική σύμφωνα με το σχέδιο που μας δίνει το κράτος, κοστίζει 25.000 ευρώ.

Σας παρακαλούμε πολύ και προσευχόμαστε να βρεθεί ένας δωρητής από εσάς που θα καλύψει αυτό το ποσό. Με αυτό το έργο καταλαβαίνετε πόση αξία θα πάρει η ενορία της Αγίας Άννας, η οποία σιγά-σιγά θα εξελιχθεί σε ιεραποστολικό κέντρο που θα βοηθάει στην ψυχή και στο σώμα εκατοντάδες γηγενείς.

Περιμένουμε με ανυπομονησία νέα σας. Σας στέλνουμε την αγάπη μας και ζητούμε τις προσευχές σας.

Μέ αγάπη Χριστού

π. Ερμόλαος Ιατρού

( http://www.iersyn.gr/letters.html#km )

Στείλτε την αγάπη σας στο ιεραποστολικό κλιμάκιο του Μαλάουι μέσω του Ιεραποστολικού Συνδέσμου Άγιος Κοσμάς ο Αιτωλός Θεσσαλονίκης. Πληροφορίες ΕΔΩ και ΕΔΩ.

Ευχόμαστε και προσευχόμαστε να ευλογήσει ο Θεός τον νέο Μητροπολίτη Ζάμπιας και Μαλάουι και να του χαρίσει πλούσιες πνευματικές και ιεραποστολικές ευλογίες.

[Excerpt from Vamik D. Volkan (2008), “Trauma, Identity and Search for a Solution in Cyprus”, Insight Turkey, vol. 10, no.4, pp. 95-110]

…

Historical developments after the summer of 1974 have continued to trauma­tize Cypriot Turks in a slow and often unrecognized fashion. A world opinion ac­cepting the Cypriot Greeks as victims and the Cypriot Turks (or Turks in general) as aggressors has been established. Although this was perhaps due to the failure of Turkish diplomacy, psychologically speaking it might also be due to the West­ern World’s stereotypical perceptions of Turks as the heirs to the Ottomans, who were the enemies of the West. Whatever the cause, the Greek side of the island was recognized legally as a state by all nations, except Turkey, while only Turkey accepted the Turkish side as a legal entity. This reality created an invisible enclave for the Cypriot Turks.

Cypriot Greeks managed to convince international organizations to impose severe embargoes on the Cypriot Turks. Accordingly, trading directly with foreign countries became impossible, and travel documents issued to the Cypriot Turks by the northern Cypriot Turkish authorities were not recognized by the international community. No direct flights to the Turkish side of the island were permitted, and mail to and from the Turkish side could only travel through Turkey. Cypriot Turks were not allowed to compete in sports in foreign countries (except in Turkey.)… After living in actual enclaves for eleven years [between 1963-1974], the Cypriot Turks from 1974 to the present time have continued to live in an invisible enclave.­

…

Official diplomacy makes little room for noticing and caring about emotions. The people in international organizations do not even consider feel­ing ashamed about treating the Cypriot Turks as second-class world citizens for decades while accepting the Greeks in the south of the island as regular human beings…

The results of my interviews surprised me. All of the young people I interviewed seemed unaware of their ancestors’ recent history. I also learned that, since the opening of the borders between the Greek and Turkish sides after the Greek side became a member of the European Union, more than 250 Turkish Cypriot families began sending their children to secondary or higher schools on the Greek side where no lessons are given on the massive and chronic Cypriot Turkish trauma. I was also informed that 10-20 Cypriot Turkish children are also attending Cypriot Greek elementary schools. The Cypriot Turkish parents’ justification for sending their children to schools on the Cypriot Greek side is their perception that the Cypriot Turkish schools are inferior to the schools in the south, which are part of the EU system. Some parents were aware that their children might experience humili­ations after crossing the border to the Cypriot Greek side, but in spite of this they continued to send them there…

How did the younger generation of Cypriot Turks – again I am generalizing here – begin to “forget” the history and the dramatic nature of their recent ances­tors’ experience? First, let me suggest that strong external pressure and political propaganda have played a significant role in the denial and repression of the mas­sive trauma of their ancestors…

For some time now, especially after the failure of the Annan Plan, Americans and other foreigners who are assigned the task of finding a solution for the “Cy­prus problem” have become more and more aware that the “logical solution” of creating “Cypriotism” described above is only an illusion. The present focus seems to be on a more realistic strategy to find a way for Cypriot Greeks and Cypriot Turks to hold on to their national identities while living side by side. Neverthe­less, the influence of the long-lasting illusionary strategy to get rid of the “Cyprus problem” through an emphasis on “Cypriotism” has had an impact on the Cy­priot Turks who were hungry for a legal identity that would not be humiliating. It helped to create identity confusion among the Cypriot Turks, especially the younger generation, which Cypriot Greeks were spared.

Water covers around two thirds of the Earth’s surface. However, the vast majority is too salty to be consumed as drinking water. Only 2.5% of the Earth’s water is not salty and two thirds is frozen in glaciers.

The increase of the world’s population, the inefficiency of water usage and pollution only make this situation worse.

But none of this is news.

In many countries this situation goes unnoticed. Most people don’t realize or simply overlook the fact that we have decreasing quantities of this vital element and won’t hesitate to take long showers.

In Cyprus we kinda had to become aware. Water shortage is a recurring problem that has been afflicting residents of the island for a long time and is only aggravating.

Cyprus doesn’t have rivers or perennial fountains. The alternative was obtaining water from the earth, for it is cheap and clean. This method has been used for a long time, until it was depleted. The next alternative was desalination plants. Cyprus has three nowadays. However, they provide only 45% of the island’s water demand. Not to mention that it requires a great deal of power consumption, therefore it’s not a very green or sustainable process.

In 2008 one of the worst droughts took place. That same year, the country’s authorities announced a drastic reduction of water provision to Cypriot homes. The water dams were practically dry. Homes were supplied with water only three times a week for only 12 hours.

Summer is the worst time – the dry hot days significantly decrease water levels.

To deal with this issue, Cyprus now imports water from Greece and Turkey.

Luckily I arrived in September which is hot but not as bad as July and August. In our first apartment we had three or four days without water, which was easily managed.  However, we had to be conscious everyday. Our water source changed every other day: one day it’s from your house or apartment, and the following day it comes from the city or from the “street” as they say here. On those days we must take care of laundry, dishes and perhaps a longer shower. When the water source was from the apartment building, we had to be extra careful – short showers and optimized water usage for dish washing. Closing the tap while brushing our teeth and turning off the shower while shampooing became a habit.

In our apartment, since we were only two, it wasn’t a recurring problem. However, in our friend’s house, with six people, they had to worry a bit more, or else, the last one would shower with a few cold drops.

Global warming and drought effects have been increasingly worrying Cypriots, to the point a possibility has emerged: a potential cooperation between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Is the water shortage problem able to diminish the tension between the north and south?

pictures: inmagine

Teams from Iskele/Trikomo and Famagusta played a friendly match with each other last week.

The primary events during PPI – CY’s program year are it’s bi-communal events, where children from the Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot communities meet on the basketball court. Island-wide tournaments, 3-on-3 tournaments, twinnings, or summer basketball camps are all examples of how PPI – CY brings the two communities together through the game of basketball. Without these experiences, the PPI – CY experience would not be as comprehensive and educational as it currently is.

This good ol' fashioned shot-fake seemed to work pretty well in last week's friendly match.

While these experiences are essential to the PPI – CY educational experience, there is also room for activity within each PPI – CY community. Last week, PPI – CY teams from Famagusta and Iskele/Trikomo played a friendly match between its boys teams. It was a great opportunity for two Turkish-Cypriot teams to show off their skills, and for coach Bahar Mevlit (Famagusta) and Sevki Pirlanta (Iskele/Trikomo) to demonstrate their coaching abilities in a game situation. It was great practice for everyone.  Everyone from each team got to play, and everyone walked away from the court smiling and laughing, after a good time was had by all.

Team Agios Antonios' seats were pretty close to the floor last night.

Last night, PPI – CY’s boys team from Agios Antonios, in the Greek-Cypriot town of Limassol, had the opportunity to watch Limassol’s professional basketball club, AEL, play a EuroCup game against Crotia’s Cedevita from the city of Zagreb.  While sitting courtside was cool enough, the boys were actually invited by the club to make their way onto the court to shoot around during the intermission. The home team won, and fun was had by all.

The boys were allowed to shoot around on the floor during halftime of last night's game.

Even though the global financial crisis has affected every aspect of Cypriot civil society, it has not prevented PPI – CY from still offering a great basketball experience to all of its participants. Whether its sitting courtside at EuroCup games, or playing friendly matches with fellow peace-builders from the same community, there are many aspects to the PPI – CY experience, with each one complimenting the overall goal of bringing the two communities closer through the game of basketball.

Het verloop van de Turkse kandidatuur voor toetreding tot de Europese Unie leest als een passionele liefdesroman. Het verhaal van deze toetreding begon reeds in 1963 en kende vele pieken en dalen. Uit dit volatiele verleden van de Europees-Turkse relaties kan men veel leren. Daarnaast  maakt het ook mogelijk het verder verloop van deze paringsdans te voorspellen.

Een woelige geschiedenis

Na de acceptatie als geassociëerd lid in 1963, koelde deze relatie tijdens de jaren ’70 en ’80 stelselmatig af en bovendien deed de politiek geïnspireerde toetreding van Griekenland tot de EU de dialoog helemaal tot onder het vriespunt dalen. Deze situatie verbeterde stelselmatig in de jaren ’90, waarin jarenlang intens diplomatiek contact uiteindelijk leidde tot de realisatie van een douane-unie. Men mag echter niet blind zijn voor de instabiliteit die zich ook in deze periode doorzette. Elke goede langetermijnrelatie heeft nood aan een sterke vertrouwensbasis. Dit vertrouwen werd in 1997 beschaamd, toen het conflict tussen Duitsland en Turkije ontspoorde op de top in Luxemburg.

Reeds meer dan 40 jaar dansen de EU en Turkije deze vurige dans. Er lijkt geen reden om te vermoeden dat deze niet-lineaire evolutie van de inter-institutionele dialoog in de toekomst plots regelmatiger zou worden. Maar wanneer men de evolutie in haar geheel bekijkt, ziet men toch dat beide partijen dichter bij elkaar gekomen zijn.

Daarnaast zorgen de recente successen, die door technocraten van beide zijden gerealiseerd werden, en de internationale positieve beweging, mee getrokken door de Verenigde Staten, er wel voor dat een momentum ontstaat waarvan men gebruik dient te maken. Uiteraard dient men te beseffen dat er nog steeds onenigheden zijn tussen beide kampen, maar toch dienen deze gunstige omstandigheden benut te worden.

Het Momentum is daar

Dit momentum is er niet zomaar gekomen. Toen Europa vaststelde dat de diplomatie die via politici verliep steeds weer leidde tot conflicten en destabilisering van de relatie, besloot de Unie het Europees-Turks project over een andere boeg te gooien. Technocraten, met groot wederzijds respect, namen de zaak over en moesten klaarheid scheppen tussen Brussel en Ankara.

Het heeft geen zin Turkije in allerijl tot de Europese Club te laten toetreden en zo instabiliteit te importeren, zoals met Cyprus is gebeurd. In plaats daarvan, dient de kandidaat-lidstaat eerst intern te stabiliseren. Toch lijkt het een goed moment om de gesprekken op een hoger niveau te brengen.

Deze instabiliteit in Turkije wordt bovendien door verschillende factoren veroorzaakt. Niet enkel de problematische relatie met Cyprus en het respecteren van mensenrechten zijn hier van belang, maar ook interne factoren zoals de rampzalige staat van het onderwijs, de beperkte godsdienstvrijheid en de zwakke positie van de vrouw spelen hier een rol. Hoewel dit vooral culturele aspecten zijn, kan men hier, in het licht van de Lissabon-doelstellingen, niet naast kijken. Ook positieve aspecten dienen echter opgemerkt te worden: de moedige inspanningen die de AKP levert om culturele diversiteit mogelijk te maken in het licht van het conflict met de Koerden, doen de Europese wapenspreuk alle eer aan.

Aan de andere kant mag Europa de Turkse toetreding ook niet te lang links laten liggen. Hoewel kersvers Europees President Van Rompuy zich uitdrukkelijk tegen de toetreding kantte, kan de Unie deze achterdeur naar olie en gas goed gebruiken om zo de afhankelijkheid van Rusland tegen te gaan. Bovendien moet de EU vermijden dat een gefrustreerd Turkije in de handen van explosieve Arabische regimes wordt gedreven. Vandaag staat Turkije klaar om het machtsvacuüm op te vullen dat oude en verzwakte regionale grootmachten als Egypte en Irak achterlieten.

Democratie 2.0

Het debat zal uiteindelijk door politici beslecht worden en zo zal, net zoals bij vorige toetredingen, een politieke beslissing genomen worden. Al deze factoren hangen echter samen met de strijd tegen “Ergenekon”, die Turkije naar buiten toe duidelijk moet profileren als een stabiele “Democratie 2.0”. 100 jaar na de revolutie onder Ataturk, moet Turkije opniew een omwenteling ondergaan, die de staat klaar maakt voor de EU en de 21^ste eeuw.

De Unie beschouwt deze strijd eerder als een opportuniteit dan een bedreiging, die roet in het eten zou gooien bij de onderhandelingen. De mogelijke toetreding kan dan ook niet los hiervan beschouwd worden. Eerst dient dit land, als lid van de G-20 en een belangrijke NAVO-staat, intern orde op zake te stellen. Enkel wanneer een einde gemaakt wordt aan de interne conflicten en de overheid haar doelen met betrekking tot de Ergenekon-beweging bereikt kan Turkije uitgroeien tot een volwassen en betrouwbare, economisch sterke democratie. Enkel dan kan de EU deze geliefde finaal in haar armen sluiten.

Naar: Turkey’s EU Path, http://fora.tv/2006/11/22/Turkey_s_EU_Path

Pressure exerted on Turkey in opening ports to Greek Cypriots seems to increasing this time from UK. “I call on Turkish government to honor its pledge. The ports should open, more in word than in deed,” said UK Minister of State for Europe Chris Bryant, having close ties in the Greek Cyprus.

Pressure exerted on Turkey in opening ports to Greek Cypriots seems to increasing this time from UK. “I call on Turkish government to honor its pledge. The ports should open, more in word than in deed,” said UK Minister of State for Europe Chris Bryant, having close ties in the Greek Cyprus. According to him, Europe is reluctant to block all doors before Turkey. “Turkey’s membership process (in EU) should proceed.”

EU began talks with Turkey after Ankara pledged to open its ports to Greek Cypriots. Back in 2004, EU accepted Greek part of Cyprus as a full member. Later, Greek Cypriots strengthening in EU, voiced threats to veto the talks on Turkey’s joining EU as a full member. According to him, Europe is reluctant to block all doors before Turkey.

“Turkey’s membership process (in EU) should proceed.” EU began talks with Turkey after Ankara pledged to open its ports to Greek Cypriots. Back in 2004, EU accepted Greek part of Cyprus as a full member. Later, Greek Cypriots strengthening in EU, voiced threats to veto the talks on Turkey’s joining EU as a full member.

Cyprus has given notice to all other European Union countries that it will take action to block further progress in Turkey’s negotiations to join the block, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CYBC) reported on Tuesday night.

It said the position of the Cyprus government on the issue was set out in a letter by President Demetris Christofias to all other European heads of state or governments, ahead of next month’s European Council which will evaluate Turkey’s progress.

CYBC, quoting unnamed government sources after a four-hour meeting of the Cyprus National Council, an advisory body made up of parliamentary party leaders and former presidents, said Cyprus warned other European states that Turkey will not come out untouched if it fails to implement an agreement with the EU requiring Ankara to extend recognition to all 10 states which joined the block in 2004, including Cyprus.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when the Turkish military intervened and occupied the northern part in response to a coup by a group of Greek officers.

In 1983, Turkish Cypriot authorities declared the establishment of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” which is recognized only by Turkey. Ankara has retained some 35,000 troops in the north of the Mediterranean island.

Ankara has so far refused to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, effectively governing the Greek Cypriot south. Turkish air space and ports are not open to Greek Cypriot aircraft and ships.

The Cyprus issue remains one of the main obstacles to Ankara’s bid to join the EU, of which the Republic of Cyprus is a member state.

Turkey launched its accession talks with the EU in 2005. But EUfroze eight of the 35 negotiating chapters, or policy areas, in 2006 as a result of Ankara’s stance on Cyprus.

Cyprus has recently expressed its disappointment at a European Commission annual report released last month on progress of EU candidate countries, including Turkey, as the report recommended no further measures to be taken against Ankara who has so far failed to fulfilled its obligations concerning Cyprus.

CYBC said Cyprus warned its EU partners that if they fail to agree on sanctions against Turkey, it will act unilaterally.

The exact nature of Cyprus’ action will be further discussed early December but sources quoted by CYBC said it may involve blocking some more negotiating chapters.

"We've got to walk up THERE?" Tackling Buffavento would have been a daunting challenge at any time.

Of the ruined castles we have visited so far (see previous posts) this one is the hardest to get to.

Not that it’s as difficult to find as some guide books would have you believe. Rather than go via Kyrenia we headed east from Nicosia then struck out north, and as we rose into the Kyrenia mountain range we found the castle signposted. It’s a remote location, but not impossibly so.

What is a little harder is the climb to the top. St Hilarion had steeper and rougher steps. Buffavento’s path is quite well made, but it snakes back and forth up the steep cliff face, rising steadily all the way. The castle, even ruined, gazes down at the weary attackers as they prepare their ascent, an impenetrable facade of two metre thick walls and ominous windows.

Halfway up, the long zig-zag path makes the ascent easier than it would have once have been

You ascend from the south side of the mountain, but about three quarters of the way up the path cuts across a defile, and for a stunning moment the north coast is visible, a stiff, cool breeze ripping through the gap. The castle was probably originally built to protect this pass at a time when Arab raiders threatened the occupiers.

By the time you eventually reach the fortifications at the peak, the wind is coming from both directions. This cooling wind is the source of the Italianised name Buffavento – a castle buffeted by the winds. At this time of the year it’s quite chilly, but even now the respite from the heat of the climb is welcome - in the baking sun of the summer the refreshment after the stiff climb must be glorious.

This castle is small, compared with St Hilarion and Kyrenia Castle, but it made a vital link in the chain of Lusignan fortifications. At 950m it was higher than the other castles, midway along the mountain range; an ideal spot for a signal fire, visible from St Hilarion to the west, and Kantara to the east.

Once you'd fought your way up the hill, you'd fight the soldiers here to get into the castle itself

As with the other mountain castles, the structure is layered – ordinary soldiers and servants in the first section, trusted warriors in the next, and the nobles at the top.

The view from the topmost layer is splendid, with a commanding perspective. North is the Mediterranean, with the Turkish mainland clearly visible.

South is the stark Mesaoria plain, now dominated by Nicosia city, with the Troodos mountains as a backdrop. East and west, the view clearly shows how improbably narrow is the Kyrenia range, a true wall protecting the island from invasion by sea-borne hostile forces coming across the narrow plain from the port.

As so often, the English king Richard the Lionheart is linked to the fortification. When he came and took over Kyrenia in 1191 the Byzantine king Isaac Comnenus is said to have run to this protected but stark eyrie for protection.

A tall view makes up for the impact of the climb on little legs

After the Lusignans were overcome by the Venetians the castle was doomed to destruction not by war, but by neglect. These new occupiers preferred to defend ports, rather than wait to fight off invaders on land. They relied on the castles at the main ports of Kyrenia and Famagusta, and allowed the mountain castles to fall into disuse.

Even if there was no castle, you'd want to be here for the astonishing views