Peace Without Poison

20 January 2015Derviş EroğluPresident of Northern Cyprushttp://www.kktcb.org/CumhurbaskaninaYazin.aspx?id=7&sayfa=50&lang=eninfo@kktcb.org, mission@cyprusun.orghttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Dervi%C5%9F-Ero%C4%9Flu/37525494218Özkan YorgancıoğluPrime Minister of Northern Cyprusinfo@cm.gov.nc.trhttps://www.facebook.com/oyorgancioglu?fref=tsPresident Eroğlu and Prime Minister Yorgancıoğlu,204 | P a g eRe: immediate cessation of covert depopulation measuresThe Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus joined the Global Depopulation Policy in 1960, whenCyprus, which was still undivided, had just gained its independence from Britain and alsobecame a UN member state. Following the 1974 attempt to annex the island to Greece and theensuing partition, all population control efforts were abandoned until 1990 when they wereresumed by Southern (Greek) Cyprus but not by Northern (Turkish) Cyprus.Since declaring its independence in 1983, Northern Cyprus has been waging a war of numbers totilt the island’s ethnic balance in its favor. When the Republic of Cyprus was formed in 1960,fixed population ratios determined power-sharing arrangements between Greek Cypriots andTurkish Cypriots to prevent intercommunal conflict.When Northern Cyprus was rejected by the UN in 1975, the Turkish administration ceased allcovert depopulation measures and allowed the people’s fertility to revert to normal while alsoencouraging immigration from Turkey thus altering the population ratios that have beenhistorically important for power-sharing arrangements on the island. To what extent the ethnicratio has been changed is unknown since the government of Northern Cyprus reveals neither itstotal fertility rate nor the number of immigrants. What is certain is that the ethnic ratio haschanged in favor of Turkish Cypriots since the total fertility rate of Greek Cypriots has beenbelow replacement level since 1993.This kind of demographic war is dangerous as it threatens regional stability and widens the faultline between Muslims and Christians at a time in history when we most need to close it so wecan live with one another in brotherly love. To close this fault line in Cyprus and elsewhere we