By George Tzivas
Many parents took their children to Thursday's military parade. More than ever before, perhaps. The F-16 fighter jets may have acted as a magnet, not only for children but for adults as well. Many had waited decades for such a moment, an event they had long since removed from their imagination.
Parents and children attended the parade, and a number of them spoke to the media, expressing pride and admiration.
Those comments, I am certain, did not sit well with my friend Takis Hadjigeorgiou, the former AKEL member of the European Parliament. Through public interventions in the media, Hadjigeorgiou made it clear, albeit indirectly, that he opposed the symbolism of the Greek presence at the celebrations.
That is his right, and his view deserves respect. Nor is it his alone. It is shared by many on the left of Cyprus' political spectrum. The ideological positions of that camp are well known and have remained largely unchanged for decades.
I sometimes wonder what these ideologues tell their children. To cover their ears and ignore the deafening roar of the F-16s? To turn away in disgust whenever they see a Greek flag? Perhaps none of the above. Perhaps they feel discomfort themselves while appearing calm and indifferent. For such parents, moments like these may be difficult, perhaps almost unbearable.
Still, I have a question that television coverage did not answer. I did not attend the parade myself, as I am no longer of the age for such events.
Did the military units taking part in the parade also trouble my good friend Takis Hadjigeorgiou? What exactly is the president trying to achieve? Where is he heading? Does he intend to solve the Cyprus problem after militarising everything?
Sixty-six years after the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus and 52 years after its partition and Turkey's occupation of part of the island, it is symbolism that troubles us.
I understand my friend. But, dear Takis, what would you like to see happen? More talks? At this point, talks have become a cosmic joke, like negotiations between humans and extraterrestrials over spheres of influence in our galaxy.
I will say what I suspect. If a "solution" cannot emerge through "talks", and a military confrontation would bring catastrophe, what option remains?
A bitter, humiliating, yet potentially salvational choice: to surrender all our weapons to the United Nations and let it decide what comes next.
This is not the first time I have put forward this suggestion. I wrote it publicly after everything collapsed at Crans-Montana. We should hand over both our weapons and the flag of the Republic of Cyprus, and leave our fate in the hands of the new UN secretary-general. It would cause a global sensation.
Think about it calmly.
Because by the next October 1, an impressive military contingent from Israel may also be marching in the parade.
