I received a message from the Greek Embassy

Sometimes we get letters from our readers. This pleases writers very much. Some reader’s letters are sour and tickle the brain while some on the other hand are sweet and congratulatory and tickle the soul. Then there are those that tickle the brain and sweeten the soul at the same time. It is these that I cherish the most. On certain issues, however, one chooses to omit the sour and underline the sweet in order to overcome a long and drawn out past dispute.

I received a sweet and sour message from Mr. Efthymios A. Pantzopoulos, first Counselor of the Greek Embassy in Ankara the other day in response to my write-up about the Cyprus issue that came up in Brussels last week. I’d like to quote the sweet part of Mr. Pantzopoulos’ message here. Do you know why? Because I don’t want to touch the sour side of a message that must inevitably be touched with a sour message in return. You know where that will lead us. Then he’ll come back with a sour response that I need to get back to with another sour message and since both sides should be considered rich in ammunition, this yarn will be spun for miles on end with no solution in sight. And, frankly, if this crisscrossing were to begin, we will both have two huge shovels in our hands and we will be digging and dishing the past out and around, over and over again, when, frankly, neither he nor I, personally, had anything to do with its being there in the first place. So, as much as the sour parts of his message tickle my brain for a response, let me rejoice in Mr. Pantzopoulos’ good and sweet comments.
"I became an avid reader and admirer of your column from the first moment it appeared in the esteemed TDN. I fully agree with your refreshing, progressive — and at the same time — logical approach to most of the issues you tackle with an extraordinary insight and perception.

Yes, there have been ugly acts and episodes in Cyprus in the past from both sides. In fact, the two communities are today engaged in an effort to exhume the remains of loved ones that perished and, thus, make peace with the past.
So I fully agree with you that we have to lie the past to rest and work for a better future. Especially now that Turkey has a clear date for starting entry negotiations with the European Union. In its effort towards full membership, Turkey will have consistent support and assistance from Greece as the latter firmly believes that such an outcome will be beneficial for Turkey, the EU and our geo-strategically important region.

Please accept the assurance of my highest consideration."
What can I say besides “thank you” for these wise words and wishes all of which I agree with 100 percent Mr. Pantzopoulos. I hope you become the Greek ambassador to Washington D.C. I say this because every foreign-service diplomat I have met around the world and in Turkey has expressed his secret wish to be appointed to this post, so I presume it is a coveted one and I wish it for you.
Here is what I also believe. If Greece, Cyprus and Turkey resolve their unsolved matters and join hands in all areas of industry, tourism, the arts, sports and social life, the world will see a fantastic fusion, blended so well and uniquely amalgamated together that the end products which will result from this cooperation will surpass present day G8 countries’ success stories put together. I truly, truly believe this.

If such a cooperation were possible, a new, generic, authentic and original success story will emerge from this part of the world that will make all the others around the world say, "I wish I was born there.” I hope all obstacles in the way of this success will soon be removed with the fine works, patience, understanding and agreement reached between Prime Ministers Erdogan, Blair, Karamanlis, Talat and Papadopoulos (along with a little help from Mr. Kofi Annan).
For these reasons, rest assured I am behind this joint effort all the way and wish those responsible the very best of luck in the negotiations!

THUMBS UP: Time and again I try to draw most of my foreign readers’ attention to an event going on in Istanbul that they may choose to attend. Even though your Turkish may be limited, I will now give you the plot of a play that has just opened at the Istanbul
Theater, Profilo Shopping Center, Mecidiyekoy that concerns a man’s mid-life crisis and what his wife does about it.

Written by French playwright Pierrette Bruno and entitled "Age Poses no Limitations on Love" and brilliantly acted by Demet Tuncer as the wife and Ismet Ustekin as the man with the problem, we meet a family of a husband and wife with a 20-year-old son where the father has taken a fancy to a girl young enough to be his daughter and goes riding with her on a motorcycles while the son and wife try to lure him back with devious plots and plans. This is a contemporary play that deals with such current issues as face lifts, chin patting, ulcers and gallstones that won’t go away no matter how many push ups you do to keep in shape or how much you keep watching your diet. It is a fun play with an international message that everyone can enjoy. Translated by Gencay Gurun and directed by Nedret Guvenc, I suggest all who can go see it.