Reading about the discrimination of Filmmaker and Director Panikkos Chrysanthou in CM of 27/4 I need to react.

As the curator of the Cyprus Collections in Stockholm for decades, I have visited Cyprus many times since the 1970's, mainly for work. Since 1974 I have also been following the negotiations associated with the CyProb. Later on, I also wrote many articles about the conflict, translated to Greek by the embassy.

From early on, I was frustrated about the discrimination of Turkish-Cypriots who also are Cypriots. Too many Greek-Cypriots have yet not understood this since they are unaware of their own history. Many times I have in vain tried to inform some Greek-Cypriotes that their countrymen on the other side are not Turks.

I now understand that the cultural services of the ministry of education have committed an act of serious misconduct. They have made it impossible to Chrysanthou to show his films, not only making distribution impossible but have also banned it from Cypriot TV and Cypriot cinemas.

Where are the real Cypriotes with a democratic disposition and sense of justice? Or perhaps they fear to step forward since RoC is no longer a democracy but a democrazy?

Filmmaker Panikkos Chrysanthou has made more than most to throw light upon the tragic CyProb and to illustrate this unnecessary conflict from both sides. Besides, his films are beautiful and poetic pieces of art.

But why show this to the Cypriotes since these films are not convenient to the politicians.

Many years ago, the ”president” Tassos Papadopoulos, had instructed the minister of education not to allow the “Akamas” film to be shown. Mr Papadopoulos who was and old notorious member of the EOKA-B, some even call him a fascist. And what has he done to solve the CyProb? Anyone?

2010 I published my last book about Cyprus in Swedish. The title is Love, Cult and War and has a rather extensive chapter on the history of modern Cyprus, i.e. from 1878 - 2004. The Cyprus Embassy in Stockholm tried to persuade me not to write about politics. They knew that I had a critical opinion about the role of Greece and the Greek-Cypriotes. On the other hand I got a very unpleasant letter fom the Turkish Embassy. They were furious since I had written about the Turkish invasion, instead of calling it a “peace operation”. It seems that I'm only tolerated by the Turkish-Cypriotes...

In 2014 I started to travel to the occupied areas of Cyprus with archaeologists and other groups. I was immediately invited to the Cyprus Embassy in Stockholm for a talk. The present ambassador was very upset about my work and refused to listen to my explanation. To my consternation I soon realized that not even he knew about the history of his own country. For almost 2 hours he made a kind of lecture, consisting of the usual propaganda. It was no use to intervene.