Many Londoners will only know about Cyprus when they head off on their holidays, or visit one of the many restaurants that are owned by Greek-Cypriots or Turkish Cypriots and try the delicacies of the island of Aphrodite. But this weekend sees the thirty-fifth anniversary of one of the biggest crimes perpetrated on any nation in the world. The illegal invasion of Cyprus by Turkey and its subsequent annexation of the northern third is one facet of the betrayal that took place and is still taking place in Cyprus.
Turkey acted it was claimed at the time as an act of self-defense to protect its minority in Cyprus who were it is now accepted persecuted by Greeks, and feared a military coup would instill a Greek fascist government on the island. But to occupy thirty-five years on over 37 per cent of the island is no act of self-defence but a reminder to all the leaders of the European Union that Turkey harbours colonialist tendencies and has expansionist goals in the region.
The second crime which is the hardest pill to swallow is the injustice to the hundreds of thousands refugees in Cyprus who were made to flee their homes in the north and still to this day have not been either compensated by the Turkish government, or have been given the right to reoccupy their homes. The Republic of Cyprus has failed to communicate to the world that it is one of the last remaining nations in the world under occupation, and the only solution is for Turkish troops to leave the soil of the Republic of Cyprus and allow the Greek and Turkish Cypriots to live harmoniously as they did for many centuries.
The final crime is being committed in London by the so called leadership of the "expatriate community" of Cyprus who have made the "Cyprus problem" a "Cyprus springboard" using the illegal occupation of this nation as a way to promote naked ambition ahead of the interests of the country they purport to represent. The "Cyprus lobby" which has been for too long in the Westminster village been synonymous with junkets to Cyprus and free dinners, and easy photo opportunities, still have not managed to command any like the level of credibility they proclaim to have to easily impressed Cypriot politicians in Nicosia.
Moreover the "Cyprus problem" in London has been hijacked by the naked ambitions of the few to self-promote their own failed political careers. If you want to listen to dreary speeches, long winded enunciations, and pomposity of the highest order go down to Trafalgar Square at 3pm on Sunday. In the meantime Turkey still occupies 37 per cent of sovereign land of the Republic of Cyprus, hundreds of thousands of refugees are still waiting to be reunited with their homes, and the issue of the missing 1619 persons has still to be resolved.
I was so vexed by the inaccuracies and half-truthes in this editorial that I simply had to write and comment for the sake of truth and justice. First of all, the Cyprus dispute, problem, question, conflict etc, call it whatever you will, did not start in July 1974 as it is implied in the editorial. The history books tell us that eversince the Island of Cyprus was leased by the Ottomans to Great Britain in 1878 the Greek Orthodox church began a campaign to make Cyprus a possession of
Solomon Greenburg
Date Added: Sunday 19 July, 2009
I think what should happen is the Greeks should shut up and accept there are 2 states in Cyprus. Your lot over here are utterly useless you managed by luck to get into Europe, now let the Turks get on with it, you started a war and then lost, hard luck 1-0 Turkey
Georgia Maratheftis
Date Added: Sunday 19 July, 2009
The writer of this editorial needs to be congratulted for pointing out Turkey's responsibility for crimes against humanity in Cyprus. Numerous United Nations Resolutions, spanning several decades, have been consistent in declaring the Turkish military occupation of Cyprus illegal, and call upon the speedy and total withdrawal of the Turkish military occupation forces.Criminal Turkey and its collaborators consistently attempts to use false historical revisionism and outright lies to justify the horrendous acts of cultural genocide, Genocide and ethnic cleansing that they have committed. With the use of the TMT terrorist organization, dating back to the 1950s, Turkey undermined the democratic process in the Republic of Cyprus and funded the creation of a parallel administration, based entirely on narrow Turkish-nationalist and Islamist -chauvinist qualifiers.The first inter communal killings in Cyprus date back to 1958, and they involved brutal killings of Cypriot Orthodox Christians by the fanatical Turkish terrorist group TMT. The New York Times reported on the killings on December 27, 1963, detailing the attacks on Cypriots targeted merely because of their ethnicity and religion, the Turkish TMT terrorist killings of Cypriot Orthodox Christians continued and escalated throughout the 1960s.The resolutions passed at the United Nations throughout the troubled period on Cyprus were in reaction to Turkey’s undermining of democracy through use of anti-Orthodox Christian terrorism in Cyprus. The Turks’ criminal invasion and occupation of 37% of Cyprus has resulted in approximately 5,000 Orthodox Christian civilian deaths, the ethnic cleansing of 200,000+ Orthodox Christian Greeks, and the vandalism, desecration, and destruction of numerous Orthodox Christian holy places by Turks.The occupation of Cyprus is a direct violation of the Treaty of Guarantee, which established Cyprus as an independent Republic in 1960. Article A, Section 22 of the Treaty declares, "It shall be recognised that the total or partial union of Cyprus with any other State, or a separatist independence for Cyprus, shall be excluded".The pseudo-regime established by late Turkish TMT terrorist leader Denktash and by the Turkish military and Turkish security forces is recognized by no other country in the world, other than Turkey, its very claim to statehood is in violation of international law.In democracies, ideally, the power should never come from the muzzle of a gun, the Turkish army still refuses to leave this troubled island, and leave all its native inhabitants Greek, Latin, Arab Maronite, Armenian and Assyrian alone. Turkey spends huge sums of money in the Western world to cover-up its Crimes in Cyprus and deny responsibility for Turkish Crimes, much like they deny the Pontian Genocide and the Armenian Genocide. TURKEY ADMIT YOUR GUILT
Marion Stuart
Date Added: Saturday 18 July, 2009
Whoever the writer of the editorial that should have been entitled 'Look Back in Anger' was, it is a shame that he/she s
hould be so full of hatred for the Turkish Cypriot people who back in the last century were virtually ethnically cleansed by Greek Cypriots.
Let me say, I am London born and bred (if one can apply the word 'breeding' to a 'souf' Londoner; I have lived and worked both sides of the Green line and have no bias, racism or hatred in any part of my being, as I believe in justice, equality and truth.
Unfortunately, where Cyprus is concerned, the fight for all three basic human rights for Turkish Cypriots is still ongoing, and one must realise that however history is presented there were victoms on both sides, including the British who were shot at by both sides, and the U.N. peace keeping force found they were in a far from 'peaceful' situation in 1964 as they tried to oversee the TC's pushed into 3% of the island territory.
Anyone reading articles such as that written on the 17th should rush to the history books to find the realtruth of the island. 'Always Greek' seems to be part of the brainwashing that goes on, and it is not strictly true, and even if it were, it is an undisputed fact that for 35 years there has been no senseless, useless blood shed and the TC's are occupying about the same amount of land as they enjoyed prior to being pushed into enclaves.
But if we ARE going to talk history - should the Falklands be given back to Argentina; should Great Britain REALLY belong to the Italians - after all Julius Caesar did a lot for the 'barbarians' who lived there (so says the history books), and what about other borders and boundaries in Europe. The world changes; borders change; people change; life changes but above all, human rights do NOT change.
The Turkish Cypriots DO have a fault - they are NOT aggressive, and have sat back and taken oppression for too many years in history. Now they are saying 'Hear us! Hear our story! Hear our cries for justice and equality! And THEN decide who is guilty of crimes.
Todeay I attended a Press Conference with 55 media representing 15 countries, many of whom were amazed to learn many new things about Cyprus, and so did I. Did you know that in 1907 a young man called Winston Churchill landed on the island and was immediately approachede by Greek Cypriots asking him about ';enosis.
I rest my case.
Jeremy jackson
Date Added: Saturday 18 July, 2009
1) Cyprus is indeed Greek. So says history. So say facts. So say figures. So says The Ministry of Defence in London.
Cyprus History
Few countries can trace the course of their history over 10,000 years, but in approximately 8,000 BC the island of Cyprus was already inhabited and going through its Neolithic Age. Of all the momentous events that were to sweep the country through the next few thousand years, one of the most crucial was the discovery of copper - or Kuprum in Latin - the mineral which took its name from “Kypros”, the Greek name of Cyprus, and generated untold wealth.
The island’s strategic position, its copper deposits and its timber attracted the first Greeks who came to the island over 3,000 years ago at the end of the Trojan wars. They settled down, bringing in with them and establishing the Greek identity.
Over the centuries Cyprus came under the sway of various rulers including the Egyptians. Assyrians, Persians, the successors to Alexander the Great and the Romans, before Cyprus became part of the Byzantine Empire. Later came the Crusaders, the Frankish Lusignans and Venetians, Ottomans and British.
Cyprus gained its independence in 1960, for the first time in 3,500 years, but the Greek identity of language and culture has been retained.
2) Turkey invaded Cyprus in July and August 1974 and that is a historical undisputed fact. Turkey is responsible for the brutal and fragrant violations of human rights in Cyprus in 1974 which continue to this moment and only ignorant people cannot accept that. The UN, European Union and Council of Europe decisions and resolutions are witness to that fact. As well as the world Press and Media. Turkey had a plan to dissolve the Republic of Cyprus and create two states since before the Independence of Cyprus in 1960. Even before the Independence Turkey started according to plan (it was devised according to Niham Erim’s instructions named “Recapturing of Cyprus”) to arm the Turkish Cypriots, clandestinely imported systematically huge amounts of arms to the island in preparation of a plan to be executed soon under the orders of the Turkish Military. The plan was signed by Dr. F. Kutsuk Vice president of the Republic and Mr. R. Denktash president of the communal assembly. It was dated September 1963. Just before abandoning their government positions by the end of 1963 the then Turkish Cypriot Minister Plumer in his haste he forgot his copy in his office. The document clearly reveals the Turkish secret plan to attack the Republic of Cyprus and create two states. It was the Turkish Cypriot fighters together with the Turkish Army officers secretly in Cyprus who attacked the Greek Cypriots in December 1963/64 and not the Greek Cypriots. The G/cs were as in 1974 the helpless victims.
3) That is why United Nations Resolutions since 1964 recognised as the legitimate government of Cyprus ONLY the Republic of Cyprus, member of the UN. And the Galo Plaza report in 1965 rejected the Turkish demands for a federal solution to the problem which did not please the Turkish government every since. The Turkish Cypriots in February 1964 ALREADY had prepared plans for TWO FEDERAL STATES in Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots were NOT forced into enclaves by the Greek Cypriots but by their own leadership which followed the Turkish expansionist plans and needed them to be concentrated into enclaves.
4) The problem of Cyprus was and is the continued Turkish invasion and occupation of the island, the importation of 150,000 or so Turkish colonists and the refusal to withdraw them and the return of the 200,000 Greek Cypriot refugees who cannot return to their stolen properties due to the Turkish continued invasion and occupation. The problem of Cyprus has never been a problem of the two communities not being able to live together but one of Turkey who never wanted them to live together and finally invaded the island to achieve its long term objective. For decades Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots lived together with no problem at all.
All the rest are Turkish ruthless propaganda to cover the truth and Turkish guilt in view of Turkish accession negotiations and the execution of Turkish expansionist policies over Cyprus.
5) Finally you can find all about the Turkish intentions and preparations between 1957-1974 particularly in 1963/64 in the book “Bloody Truth” issued in Cyprus only a few months ago and published in English, including the Turkish Plan signed by Kutsuk and Denktash.
Fatma Kemal
Date Added: Saturday 18 July, 2009
Lets get the Cypriot issue into prospective shall we. The conflict in Cyprus goes back to 1963 after the Island achieved independence from Britian in 1960. The Greek Cypriots destroyed the constitution and the power sharing arrangements with the Turkish Cypriots and initiated a campaign of terror and ethnic cleansing of the Turkish Cypriots to bring about union with Greece. The Greek Cypriots also imposed an embargo on the Turkish Cypriots which continues today, 46 years later.
Turkish Cypriots were forced into enclaves, which amounted to just 3% of the land despite owning in excess of 30% of the territory of Cyprus. The culmination of the violence was in July 1974 when a coup was instigated by Greek Cypriots to pave the way to union with Greece. Turkey intervened exercising it treaty obligations as a guarantor power and secured the northern portion of the Island to prevent the destruction of the Turkish Cypriot people and enable them to live with dignity and their human rights.
Since 1974 the island has been peaceful and there have been numerous attempts to reunite the island. Unfortunately the Greek Cypriots have constantly rejected all peaceful attempts at uniting the island with the culmination of the rejection of the Annan plan in 2004, which would have reduced the Turkish Cypriot territory to less then what they owned at independence by giving substantial territory in Northern Cyprus to the Greek Cypriots and allowing a large proportion of displaced Greek Cypriots to move into the remaining Turkish Cypriot area of Northern Cyprus. The Turkish Cypriots want equal treatment in Cyprus no More no LESS
FATMA KEMAL
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