Turkish Forum

Author: Aylin D. Miller

  • CYPRUS MAIL: The spirit of Makarios in Anastasiades

    CYPRUS MAIL: The spirit of Makarios in Anastasiades

    Ioannis Kasoulides, a surprising emulation of Makarios

    By Loucas Charalambous

    I MUST admit I quite enjoy the foolish arguments used by our politicians and journalists when they attack the English, the Americans, the EU and officials of the UN. Given half an opportunity, they lash out against them, on the pretext that the above refuse to support our side, which is always in the right, and sit Turkey, which is always in the wrong, in the dock.

    They are accused of following a hypocritical policy of double standards. The nonsensical comments made by President Anastasiades on his Moscow trip combined with the US and British reaction gave this bunch the excuse to bombard us with their anti-American and anti-West sloganeering.

    This attitude explains how and why we are in the current mess. It is a sick mentality that is based on our political mythology of the last 50-plus years which maintains that for everything that has happened to this country the Turks and the West are to blame. We are completely blameless, the only ones without sin, but we are the envy of the whole world which has been constantly conspiring to destroy us.

    While we are listening to all this rubbish from the AKEL, DIKO and EDEK leaderships as well as from the rest of our political scoundrels who remain stuck in the Makarios political culture, we accept it. But when we hear this coming from the mouths of Anastasiades and Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, two men from DISY, the party set up some 40 years ago with the aim of fighting this sick political culture, destroying the myths, speaking honestly to people, modernising our primitive political attitudes, we can only despair.

    Both told us that the behaviour of the Western countries was hypocritical and Pharisaic because they did not condemn Turkey for its ‘invasion’ of the Cypriot EEZ whereas they wanted to crush President Putin over the Ukraine. Both are outraged when they are told that the two cases are very different. But they are.

    Our politicians, including Anastasiades and Kasoulides, pretend they do not know the Cyprus problem. Turkey does not recognise the Republic and that is the problem. Turkey’s position – much as we do not like it – is generally accepted by foreign countries and is along the following lines: The Greek Cypriots destroyed the partnership state of 1960, Turkish Cypriots have not been participating in it since 1964, they have set up on their own and therefore the Greek Cypriots represent only half of Cyprus; Greek Cypriots were not committed to a settlement that would lead to the establishment of a new partnership state, in contrast to the Turkish Cypriot who proved they were. For as long as this situation continues we will look after the rights of the Turkish Cypriots and will not allow the Greek Cypriots to usurp them.

    This is the argument Turkey uses to justify its incursions into the Cypriot EEZ from which we want the Americans and the British to kick her out. It is also the reason we are told that the two cases are not the same. It is understandable that Turkey’s actions infuriate the Greek Cypriots who have been inculcated with the mythology about the “Turkish Cypriot rebellion”, the evil US, back-stabbing Britain, nasty NATO, the hypocritical EU and virtuous, principled Russia by our political demagogues.

    Anastasiades and Kasoulides, after all these years, are emulating Makarios who thought he could play games in the ring in which the two world superpowers were sparring, with result that they crushed us. After all these years and with the benefit of hindsight, we have learnt nothing from these criminal mistakes.

    Neither Anastasiades nor Kasoulides – not to mention the other political dwarfs – have understood what our problem is. They continue the demagoguery and the frivolous political games instead of concentrating on finding a solution to the problem and explaining to people why it is necessary and the risks of leaving it unsolved.

    Küfi Seydali

    Comment by John Mavro:

    ‘Neither Anastasiades nor Kasoulides – not to mention the other political dwarfs – have understood what our problem is.”

    We cannot agree with the above conclusion of another otherwise very good and accurate commentary by Loucas Charalambous.

    The fact is that the entire ”system” of these, as Loucas accurately describes them, ”political dwarfs” ALWAYS have understood what our problem is. And what the (lucrative for them) consequences of such ”problem” for these thieves and embezzlers are.

    The truth of the matter is that ever since that fateful time that the foolish Makarios and his peasant thugs that made up ”government” of the day decided that the carefully designed 1960 constitution of this forsaken ”country” was ”unworkable” and required ”improvisation” by putting forward the infamous, catastrophic ”13 points” to change it, the writing was on the wall. For the eventual partition of the island.

    Which totally suited these thieves.

    By removing the TCs from the equation and effectively tearing up the ”constitution”, all the carefully thought out checks, balances and controls, not just between the two communities, but the effective functioning of the state, were eliminated.

    Clearing the way for these mafiosos to do as they please. To steal, plunder, accommodate their friends and family, protect their fellow embezzlers and ensure they did so without the prospect of being caught, never mind brought to court and punished.

    Thus the ”president”, ”ministers”, CBC governor, Attorney General, Auditor General etc could do as they pleased. Since their TC deputies had been forced out and simply were not in position to exercise checks and controls, as the constitution provided, over these criminals.

    Whose DNA and ”values” were always aligned to their self enrichment by whatever means available. And nothing was easier than the plundering of state resources with impunity. Since the way for such unhindered criminal activity had been opened up the elimination of the TCs from ”government”.

    Given this lucrative state of affairs, as well as the fact that most of these imbeciles have built up their ”political careers” on the perpetuation of the never ending Cyprus ”problem”, to expect them to want a settlement is the same as turkeys voting for Christmas. It would be fatal for them.

    It is clearly obvious all these backward looking, unintelligent, self serving peasant thugs know EXACTLY what the problem is. Including our alleged ”president” and his disappointing foreign minister.

    Unfortunately for the rest of the thinking sensible individuals, the obvious way forward of a win-win solution is in direct conflict of the ”interests” of these mafiosos. Who do not want a solution – under any circumstances.

    So expect more of the same: no ”asphyxiating” time deadlines, no arbitration, ”Cypriot led” ”talks” and process, no international conference by the guarantor powers, unanimity of the ”national (circus) council”, new strategy, removal of Mr Eide as he is, as the other 30 or so UN Secretary General special representatives before him were (which must be the most amazing convergence of probability theory of all time) pro Turkey and Turkish interests, no to a new Ban plan and just about every other mindless and mind numbing thing their (very small) minds can think of.

    Just like realistically we cannot expect the Sicilian mafia to make a conscious decision to self destruct by changing its ways, we can be as certain that Anastasiades will see out his five years with the Cyprus ”problem” very much alive and intact.

    Though he will be the last ”president” of the banana republic to achieve this.

    Because by the time little Nicholas, with the support of the AKEL Marxists is voted in as ”president”, the de jure partition of the island will have become a certain reality.

    And all’s well that ends well.

    For the well known ”ruling elite” scum whose criminal priorities, self enrichment and thieving, love of money, limitless greed, lack of vision and xenophobia always took precedence over the interests of their own motherland.

    In a civilized country these thugs would have been convicted of treason and just about every crime imaginable, branded traitors and shot.

    In this dysfunctional mafia state they will continue to be elected into ”government” so that they may continue with this destruction.

    We are our own worst enemies, who never learn from our mistakes.

    And have the ”leaders” we deserve to prove this

  • Turkey slams Greek minister for ‘stirring tension in Aegean’

    Turkey slams Greek minister for ‘stirring tension in Aegean’

    DHA Photo

    DHA Photo

    The recent actions and statements of the Greek defense minister are “unacceptable and are raising the tensions in the Aegean,” Turkey has said amid escalating tension between neighbors.

    “We invite the Greek government to display common sense and to take these irresponsible actions under control as soon as possible,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a press release published March 7.

    The Aegean region has witnessed increasing tension between its neighbors, which particularly escalated after the election of the new Syriza government in Greece in January.

    Immediately after assuming the post, new Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos visited the disputed Aegean islets of Imia/Kardak with a military helicopter on Jan. 30.

    In another move that infuriated Ankara, Kammenos said in February that the Cyprus problem remains a subject of “invasion and occupation” for the Greek government.

    He criticized the presence of the Turkish seismic vessel Barbaros in the Exclusive Economic Zone in the eastern Mediterranean, calling it a “provocation.”

    Kammenos also said Greece planned to conduct a joint drill with the Greek Cypriot administration, Israel and possibly Egypt in the coming months.

    “It is clear that the continuation of these irresponsible actions will not serve any purpose other than increasing tensions in Turkish and Greek relations and in the Aegean,” the Turkish statement said. “It is also obvious that this attitude will harm the efforts toward the improvement of bilateral relations between the two countries and the settlement of disputes in the Aegean.”

    Turkey is determined to protect its rights and interests in the Aegean “by taking measures within the framework of international law,” the ministry added.

    The countries’ relations recently saw more tension over an aviation notice issued by Turkey for a 10-month military drill in the Aegean Sea.

    The Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by Turkey sparked reaction from the Greekgovernment, which reportedly complained about the move to international organizations over a “violation of Greek integrity and flight safety.”

    Ankara then withdrew the warning, saying it had “mistakenly” declared inaccurate coordinates for long-distance dangerous areas.

    March/08/2015

      Küfi Seydali

  • Turkish exercise notice over Aegean Sea fuels tension with Greece

    Turkish exercise notice over Aegean Sea fuels tension with Greece

    An aviation notice issued by Turkey for a 10-month military drill in the Aegean Sea has sparked reaction from the Greek government, which reportedly complained about the move to international organizations over a “violation of Greek integrity and flight safety.”

    Turkey issued A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on Feb. 27, reserving extensive airspace over the Aegean Sea for military use between March 2 and Dec. 31.

    Athens became infuriated over the move, claiming that it would be against both Greeksovereignty rights and international laws, as the area cited by the Turkish army includes the airspace between the Greek islands of Skiros and Lemnos.

    Greek media reported the government sent compliant letters to NATO, the European Union, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the United Nations over the weekend, denouncing the Turkish military’s plans.

    The Greek Foreign Ministry also sent a cancellation NOTAM to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the night of March 1, stating Ankara would be responsible for any accident that may occur in the region, local media also claimed.

    The Aegean region has begun to face increasing tension between its neighbors, which have particularly escalated after the election of the new Syriza government in Greece in January.

    Immediately after assuming the post, new Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos visited the disputed Aegean islets of Imia/Kardak with a military helicopter on Jan. 30.

    Around 20 days after the move, the commander of the Turkish Air Force, Gen. Akın Öztürk, personally took part in a training mission, piloting an F-16 in a low-altitude flight over international waters near Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.

    Dogfights occasionally occur between Turkish and Greek aircraft over the Aegean Sea, as the two countries are at odds over the boundaries of their airspace in the area due to a long-standing territorial dispute.

    The number of such dogfights has increased recently, after a relative decline amid talks between Turkey and Greece to resolve their disagreements on the continental shelf over the Aegean.

    March/02/2015

     

  • Press Release: FCTA & TAC Condemns the Khojaly Massacre on Feb 26 1992, by Armenian and Soviet Union Forces

    Press Release: FCTA & TAC Condemns the Khojaly Massacre on Feb 26 1992, by Armenian and Soviet Union Forces

    KarabagPress Release: The Khojaly Massacre in Feb 1992

    Khojaly, situated in the Nagorno Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan, had a population of just 6,300 people before the Armenian army seized control of the southern roads and effectively isolated Khojaly from greater Azerbaijan. Power lines were cut, water was turned off, and many goods were prevented from reaching the embattled civilian population.  Those who were able fled the fighting; the rest were forced to wait anxiously as the Armenian army drew ever closer.

    On the night of February 25, 1992, the town was surrounded by Armenian armed forces, with the support of the Soviet Union on three sides and only one path of escape was left OPEN for the remaining civilians to flee their doomed town in the middle of the night. After trekking for hours through the bitterly cold woods, the group emerged near the Armenian town of Nakhichevanik.  Almost immediately, the densely packed group was struck by a hail of bullets fired by Armenian fighters encamped on the hillside above.  The next day, journalists were greeted by a gruesome scene: a field littered with bodies, many of which bore marks of excessive cruelty.  One observer noticed powder around gunshot wounds and realized that many of the victims had been shot at point-blank range.  Other foreign journalists documented extensive evidence of torture [Le Monde,Paris, 14 March 1992].  In all, 613 civilians were killed, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people.

    “…Before Khojaly, the Azerbaijanis thought that they were joking with us, they thought that the Armenians were people who could not raise their hand against the civilian population. We were able to break that [stereotype]. And that’s what happened…”, then-general Serzh Azati Sargsyan, the current President of Armenia, boasted [Black garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan through Peace and War, Thomas De Waal].

    Each year, on February 26, the world unites in remembering those lost on that tragic day.  However, more than one million refugees created by the war, which are leaving in tent camps so far, is another ongoing moral injustice caused by the Massacre and the Nagorno Karabakh War, despite three UN resolutions demanding Armenia to return these occupied 20% lands, including  Nagorno Karabakh, to legitimate owner Azerbaijan for allowing the refugees to return their homes.

    The Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations condemns any crime against humanity, including The Khojaly Massacre, and demands returning of a million Azerbaijani refugee Turks to return their homes as soon as possible, in the interests of peace and justice in the Caucasus region.

    Best Regards

    The Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations (FCTA)
    Turkic Assembly of Canada (TAC) 

  • CYPRUS: Russia trip highlighted Anastasiades’ failings

    CYPRUS: Russia trip highlighted Anastasiades’ failings

    CYPRUS MAIL

    Anastasiades and Russian President Putin at their joint press conference

    ALL THE SHORTCOMINGS of President Anastasiades as a politician and head of state were displayed during his heralded official visit to Russia. His failure to exercise restraint when speaking publicly, his inclination to allow his emotions to rule his head, his poor judgement and inadequate diplomatic skills, his obsession with his domestic popularity ratings and his inability to see any difference between speaking at a Sunday memorial service in a Cyprus village and in front of an international audience were all evident on his Russia trip.

    The more he spoke – and he was given plenty of opportunities to do so – the more he showed himself up, oblivious to the harm he was causing himself and more importantly the country. Anastasiades went out of his way to cause offence to his EU partners whose policies towards Russia he openly criticised while absolving President Putin of any responsibility for the crisis in the Ukraine. Even if he believed that to be true there was no good reason for repeating it in public – worse still, on a visit to the country that has been behind the dispute – as it would not win him any friends in Brussels.

    Anastasiades appeared to be on a mission to antagonise the EU and the US during this badly-timed visit. He boasted that he was the first leader of an EU member-state to visit the Russian Federation during “this critical period”, informing journalists the two countries supported each other on all issues, but primarily, on the Cyprus problem, the economy and the Ukraine crisis. He did not openly say whether his government supported the invasion and annexation of Crimea as the matter was not raised, but he felt the EU was wrong to impose sanctions on Russia “on the suspicion Russia encouraged the separatists”.

    The Europeans had shown their double standards in this case he said because Russia had not invaded the eastern Ukraine whereas Turkey invaded Cyprus’ EEZ and the EU did not impose sanctions. This simplistic argument may have earned him applause back home – this is the audience he was targeting – but it was insensitive and foolish considering some 5,000 people have been killed and the separatists, using heavy weapons provided by Putin, have reduced eastern Ukraine to rubble forcing more than a million people to flee their homes.

    Believing Russian involvement in the Ukraine crisis was just a figment of the imagination of EU leaders, Anastasiades took a stand, with some other countries, against tough sanctions being imposed by the EU. If he had not, sanctions would have been tougher he claimed. “Cyprus is the most trustworthy voice for Russia within the EU,” he declared in a joint news conference with Putin. Again, it seems rather unwise to advertise such a dubious role, even if it sounds good to your hosts. In effect Anastasiades was warning his EU partners and Brussels not to trust him because he was promoting Russia’s interests in the Union.

    All these utterances went down very well in Cyprus where the anti-Western demagogues welcomed the supposed restoration of good relations with Moscow and hoped they would be strengthened. But apart from winning the plaudits of his fellow politicians in Cyprus, Anastasiades gained nothing meaningful or practical from his visit to Russia that would benefit Cyprus. Putin, despite his allegedly principled stand on international matters, did not even mention Turkey’s invasion of Cypriot EEZ, let alone issue a mild rebuke of the Turks; he would continue offering support on the Cyprus problem – it was reported – but this would be conditional on not upsetting Turkey.

    There was one big negative to the theatre staged in Russia by Putin and in which Anastasiades took a starring role. He will now be regarded a Putin pawn, with ample justification, that none of his fellow-leaders in the EU would trust or take seriously. He paid an official visit at a time when the EU was supposedly united against the Russian role in the Ukraine crisis, giving Putin the opportunity to embarrass Brussels, at least publicity-wise. And worse still, he openly sided with Russia against the EU over the Ukraine when there was no need to do so.

    All this, from a president, whose supposed foreign policy objective until a few months ago was to place Cyprus in the Western sphere of influence and try to join NATO. It is now clear that Anastasiades has no long-term goals and foreign policy is shaped by his whims and whatever he believes might improve his popularity rating.

     

     

     Küfi Seydali