Tag: Christofias

  • Turkey ‘not serious’ about match invite

    Turkey ‘not serious’ about match invite

    By Jacqueline Agathocleous Published on September 4, 2012

    AEL Limassol Europa League match, Cyprus, Fenerbahce, football, government, government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou, President Demetris Christofias, Turkish EU negotiator Egemen Bagis

    THE GOVERNMENT yesterday dismissed as ‘cynical and lacking seriousness,’ an informal invitation to President Demetris Christofias from Turkey’s EU negotiator Egemen Bagis to watch AEL Limassol’s Europa League match with Turkish team Fenerbahce together.

    Bagis, was quoted in a Turkish daily yesterday saying that Christofias was “looking for a reason to come to Istanbul”.

    So he said Christofias should talk to Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu about the possibility of visiting the country together to watch the November 8 match. But under one condition, he added: “I will be happy to be the host provided that they will come together and sit at the same table.”

    But the government was not impressed.

    “Mr Bagis is attempting to impress by sarcastically sending out a non-serious invitation for a football match,” government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said yesterday. “This is not serious behaviour from a minister and if the Turkish politicians adopt it, then they too lack seriousness.”

    “Mr Eroglu, if he so desires, can watch the AEL-Fenerbahce game which will be played in Cyprus,” said Stefanou. “The President of the Republic and Mr Eroglu can watch it together in their country, as citizens of the Republic of Cyprus.”

    Fenerbahce is scheduled to arrive in Cyprus on October 25.

    In his interview yesterday, Bagis also raised the possibility of protests against the Turkish club in Cyprus. “When Galatasaray went there, they had major troubles,” Bagis said.

    Last year, during a game between Apollon Limassol’s and Galatasaray’s women’s volleyball teams, local fans threw debris onto the court. Similar troubles occurred during a basketball match between APOEL Nicosia and Pinar Karsiyaka.

    Bagis gave assurances that the Greek Cypriot team would not face such trouble in Istanbul.

    “They should not be worried, they will be hosted in Istanbul in the best way possible,” Bagis said. “I personally guarantee that there will not be any problem.”

    via Turkey ‘not serious’ about match invite – Cyprus Mail.

  • Turkey’s EU minister invites Christofias to football game

    Turkey’s EU minister invites Christofias to football game

    Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bağış has invited Greek Cypriot President Demetris Christofias to a football game in Istanbul with a message he posted on his personal Twitter account today.

    n 29192 4“[President Christofias] was looking for a reason to come to Istanbul. He should come with [Turkish Cypriot President Derviş] Eroğlu for Fenerbahçe’s match with Limassol,” Bağış tweeted today, inviting Christofias to the Europa League encounter between Fenerbahçe and Greek Cypriot AEL Limassol in Istanbul on Nov. 8. Bağış added that he would buy a round of coffee for the two leaders after the game ends.

    Bağış also said Greek Cypriots should seek help from Turkish Cyprus if they were not sure whether they could ensure the safety of the players of Fenerbahçe for the two teams’ other Europa League clash, an Oct. 25 tilt that will be played in Greek Cyprus.

    “Greek Cypriots have a poor record in protecting Turkish teams. They should seek help from Turkish Rep. of Northern Cyprus 4 Fenerbahce game,” Bağış tweeted.

    September/02/2012

    via TURKEY – Turkey’s EU minister invites Christofias to football game.

  • “Open-Ended Talks Prevent Solution to Cyprus Question”

    “Open-Ended Talks Prevent Solution to Cyprus Question”

    President Dervis Eroglu of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said that going on Cyprus talks in an open-ended way would prevent reaching a solution.

    043012 qopen ended talks prevent solution to cyprus questionq 1

    During a meeting on Monday, Eroglu said that there could be a study by a technical committee in order to eliminate the inconsistencies, but a “leaders meeting” was not on the agenda.

    Eroglu said that Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias did not accept a multilateral conference on Cyprus issue, and mentioned carrying out open-ended talks.

    An open-ended talk would continue 40 more years, and no one could make Turkish Cypriots sit on the negotiation table for another 40 years, he added.

    On April 27, UN head’s special Cyprus adviser Alexander Downer said he planned to carry out “a two-week shuttle diplomacy” between Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders to see if they could agree on methods for a fresh round of settlement negotiations to reunify their island.

    “There will be no peace talks between the sides until leaders find a common ground to continue with the negotiations in a fresh round,” Downer noted.

    Downer said the UN head had an intention to hold a international conference on the Cyprus issue this summer, adding that Ban’s decision hinged on a “common negotiations ground” between the two leaders that could lead to a comprehensive solution.

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  • Omirou urges international community to turn attention to Turkey

    Omirou urges international community to turn attention to Turkey

    3 11 2012 3 21 39 PM 10746056

    The President of the House of Representatives, Mr Yiannakis Omirou, attends the event in honor of former Members of the House of Representatives

    FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE

    • Sun, Mar 11, 2012

    House President Yiannakis Omirou has appealed to key players in the international community to turn their attention to Turkey, if they want security and stability to return to the region.

    “The source of anomaly in the area is Turkey’s aggressive attitude,” said here Sunday Omirou, in a memorial speech for Evagoras Palikarides, a hero of the anti-colonial struggle against the British in the mid 1950s.

    The recipe for peace is simple, Omiour pointed out. “Convince Turkey to agree to a solution as described by civilized humanity, withdraw its troops from Cyprus and accept international law and UN resolutions”.

    Omirou paid tribute to Palikarides, saying doing this is a national duty, especially as the Cypriot people are going through difficult times, fighting for survival.

    “Our duty to history and civilization is to avert the dangers which our enemies are working on, to make clear that we are not ready to wipe out our rights and forgo justice,” he stressed.

    Cyprus, he added, should not remain the only divided country in Europe when Europe is proceeding with integration. “Europe should not tolerate the presence of an occupation army in one of its member states”, he said of the continuing occupation of Cyprus’ northern part by Turkey.

    “We should insist on securing the rights of the people of Cyprus, through the restoration of the rights of the refugees and the enclaved Greek Cypriots in the occupied areas, the withdrawal of occupation troops and settlers, securing the smooth and effective functioning of the state, peaceful co-existence with our Turkish Cypriots compatriots, wealth and progress for all the people of Cyprus”, he added.

    He said Cyprus feels stronger as Greece and the Greek nation stand by it.

    Referring to the ongoing UN-led negotiations direct negotiations between President of the Repubic Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu to reunify the island, Omirou said the talks have not achieved any progress, but instead they have highlighted once again the intensified Turkish intransigence.

    Turkey, he noted, appears to be the third party with good will and a neutral observer that seeks a solution, pushing for either an international conference on Cyprus or a deadlock in the negotiations, with apportioning equal responsibility to both sides.

    Omirou said it is imperative to change the policy in the negotiations and strategy in the overall handling of the talks by reporting the Turkish stance before the international and European community and by formulating an outline for a solution that will safeguard the national and natural survival of Cypriot Hellenism.

    Evagoras Pallikaridis was an EOKA fighter during the 1955 – 1959 struggle against British colonial rule in Cyprus. At the age of 19 he was sentenced to death by hanging for firearms possession.

    via Omirou urges international community to turn attention to Turkey.

  • President: Turkey’s aspirations conditional on a Cyprus solution

    President: Turkey’s aspirations conditional on a Cyprus solution

    Turkey must cooperate for a Cyprus solution in order to materialize its policy priorities concerning the EU and the region, President Demetris Christofias said today.

    2 24 2012 6 18 04 AM 10119072

    While addressing the book presentation of the Head of the Presidency’s office of research on Turkish policy, Nikos Moudouros on “The transition of Turkey, from Kemalist dominance to Islamic neoliberalism”, the President spoke on the role of the Turkish leadership in sidelining the former leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community Rauf Denktash, while promoting the acceptance of the Annan Plan in 2004.

    He characterized the developments of the time as a turning point in Turkey’s shift concerning its Cyprus position, in favor of a solution with an ill-defined content and the parallel promotion of the illegal state entity Ankara set up in the occupied areas of Cyprus, following the island’s 1974 invasion.

    The President went on by saying that Turkey is violating all relevant UN resolutions concerning Cyprus, while he noted that Ankara aims at provoking tension in the region, on the occasion of the Republic’s activities in its exclusive economic zone.

    This behavior is detrimental to Turkey’s EU aspirations, President Christofias said, while he noted that the burden of its illegal activities in Cyprus hinders Ankara from assuming a role in political brokerage in the region.

    Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus’ northern part since they invaded in 1974, does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus.

    Recently, Nicosia announced in the Official Journal of the EU a call for an international tender for off-shore hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation within the Republic’s Economic Exclusive Zone, signaling the initiation of a second round of licensing, after 2007.

    The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Nicosia’s new licensing round for exploration activity in the area could lead to tension in the region.

    In response to Cypriot exploration activities, Ankara has in the past deployed warships in the Eastern Mediterranean and has signed an illegal agreement with the Turkish Cypriot regime in occupied Cyprus to delineate what it calls continental shelf.

    The government of Cyprus has protested to the UN and the EU Turkey’s moves, saying it has a sovereign right to exploit its natural resources, pointing out that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will benefit from any benefits that may come from oil drilling.

    Cyprus has signed an agreement to delineate the Exclusive Economic Zone with Egypt and Israel with a view to exploit any possible natural gas and oil reserves in its EEZ. A similar agreement has been signed with Lebanon but the Lebanese Parliament has not yet ratified it.

    — Copyright © Famagusta Gazette 2012

    via President: Turkey’s aspirations conditional on a Cyprus solution.

  • The total failure of Denktash

    The total failure of Denktash

    By Makarios Droushiotis Published on January 22, 2012

    RaufDenktash
    Rauf Denktash (L), with form UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and former President Tassos Papadopoulos

    RAUF Denktash has left an indelible mark on the history of the Republic. Together with Archbishop Makarios, he shaped the political realities of our country such as they are today.

    The son of a judge, Denktash graduated from the English School before going on to study law in England. Eloquent, sharp, hard-working and goal-oriented, it was he who transformed the Muslim population of Cyprus into a Turkish population.

    Since his death, Denktash has been portrayed as the villain in the Greek Cypriot press for his part in the island’s history. In reality, Denktash would never have accomplished much on his own. In every contest, one needs an adversary. Denktash did for his community what Makarios did for the Greek Cypriots. The former sought partition, the latter Enosis (union with Greece). Makarios backed EOKA, while Denktash supported the TMT organisation. Fighters or terrorists, depending on the point of view.

    The Zurich agreements of 1959 that led to the declaration of the independence of Cyprus fleshed out the balances of the 1950s, tilting them in favour of the shrewder player. When Denktash began his struggle with the Turkish Cypriots, they were a minority. By the time he was done, the Turkish Cypriots had become a community of equal political standing with the Greek Cypriots and partners in the bi-communual Republic of Cyprus.

    At the back of his mind, Makarios was betting on taking the game into extra time, but Denktash was more than eager to play that game. Today, it is a well-documented fact that Makarios signed the Zurich agreements so that he could return to Cyprus as president and subsequently revise the agreements in order to restore the balance to the pre-EOKA period: a majority and a minority. Denktash read this, and saw the opportunity to gamble for more than what he had won in Zurich. In 1963 Makarios proposed 13 amendments to the Constitution, ostensibly to make it more functional. He had ulterior motives, obviously. Once the system established by the Zurich agreements collapsed, both sides were ready for a new showdown.

    Refusing to settle for Greek hegemony, Denktash sought vigorously to turn the tables by integrating Cyprus into broader regional politics. Through their connection to Turkey, the Turkish Cypriots – once a minority – became a majority in the region.

    Denktash rejected the concept of a common ancestry; as he once put it, the only truly Cypriot species on the island was the native donkey. To him, the separation of the Greek and Turkish populaces was a lifelong dream, and he succeeded in realising it.

    The Turkish deep state was Denktash’s most steadfast ally in this long-running conflict. Yet it was Greek Cypriot nationalism which did the most to aid his cause. The Greek Cypriot leadership, the church, the media and the education system were all constantly fuelling his ideological struggle. Denktash never wanted for raw material. He could speak and read Greek, and every morning studied the Cypriot press so he knew his adversary inside-out. By contrast, his Greek Cypriot opponents were ignorant about the Turkish Cypriot community. Because of their ignorance, they criminally underestimated the role of Turkey.

    One of the core myths of this ignorance, which prevented the Greek Cypriot side from a rational analysis of Turkish policy, was that Turkish policy on Cyprus was monolithic and unwavering.

    In reality, Denktash had not always been the favoured son of the Turkish state. He became that along the way, and he had Greek Cypriot nationalism to thank for it. At the beginning of his political career in the 1950s, Denktash had ties to the regime of Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, with whose help he set up the TMT organisation. The independence of Cyprus in 1960 coincided with a coup in Turkey. Menderes was arrested, sentenced to death and hanged. Denktash then found himself sidelined, and the government of Mustafa Inonu – who supported the implementation of the Zurich agreements in Cyprus – tried without success to disarm the TMT.

    Following the events of 1963 the Turkish government forced Denktash into self-exile in Turkey. The year 1964 in Cyprus was full of dramatic events. Georgios Grivas returned to the island. A Greek army division was despatched to Cyprus to keep in check Makarios’ overtures to Moscow, while Turkey looked the other way.

    After three years in exile, in 1967 Denktash tried to illegally re-enter Cyprus with the help of the army. He was arrested, held at the old mental hospital (at what is now the site of the planned Qatari investment) and finally deported to Turkey, even though he was a Cypriot citizen. To the Turkish Cypriots, he was already a hero.

    The next wave of hostilities that broke out in Kofinou in November 1967 led to a reshuffling of the deck. The Greek division was sent packing, and Denktash returned to the island, legally this time. His reception at Inonu Square marked the largest mass gathering in the history of the Turkish Cypriot community.

    In 1968 Denktash began talks with Glafcos Clerides aimed at resolving the Cyprus dispute on the basis of the Zurich agreements.

    In 1973 Denktash became the leader of the Turkish Cypriots.

    The coup of July 15 1974 that was engineered by the Greek junta changed the situation radically. The date 20 July 1974 was the most important day in the life of Denktash. The Turkish army gained a foothold in Cyprus, forcing out the Greek population from the northern part of the island. It was out of the ashes of this tragedy that Denktash forged his empire. The Turkish state in Cyprus, with or without quotation marks or the prefix “pseudo”, became a de facto reality. Makarios, himself in exile in London, proposed an immediate return to the Zurich agreements, but Denktash got his own back by responding that the agreement was now inapplicable. It was his turn to play for time. Denktash’s vision from 1974 until his death was the international recognition of the “state”.

    The status quo became the new point of convergence between the nationalists in Cyprus. Greek Cypriot leaders would continue their “unyielding” struggle, while Denktash enjoyed the fruits of “independence” and would assume the position he always craved as part of the leading clique of the Turkish deep state.

    Denktash became the hero of Turkish policy, much like Makarios had been for Greece in the 1950s and 1960s.

    But the abscess ruptured in the early 2000s when the Turkish Cypriots rose up, having realised after decades of self-delusion that they had no future in a pseudo-state that was under Turkey’s shadow. They wanted to be partners in a true European state.

    From his office, Denktash could hear the roar of the crowds demanding a solution and accession to the EU, and saw his own vision shaken to its core; the deep state was also being questioned in Turkey itself with the rise of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

    The Greek Cypriot leadership at the time persisted in a static analysis of developments, convinced that the clash between Erdogan and Denktash was a PR gimmick. In reality, they dreaded any developments and sought out the safety of the status quo. Tassos Papadopoulos, with the support of Demetris Christofias, fiercely resisted any attempt at tearing down the wall. While everyone else was living a dream of reconciliation and reunification, Denktash, who was extremely savvy of Cypriot politics, predicted that “this honeymoon will not last long”.

    The year 2004 was the most critical juncture in Denktash’s career. For the first time he and the Turkish generals were unable to impose their policies on the Turkish government, and yet Papadopoulos and Christofias continued to speak of PR games.

    Not having got wind that changes were afoot in Turkey, Papadopoulos and Christofias wagered on Denktash’s intransigence and negativity. When things turned out very differently, they were already trapped at Burgenstock, whereas Denktash refused to attend so as to avoid a clash with Turkey. The nationalist camp was gripped by panic. Instead of conducting negotiations, as he had committed to in writing, Papadopoulos talked to Serdar Denktash behind the scenes in a bid to jointly block the process. Eventually, Papadopoulos found an outlet by tapping into people’s fears, and with Christofias’ support he maintained the status quo. Denktash, always a straight talker, expressed his admiration for Papadopoulos, even thanking him in public: “Papadopoulos saved us, and for that I thank him.”

    At Denktash’s funeral, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said of the man that he was “one of the true heroes borne of our nation”.

    A vindication of the deceased? When it comes to eulogies, perhaps yes, but History is a different matter. In nations such as ours, heroes who brought about national disasters are a dime a dozen, whereas fighters are treated as traitors.

    What did Turkey gain from Denktash’s policies? Nothing whatsoever. She lost far more than the conquest of a third of the island. Cyprus neither has the strategic value which was once attributed to it, nor did it ever become the unsinkable NATO aircraft carrier – a myth peddled for decades – nor did it add anything of strategic value in the region.

    Cyprus is like a stone in the shoe of a giant, constantly nagging at the giant who is unable to remove his shoe and discard it, because the giant (or Turkey) is incapable of abolishing its own national myth. And the threat of partition for the sake of compromise that would salvage Turkish pride is no longer considered a hazard by Greek Cypriots, but rather as security. That which Greek Cypriot nationalists consider to be Denktash’s total success, once you scratch the surface you realise, is his total failure. And theirs.

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