Rolls Royce ambitions but Rover resources

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 ANKARA 000087

16. (C) The greatest potential strategic problem for the US, however, and the one that has some of the commentators howling, is the Turks neo-Ottoman posturing around the Middle East and Balkans. This "back to the past" attitude so clear in Davutoglu's Sarajevo speech, combined with the Turks' tendency to execute it through alliances with more Islamic or more worrisome local actors, constantly creates new problems. Part of this is structural. Despite their success and relative power, the Turks really can't compete on equal terms with either the US or regional "leaders" (EU in the Balkans, Russia in the Caucasus/Black Sea, Saudis, Egyptians and even Iranians in the ME). With Rolls Royce ambitions but Rover resources, to cut themselves in on the action the Turks have to "cheat" by finding an underdog (this also plays to Erdogan's own worldview), a Siladjcic, Mish'al, or Ahmadinejad, who will be happy to have the Turks take up his cause. The Turks then attempt to ram through revisions to at least the reigning "Western" position to the favor of their guy. Given, again, the questioning of Western policy and motives by much of the Turkish public and the AKP, such an approach provides a relatively low cost and popular tool to demonstrate influence, power, and the "we're back" slogan. Source: Wikileaks

Throw these buffoons out of Cyprus, all three!

Throw these buffoons out of Cyprus, all three of them!

'Never Never Land' to be renamed to 'Land of Oz' on July 1st 2012

I thought of these words by Claire Berlinski when I read that Turks are changing "TRNC"'s name to "TRC" in hopes of rendering it legal:      

"[Turks] see “truth” as something plastic, connected more to emotions than to facts or logic. If it feels true, it is true. ... The utter irrationality of Turks—and the utter uselessness, for them, of our Western notions of truth and logic—are points Americans won’t grasp unless they’ve lived here quite some time—and even then they won’t grasp them, because they make no sense." - Claire Berlinski  Smile and Smile: Turkey's Feel-Good Foreign Policy  | WORLD AFFAIRS JOURNAL July-August 2010

Bloody Truth

Dear all,

I regard it as a great honour to be here today to share the presentation of this excellently documented long awaited historical publication.

The “Bloody Truth” (click here for the book in PDF | the English version appears after the Greek) comes at a very crucial moment in time. At a time when so many have embarked on a ruthless systematic campaign of total distortion of historical facts making truth the first and direct victim of fragrant violation in order to reach their goals. It comes at a time when Turkish propaganda has practically gone over the top in its efforts to accuse the Greek Cypriots as those responsible for the events of 1963/64. It comes at a time when, failing to impose upon us the monstrosity of the “Annan Plan” which also included provisions for the distortion of our history books, Turkey and her allies are resolute in implementing this plan and its pro-Turkish provisions through the back door.

Leyla Zana means Kurdish Freedom

You too will be a Kurd after watching this.

 

Turkish Cypriot hypocrisy

Turkish Cypriots (tCs) exhibit the epitome of hypocritical behavior. I ask them to explain to the impartial observer why the authors of the 1960 Cyprus constitution granted guaranteed representation in state positions for the 18% tC ethnic minority 1.67 & 2.22 times its population numbers at the expense of all other Cypriots, on top of many other unnatural and apartheid super rights. I ask them further to explain how come 82% of Cypriots agreed to such evident unfair arrangements. I ask them to explain why they do not tell Turks of Turkey that the 22+% Kurdish community of Turkey should be granted no less rights than those they feel they deserve in Cyprus, to explain why they don't feel a brotherly connection to the Kurdish plight. tC thinking is my enemy because it lacks western reason! tC thinking is NOT Cypriot. It is hypocritical and demonstrates malevolence.

Interview: What can Cyprus do for the EU?

Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, Foreign Affairs Minister of Cyprus, talks to EuroparlTV about her country's priorities for its first EU Presidency, starting on July 1.

The day all shall be sorted out

On the day Turkish Cypriots can genuinely recommend to Turks and Kurds of Turkey a just way forward for sorting out their 90-year long differences they will have attained the level of understanding necessary to effectively address the issues that have plagued them since the 1950s. All that is needed is a bit of history, honesty, fairness, self-reflection and courage.

A tragedy unfolding

Breaking news... "Police" and occupying Turkish army beating up Turkish Cypriot strikers in the illegally occupied area of Cyprus, where illegal Turkish settlers outnumber original Turkish Cypriots ten to one. The illegally occupied northern Cyprus was over 90% Greek before the Turkish invasion and ethnic cleansing of 1974, and 100% Greek for millennia before then. Who are these people really fighting in our towns over property they do not own and rights they do not have?

The Cypriots and the Kurds - Opinion - International Herald Tribune

The Cypriots and the Kurds - Opinion - International Herald Tribune
Kirsty Hughes
Published: Tuesday, November 14, 2006

LONDON — Turkey complains vociferously about the European Union's unfair treatment of the politically and economically isolated Turkish Cypriots. Why then shouldn't Turkey grant a big chunk of its own citizens - the Kurds - the same rights it demands for people who are not even Turkish nationals?

Cyprus is no Alexandretta, fools!

Charalambos Constantinides: "Turkey's plan relating to the fate of Cyprus does not differ an iota from that applied in the case of the plan on the basis of which Alexandretta had been annexed in 1939, save for the names of the people involved. Following the disintegration of the Ottoman empire, the French wanted to administer the province as part of their mandate for Syria because the majority of the population were Syrians who wished UNION (Enosis) with Syria.

Inform them, so that they can't pretend

Minister,

I propose periodic entries in the Turkish Cypriot press, via an authorized representative, in Turkish, targeting the settlers, informing them in detail about their illegal status, that the responsibility for their illegal presence on Republic of Cyprus soil lies exclusively with Turkey, and alerting them to the fact that with the advent of a solution, whenever it is achieved, their repatriation/relocation along with their children and grandchildren to the Turkish Republic, must be considered an absolute certainty.

If not Kurds, who? If not now, when?

In 1960, ethnic Turks of Turkey, in the name of both Turks and Kurds, maintained that a balanced constitution for a neighboring country hosting a major ethnic minority circa 15-20%, is a Presidential Republic with a majority President and a minority Vice-President, both with the right of final veto, with equal political status for the minority community, where all aspects of the Republic are bilingual (including the currency, passports, IDs, etc.), where the minority is constitutionally guaranteed representation in government structures far exceeding its population strength, with ethnically divided parliamentary chambers, municipalities, courts, etc.

A public debate destined to cause Turkey's ire?

Some interesting exchanges about the idea of introducing into public debate Turkey's double standards in approaching the rights of her own 15-20% ethnic Kurdish minority community  vs. Turkey's thinking since the 50s in approaching the rights of the Turkish Cypriot [tC] 18% ethnic minority community. The debate was fueled by the article  "What kind of pawn and in what game do Cypriots want to be? May 4, 2012"

What kind of pawn and in what game do Cypriots want to be?

François-André Philidor, the greatest chess player of the 18th century, called pawns "the soul of chess." They play an important - though sometimes subtle - role in every chess game, and should you reach the endgame, pawns can become the most valuable pieces on the board! Cyprus is too small to be considered anything other than a pawn on any international balance of power chess game. But Cypriots owe themselves to wonder what kind of pawn and in what chess game they wish to be. Perhaps they now have such luxury.

Unparalleled Cypriot generosity

I have come to the indisputable conclusion that the original Cypriots, the majority Cypriots, the Greek Christians of Cyprus, are the most generous, the most chivalrous, the most magnanimous people that ever walked on this earth. I explain.