Reconciliation with Turkey should only come with a price

February 19, 2020 12:35 PM
Michael Rubin

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is threatening to fight the Syrian army directly if Syrian President Bashar Assad does not stop his assault on Idlib, the last major zone controlled by the Syrian opposition. While Erdogan imagined himself a master tactician, he is now learning that it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who played him. Erdogan discarded decades of alliance with the United States for a brief fling, only to discover Putin’s professions of love were for more limited aims.

This is not the first time Erdogan has found himself outplayed. But, after deliberately trashing Turkey’s relationship with the U.S., it is time Washington plays hardball. Those who say that Erdogan notwithstanding, Turkey is too important for the U.S. to turn its back against are likely underestimating the corrosive impact of 17 years of Erdoganism, the incitement and indoctrination broadcast over the airwaves or taught in Turkey’s schools, and demographic change.

1974-2019: 45 years of unchecked Turkish aggression in Cyprus - LOBBY FOR CYPRUS

20 July 2019

The date 20 July represents the awful anniversary of Turkey’s illegal, brutal and unjustified invasion of the Republic of Cyprus in 1974. It was followed on 14 August 1974 by the equally illegal, brutal and unjustified second invasion in which Turkey ethno-religiously cleansed 36 per cent of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey has remained in occupation of it ever since. In 1974, the world looked on with sympathy but did absolutely nothing of any substance in response.

We are currently witnessing the most dangerous developments in the Cyprus issue since 1974. Turkey is carrying out a third invasion by illegally sending drill ships into the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus – initially to explore but no doubt subsequently to drill. At the same time Turkey has secretly despatched 40 tanks newly purchased from Germany to the occupied area for what purposes no one knows. At the same time, Turkey has recently taken purchase also of the S-400 missile system from Russia allegedly to defend itself and threatened to open up the town of Varosha under Turkish control, despite having refrained from doing so for 45 years in order to use the town as a bargaining chip in the mislabelled peace talks. To cap it all, Turkey has descended into tyranny and, with the help of Russia, it is now building a nuclear power station in a seismically active area to the north of the occupied area.

The aggression of Turkey towards the Republic of Cyprus continues unchecked and contrary to countless UN resolutions. Turkey’s blatant disregard for human rights, cultural heritage and international law knows no limits. And still the world looks on with sympathy but does nothing to confront this bully.

The Turkish Sword of Damocles Over Cyprus - THE HUFFINGTON POST

Headline, the Brtish newspaper THE SUN, 5 August 1974

06/22/2017 07:31 pm ET

The headline "BARBARIANS" described the Turks who had invaded Cyprus. The reporter, Iain Walker, wrote about the dramatic and bloody effects of the Turkish onslaught against the Greeks of Cyprus (Photo: Fanoula Argyrou)

Once again Cyprus is fighting for its life. The Greek island-home of Aphrodite is confronting its ancient enemies, Turkey and the United Kingdom. This confrontation is taking place in a secret diplomatic meeting in Geneva on 28 June 2017.

Turkey and the UK are former imperial powers that colonized Cyprus for long stretches of time. In 1878, Turkey passed Cyprus to Britain in exchange for British promises to support the Turks in any Russo-Turkish war. The British were not much better rulers than the Turks in Cyprus. Greek Cypriots fought the British and won their freedom.

Glavin: Here's why Cyprus is as divided as ever - A Comment

No room for Anatolian concepts on the island of Venus

Various inaccuracies in this article in Ottawa Citizen but one piece of information is vital in understanding what history has proven beyond any doubt, that the Turkish invasion and subsequent division, ethnic cleansing and ongoing colonization of Cyprus was pre-PLANNED and prepared for:

The Greek coup happened 5 days before the invasion. During that unsuccessul attempt about 100 people died. All Christians. NOT A SINGLE member of the Turkish Cypriot minority was harmed. Yet, most will buy the Turkish MYTH (there are so many on a vast array of issues) of an ethnic cleansing that preceded the invasion. Did Turkish Cypriots also die in 1974? Of course. BUT NOT BEFORE 40.000 TROOPS INVADED A PRACTICALLY DEFENSELESS ISLAND. Not before Turkey and Turkish Cypriots declared war on Cyprus.

We must also ask and demand answers from Turks and Turkish Cypriots:

International Justice: The Case of Cyprus - HUFFINGTON POST

Turkish troops invading Cyprus in the summer of 1974

By Constantine Tzanos

On May 22, 2016, the Greek Cypriots in the independent south of Cyprus will go to the polls, with the issue of the reunification of the island heavily weighing on their minds. Northern Cyprus remains under Turkish occupation since 1974.

The preamble of the United Nations (UN) Charter states: “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war... to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law... our respective Governments... have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations (UN).” The purpose of the UN, as expressed in its Charter is: “To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes.” To achieve this purpose, “all Members shall refrain ... from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.” In the event that international law, as expressed in the UN Charter, has been breached the UN Security Council is empowered to decide on measures “to be employed to give effect to its decisions.”

Lobby for Cyprus statement on ‘talks’ to settle the Cyprus issue

February 8, 2017
Lobby for Cyprus

Any settlement to the Cyprus issue must be just, sustainable and above all, in line with the rule of law. It must be for the benefit of all citizens and lawful residents of the Republic of Cyprus, which encompasses the entire island.

It should not be overlooked that the so-called ‘Cyprus problem’ has been caused by Turkish-inspired constitutional segregation, which has been aggravated by Turkey’s invasion, occupation, ethnic cleansing and colonisation of 37 per cent of the territory and 57 per cent of the coastline of the Republic of Cyprus.

The Fake Teachings of a Pseudo-Prophet

The cartoon depicts an ugly and dangerous truth. Islam could not be a religion as we understand it in the west for the simple reason that Mohammed, Muslims' so-called prophet, was a military leader who (among a host of other despicable acts & behaviors) ordered people killed.

Laurel & Hardy of Geopolitics

Laurel & Hardy of geopolitics headed for another regional fuck-up, in EU Cyprus this time around, with their bizonality idea, an unhistorical apartheid concoction that would cement in law the results of an illegal invasion, ethnic cleansing, occupation & colonization, aiming primarily to solidify the colonial-era privileges the UK & USA enjoy on the island via the sovereign military bases  

Turkey in Cyprus vs. Israel in Gaza by Daniel Pipes | Jerusalem Post

Turkey protest fire, AP

By DANIEL PIPES \  07/20/2010

Northern Cyprus shares features with Syria; resembles 'open-air jail' more than Gaza. In light of Ankara’s recent criticism of what it calls Israel’s “open-air jail” in Gaza, this week, which marks the anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus, has special relevance.

The Mother of all Insults

"REUNIFICATION" is at best a euphemism for addressing illegal occupation, ethnic cleansing & colonization. Most Cypriots consider it a Grand Insult. Defining the problem correctly is a sine qua non for properly addressing it. Otherwise you are attempting to solve the British' and the Turks' Cyprus problem, not the Cypriots' British-Turkish problem.

How the EU directly funds settlements in occupied territory | Jerusalem Post

By EUGENE KONTOROVICH

09/28/2013

The EU knowingly and purposefully provides substantial direct financial assistance to settlements in occupied territory – in Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, that is.

Broadcast Cyprus's Turkey Problem to The World!

By Caroline S. Charalambides | ATTENTION - Let's put Cyprus on the world map regarding the continued

occupation of our country by Turkey, not just the banking crisis | Cyprus recently has featured on the world map because of our financial crisis. For many (particulary non European countries) the name Cyprus merely rang some vague distant bell and difficulties in located it on the world map ensued.Since our banking crisis many articles have appeared that convey just how ignorant some of the word is over the situation in Cyprus vis-à-vis the Cyprus problem or more accurately Cyprus’s Turkey problem.

Crime Against Humanity

It is not so much the illegal occupation of Cyprus that should not be forgotten & condemned, but the ongoing illegal colonization & cultural destruction instead. Eradicating from illegally occupied northern Cyprus one of the oldest and most cherished cultures and pillar civilization in a mere four decades, a land that has documented historical non-stop Christian and/or Hellenic presence spanning almost four millenniums is certainly a crime against humanity. In a sense an equal a crime to a genocide, be it the Holocaust or the Armenian genocide (which we commemorated yesterday) or the hideous cultural suppression against the Kurdish people over the last century in all four corners of the middle east.