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 Fallacies of the Cyprus “Problem” - E-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

ILIAS KOUSKOUVELIS, AUG 12 2017

In the early morning of July 7, 2017, another round of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations on the so called Cyprus “problem” has ended in Switzerland. Some are trying to understand why. Others, however, have ostensibly entered the “blame game” and/or misinformation, unjustly pointing the finger to the government of the Republic of Cyprus, because, allegedly, it did not make the necessary concessions, so as to satisfy Turkish demands. For those who are trying to understand why, I am arguing, hereinafter, that none should have expected these negotiations (or any previous) to succeed. They were doomed to fail for three reasons, which constitute the fallacies of the so-called Cyprus “problem”.

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.”

In 1974, ISIS was in Cyprus - PHILOS PROJECT

ROBERT JONES

July 28, 2016

Since 2014, Yazidis in Iraq have been exposed to genocide at the hands of the Islamic State, which has led to their forced expulsion and exile from their ancestral lands.

ISIS has executed thousands of Yazidis and abducted a myriad others from the Sinjar area, raped them repeatedly and sold them as sex slaves. Nearly 200,000 Yazidis have been displaced in northern Iraq, where the large majority lives in refugee camps.

Forty-two years ago, similar crimes were committed in Cyprus by another occupying army, which is also a NATO member.

In the summer of 1974, the Turkish military invaded Cyprus in a bloody military campaign.

Not so fast! Turkey was no great 'secular' state before Erdogan - WND

Ethnic cleansing of Greek Cypriots by the invading Turkish military, 1974

Exclusive: Andrew Bostom examines brutal conquest, Islamization of northern Cyprus

By Andrew Bostom

Although much ballyhooed 42 years later for its unsuccessful attempt to remove current Neo-Ottoman, Islamic Jew-hating President/Muslim despot Mas-Kom-Ya Erdogan, July 20, 1974, the same putatively “secular” Turkish military waged a “successful” jihad invasion of n
orthern Cyprus.

Using Cyprus’ own short-lived July 1974 military putsch (the Greek junta-supported coup had collapsed by [July 23, 1974]) as a pretext for long sought expansionist designs within Cyprus, pseudo-secular Turkey claimed its 1974 jihad invasion was a “peaceful action” that sought to “restore” Cypriot rights, territorial integrity, and security “without any discrimination toward the (Christian majority and Muslim minority) Communities.” But the July-August, 1974 jihad of Turkey’s pseudo-secular military regime, consistent with the devastating half millennial legacy of its Ottoman forbears’ campaigns, was punctuated by Islamic jihadism’s trademark “sacralized” brutality against non-Muslims: massacre, pillage, enslavement, rape, deportation (of infidels) and colonization (by Muslim replacements).

Cyprus with most IDPs (Internally Displaced People) in the World

Ecevit – Erdogan Dreadful Analogy: Consistency in Expulsion and Internal Displacement - INTERNATIONAL SECURITY FORUM

Mar 22, 2016, Dr. Yiorgos Leventis

Before the week closes a fresh suicide bomb explosion hits Istiklal - the famous pedestrian high street in the heart of Istanbul (Constantinople). Known to most historically aware European travelers as Rue du Pera, Istiklal is frequented by scores of world class tourists. The German and other European governments have already advised their traveling citizens who found themselves in Istanbul to stay in their hotel rooms. Clearly, the security situation in western Turkey hits red alert. Terror rules supreme. Both Ankara and Istanbul city centres have become prime targets of attackers.

On the other hand the situation in the eastern provinces of the country is dreadful. Tens of thousands of repressed ethnic Kurds are forced to flee their ancestral homes in search for relative safety. The modus operandi, the goals, and the results of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) operations in Turkey’s Southeast targeted against the courageous Kurdish population are reminiscent of the Turkish ‘Peace Operation’ in Cyprus in July-August 1974.

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  

Makarios: "It's barbaric"| August 14th 1974, Evening Standard

On 14 Aug 1974, the day of the 2nd Turkish invasion of Cyprus, "Makarios: It's barbaric", Evening Standard

Cyprus - Rule of law vacuum, ethical deficit and contradictions at the core of the Cyprus Question (47 min)

Published on Jan 27, 2013 - Part 2 of the Seminar - "The rule of law vacuum, ethical deficit and contradictions at the core of the Cyprus Question" by Dr Klearchos Kyriakides, Senior lecturer and a non-practising solicitor, School of Law, University of Hertfordshire, England.

NATO's confession of its role in the 1974 Cyprus crime

Turkey is the bad actor on Cyprus | By Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.)

May 06, 2015 - In “Cyprus: The volatile and oddly forgotten frozen conflict,” Mehmet Mustafaoglu demonstrates why the world has not been able to end Turkey’s nearly 41-year occupation of Cyprus and bring stability to the region.  Every successful peace negotiation requires genuine partners, a trait that Turkey has not exhibited over the past four decades in Cyprus.  Indeed – despite Mustafaoglu’s failure to paint an accurate picture of Turkey’s 1974 invasion – it is worth noting that the second wave of that invasion, Atilla II, was launched by Ankara as peace talks were underway.

President Johnson's letter to Ismet Inonu from 1964 and its relevance to understand the Turkish invasion of 1974 | Daniel Pipes

DANIEL PIPES: "So I believe your question of "what really happened" might be posed differently : "Why could Turkey attack and occupy large parts of Cyprus in 1974 and couldn't do that in 1964 even though it did want to?"

A tempting explanation , I think , is given by analyzing the letter of President Lyndon Johnson to Turkish prime Minister Ismet Inonu from June 5th, 1964 ordering the Turks to drop their plans to invade Cyprus."

Attilas 1974: the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, by Cacoyannis

In July 1974, the Turkish Army invaded the Republic of Cyprus, forcing 180 thousand Greek Cypriots into displaced persons camps and causing the deaths of six thousand more. Upon hearing the devastating reports from his homeland director Michael Cacoyannis ('Zorba the Greek' Director, born 11 June 1921, died July 25 2011) rushed from London to Cyprus in order to document the horrific events on film.

Which one does NATO condemn?