Cyprus Conflict: past, present and future.

[s3kiz]

Maybe the origin of this problem is that Cyprus at first place got it's freedom from Great Britain.

Maybe it would have been inevitable for peace to be kept, as they both Greeks and Turkish population wanted to unite the island with their motherlands.

Instead of regurgitating the information in this thread.

I will, with all respect, ask you if you have?
-Read this thread from the very beginning, in an attempt to “understand” whats written?
-Observed, checked, verified the evidence put forward?
-Attempted to grasp the origins, evolution and developments of this conflict?

Or,

Are you merely in state of reliance on the distorted perceptions (and falsely calimed) “Turkish invasion” of 1974?. Created due to the millenium old manipulative, devious and discoursive political games of Greeks, referred to in political literature as “Byzantine/Greek Intrigue”.

And is it because of this that, you and the other Greek poster on this thread “wyoming cowbow” are bringing forward:
-claims without evidence,
-trying to distort this threads topic by off-topic claims to cling on to and stir emotional propaganda inline with “yeah but we all know Turks are barbarians”
-twisting the dates of news articles,
-and bringing “maybe this”, “maybe that” kind of arguments without facts, which already have been comprehensively and clearly refuted with the evidence in this thread?

And posting such things to force the presented evidence to go back in the posting order, burried in the thread, perhaps in an attempt to censor as much as possible?

Like Glafcos Clerides said:
"I am sorry that it is wishful thinking and a false dream to believe.…..The things that count are arguments, not slogans."
("My Deposition" by Glafcos Clerides [former President of Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus], Vol.3 (referring to Greek politicians who try to manipulate word perceptions on the facts of Cyprus Conflict) ]

Don't you think that peace was very fragile? Also attrocities happened from both sides, before the invasion and after the invasion, both sides can prove it with lots of articles.

That is why I say that the Greeks should stop their political manipulations and realize the lies been made about this conflict.

And come to realize that they have;
-Done “lot of wrongs have been done to Turkish Cypriots”
-That“the Greek Cypriot side has tried to do away with the agreements”
-In an effort “to deprive the Turkish Cypriots from their rights,"
-and that "the Enosis(union with Greece) road was followed” causing this conflict and ethnic cleansing of Turks.
("My Deposition" by Glafcos Clerides [former President of Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus], Vol.3]

And see that peace comes with;
-Ending continued claims by Greeks to own whole of the island,
-Respect the Turkish Cypriots existance,
-Recognize that after all this conflict, that both sides of the island have the justfull right to go their own way.

…you confused me a bit on what is right and what is wrong...

I get confused sometimes too, but I easily overcome such confusions when I use my intellect and reach down my heart.

Cheers.

 

[s3kiz]

Again most of these articles you point out are after the invasion of Turkey on Cyprus..on July 20 1974, a war was begun by Turkey people from both sides took up arms to defend themselves….

Please re-read the evidence below you claim as false:


Part 1/3

Attempted Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in Cyprus
By Michael Stephen, former British Parliamentarian (1992-97)

The assertion by Mr. Christides (May 10, 1999) that there was no ethnic cleansing or attempted genocide of Turkish Cypriots by Greek Cypriots is ridiculous. Until influential Greek Cypriots come to terms with the appalling behavior of their community toward the smaller Turkish Cypriot community and stop trying to persuade themselves and the world that each side was as much to blame as the other, there will be no reconciliation in Cyprus.
What did George Ball and Sir Alec Douglas say about the intentions of Archbishop Makarios vis a vis the Turkish Cypriots?

In his memoirs, American Undersecretary of State George Ball said: "Makarios's central interest was to block off Turkish intervention so that he and his Greek Cypriots could go on happily massacring Turkish Cypriots. Obviously we would never permit that. "

The fact is, however, that neither the United Nations, nor anyone, other than Turkey ever took effective action to prevent it.

On Feb. 17, 1964 the Washington Post reported that "Greek Cypriot fanatics appear bent on a policy of genocide."

Former British Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home said, "I was convinced that if Archbishop Makarios could not bring himself to treat the Turkish Cypriots as human beings he was inviting the invasion and partition of the island."

On July 28, 1960 Makarios, the Greek Cypriot president, said: "The independence agreements do not form the goal they are the present and not the future. The Greek Cypriot people will continue their national cause and shape their future in accordance with THEIR will."

In a speech on Sept. 4, 1962 at Panayia Makarios said, "Until this Turkish community forming part of the Turkish race that has been the terrible enemy of Hellenism is expelled, the duty of the heroes of EOKA can never be considered terminated.

The Constitutional Coup
In November 1963 the Greek Cypriots demanded the abolition of no less than eight of the basic articles that had been included in the 1960 agreement for the protection of the Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish Cypriots, naturally, refused to agree.

The aim of the Greek Cypriots was to reduce the Turkish Cypriot people to the status of a mere minority, wholly subject to the control of the Greek Cypriots, pending ultimate destruction or expulsion of the Turkish Cypriots from the island.

"When the Turkish Cypriots objected to the amendment of the Constitution, Makarios put his plan into effect, and the Greek Cypriot attack began in December 1963," wrote Lt. Gen. George Karayiannis of The Greek Cypriot militia ("Ethnikos Kiryx" 15.6.65). The general was referring to the notorious "Akritas" plan, which was the blueprint for the annihilation of the Turkish Cypriots and the annexation of the island to Greece.

Events leading to the sending of the UN Peace-Keeping Force to the island
On Christmas Eve 1963 the Greek Cypriot militia attacked Turkish Cypriot communities across the island. Large numbers of men, women, and children were killed and 270 mosques, shrines and other places of worship were desecrated.

On Dec. 28, 1963, the Daily Express carried the following report from Cyprus: "We went tonight into the sealed-off Turkish Cypriot quarter of Nicosia in which 200 to 300 people had been slaughtered in the last five days. We were the first Western reporters there, and we have seen sights too frightful to be described in print. Horror was so extreme that the people seemed stunned beyond tears."

On Dec. 31, 1963, The Guardian reported: "It is nonsense to claim, as the Greek Cypriots do, that all casualties were caused by fighting between armed men of both sides. On Christmas Eve many Turkish Cypriot people were brutally attacked and murdered in their suburban homes, including the wife and children of a doctor-allegedly by a group of 40 men, many in army boots and greatcoats." Although the Turkish Cypriots fought back as best they could and killed some militia, there were no massacres of Greek Cypriot civilians.

On Jan. 1, 1964, the Daily Herald reported: "When I came across the Turkish Cypriot homes they were an appalling sight. Apart from the walls they just did not exist. I doubt if a napalm attack could have created more devastation. Under roofs springs, children's cots, and gray ashes of what had once been tables, chairs and wardrobes. In the neighboring village of Ayios Vassilios I counted 16 wrecked and burned out homes. They were all Turkish Cypriot's. In neither village did I find a scrap of damage to any Greek Cypriot house."

On Jan. 2, 1964, the Daily Telegraph wrote: "The Greek Cypriot community should not assume that the British military presence can or should secure them against Turkish intervention if they persecute the Turkish Cypriots. We must not be a shelter for double-crossers."

On Jan. 12, 1964, the British High Commission in Nicosia wrote in a telegram to London: "The Greek [Cypriot] police are led by extremist who provoked the fighting and deliberately engaged in atrocities. They have recruited into their ranks as 'special constables' gun-happy young thugs. They threaten to try and punish any Turkish Cypriot police who wishes to return to the Cyprus Government... Makarios assured Sir Arthur Clark that there will be no attack. His assurance is as worthless as previous assurances have proved."

On Jan. 14, 1964, the Daily Telegraph reported that the "Turkish Cypriot inhabitants of Ayios Vassilios had been massacred on Dec. 26, 1963" and reported their exhumation from a mass grave in the presence of the Red Cross.

A further massacre of Turkish Cypriots, at Limassol, was reported by The Observer on Feb. 16, 1964; and there were many more.

On Feb. 6, 1964, a British patrol found armed Greek Cypriot police attacking the Turkish Cypriots of Ayios Sozomenos. They were unable to stop the attack.

On Feb. 13, 1964, the Greeks and Greek Cypriots attacked the Turkish Cypriot quarter of Limassol with tanks, killing 16 and injuring 35.

On Feb. 15, 1964, the Daily Telegraph reported: "It is a real military operation which the Greek Cypriots launched against the 6,000 inhabitants of the Turkish Cypriot quarter yesterday morning. A spokesman for the Greek Cypriot government has recognized this officially. It is hard to conceive how Greek and Turkish Cypriots may seriously contemplate working together after all that has happened."

End Part 1/3

 

[s3kiz]

Part 2/3

Further attempts for ENOSIS
On Sept. 10, 1964, the U.N. Secretary-General reported that:
"UNFICYP carried out a detailed survey of all damage to properties throughout the island during the disturbances... It shows that in 109 villages, most of them Turkish-Cypriot or mixed villages, 527 houses have been destroyed while 2,000 others have suffered damage from looting.
In Ktima 38 houses and shops have been destroyed totally and 122 partially. In the Orphomita suburb of Nicosia, 50 houses have been totally destroyed while a further 240 have been partially destroyed there and in adjacent suburbs."

The U.K. House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs reviewed the Cyprus question in 1987 and reported unanimously on July 2 of that year that:
"although the Cyprus Government now claims to have been merely seeking to 'operate the 1960 Constitution modified to the extent dictated by the necessities of the situation,' this claim ignores the fact that both before and after the events of, December 1963 the Makarios Government continued to advocate the cause of ENOSIS and actively pursued the amendment of the Constitution and the related treaties to facilitate this ultimate objective."

The committee continued: "Moreover, in June 1967 the Greek Cypriot legislature unanimously passed a resolution in favor of enosis, in blatant contravention of the 1960 Treaties and Constitution." (Art. I of the Treaty of Guarantee prohibited any action likely to directly or indirectly promote union with any other state or partition of the island, and Art. 185(2) of the Constitution is to similar effect.)

Professor Ernst Forsthoff, the neutral president of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Cyprus, told Die Welt on Dec. 27, 1963: "Makarios bears on his shoulders the sole responsibility for the recent tragic events. His aim is to deprive the Turkish community of their rights". In an interview with the UPI press agency on Dec. 30, 1963 he said, "All this happened because Makarios wanted to take away all constitutional rights from the Turkish Cypriots."

The Failure of the UN and the others
The United Nations not only failed to condemn the forcible usurpation of the legal order in Cyprus, but actually rewarded it by treating the by then wholly Greek Cypriot administration as if it were the government of Cyprus (Security Council Res. 186 of 1964). This acceptance has continued to the present day, and reflects no credit upon the United Nations, nor upon Britain, nor the other countries who have acquiesced.

On Aug. 12, 1964, the UK representative to the United Nations wrote to his government in London as follows:
"What is our policy and true feelings about the future of Cyprus and about Makarios? Judging from the English newspapers and many others, the feeling is very strong indeed against Makarios and his so-called government, and nothing would please the British people more than to see him toppled and the Cyprus problem solved by the direct dealings between the Turks and the Greeks. We are of course supporting the latter course, but I have never seen any expression of the official disapproval in public against Makarios and his evil doings. Is there an official view about this, and what do we think we should do in the long run? Sometimes it seems that the obsession of some people with "the Commonwealth" blinds us to everything else and it would be high treason to take more active line against Makarios and his henchmen. At other times the dominant feature seems to be concern lest active opposition against Makarios should lead to direct conflict with the Cypriots and end up with our losing our bases."

Exclusion of the Turkish Cypriots from representation at the international fora
Thereafter Turkish Cypriot MPs, judges, and other officials were intimidated or prevented by force from carrying out their duties.

According to the Select Committee, "The effect of the crisis of December 1963 was to deliver control of the formal organs of government into the hands of the Greek Cypriots alone. Claiming to be acting in accordance with the doctrine of necessity, the Greek Cypriot members of the House of Representatives enacted a series of laws which provided for the operation of the organs of government without Turkish Cypriot participation."

The report of the Select Committee continued: "Equality damaging from the Turkish Cypriot point of view was what they considered to be their effective exclusion from representation at and participation in the international fora where their case could have been deployed... An official Turkish Cypriot presence in the international political scene virtually disappeared overnight." It is not therefore surprising that the world has been persuaded to the Greek Cypriot point of view.

End Part 2/3

 

[s3kiz]

Part 3/3

Atrocities of the Greek Cypriots
More than 300 Turkish Cypriots are still missing without trace from these massacres of 1963/64. These dreadful events were not the responsibility of "the Greek Colonels" of 1974 or an unrepresentative handful of Greek Cypriot extremists.

The persecution of the Turkish Cypriots was an act of policy on the part of the Greek Cypriot political and religious leadership, which has to this day made no serious attempt to bring the murderers to justice.

The UK Commons Select Committee found that "there is little doubt that much of the violence which the Turkish Cypriots claim led to the total or partial destruction of 103 Turkish villages and the displacement of about a quarter of the total Turkish Cypriot population was either directly inspired by, or connived at, by the Greek Cypriot leadership."

The UN secretary-general reported to the Security Council:
"When the disturbances broke out in December 1963 and continued during the first part of 1964, thousands of Turkish Cypriots fled their homes, taking with them only what they could drive or carry, and sought refuge in safer villages and areas."

On Jan. 14, 1964, "ll Giorno" of Italy reported: "Right now we are witnessing the exodus of Turkish Cypriots from the villages. Thousands of people abandoning homes, land, herds. Greek Cypriot terrorism is relentless. This time the rhetoric of the Hellenes and the statues of Plato do not cover up their barbaric and ferocious behavior."

The Greek Cypriots sometimes allege that it was they who were attacked by the Turkish Cypriots, who were determined to wreck the 1960 agreements. However, the Turkish Cypriots were not only outnumbered by nearly four to one; they were also surrounded in their villages by armed Greek Cypriots; they had no way of protecting their women and children, and Turkey was 40 miles away across the sea. The very idea that in those circumstances the Turkish Cypriots were the aggressors is absurd.

The role of the mainland Greek troops in overthrowing of Makarios:
There were further attacks on the Turkish Cypriots in 1967. In 1971, General Grivas returned to Cyprus to form EOKA-B, which was again committed to making Cyprus a wholly Greek island and annexing it to Greece.

In a speech to the Greek Cypriot armed forces at the time (quoted in "New Cyprus," May 1987) Grivas said: "The Greek forces from Greece have come to Cyprus in order to impose the will of the Greeks of Cyprus upon the Turks. We want ENOSIS but the Turks are against it. We shall impose our will. We are strong, and we shall do so."

By July 15, 1974, a powerful force of mainland Greek troops had assembled in Cyprus and with their backing, the Greek Cypriot National Guard overthrew Makarios and installed one Nicos Sampson as "president." On July 22, the Washington Star News reported: "Bodies littered the streets and there were mass burials... People told by Makarios to lay down their guns were shot by the National Guard."

Missing persons, what is the truth?
On April 17, 1991, Ambassador Nelson Ledsky testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that :
"most of the 'missing persons' disappeared in the first days of July 1974, before the Turkish intervention on the 20th. Many killed on the Greek side were killed by Greek Cypriots in fighting between supporters of Makarios and Sampson."

On Nov. 6, 1974, Ta Nea reported that dates from the graves of Greek Cypriots killed in the five days between July 15-20 were erased in order to blame these deaths on the subsequent Turkish military action.

On March 3, 1996, the Greek Cypriot Cyprus Mail wrote: "(Greek) Cypriot governments have found it convenient to conceal the scale of atrocities during the July 15 coup in an attempt to downplay its contribution to the tragedy of the summer of 1974 and instead blame the Turkish invasion for all casualties.

There can be no justification for any government that failed to investigate this sensitive humanitarian issue. The shocking admission by the Clerides government that there are people buried in Nicosia cemetery who are still included in the list of the 'missing' is the last episode of a human drama which has been turned into a propaganda tool."

On Oct. 19 1996, Mr. Georgios Lanitis wrote: "I was serving with the Foreign Information Service of the Republic of Cyprus in London... I deeply apologize to all those I told that there are 1,619 missing persons. I misled them. I was made a liar, deliberately, by the government of Cyprus . .... today it seems that the credibility of Cyprus is nil."

Had Turkey not intervened, what would have happened?
Turkish Cypriots appealed to the guarantor powers for help, but only Turkey was willing to make any effective response. On July 20, 1974 Turkey intervened under Article IV of the Treaty of Guarantee.

The Greek newspaper Eleftherotipia published an interview with Nicos Sampson on Feb. 26, 1981 in which he said, "Had Turkey not intervened I would not only have proclaimed ENOSIS, I would have annihilated the Turks in Cyprus."

More attacks against the Turkish community
The Times and The Guardian reported on Aug. 21, 1974 that in the village of Tokhni on Aug. 14, 1974 all the Turkish Cypriot men between the ages of 13 and 74, except for eighteen who managed to escape, were taken away and shot.

There were also reports that in Zyyi on the same day all the Turkish-Cypriot men aged between 19 an 38 were taken away and were never seen again and that Greek-Cypriots opened fire on the Turkish-Cypriot neighborhood of Paphos killing men, women, and children indiscriminately.

On July 23, 1974, the Washington Post reported that "in a Greek raid on a small Turkish village near Limassol 36 people out of a population of 200 were killed. The Greeks said that they had been given orders to kill the inhabitants of the Turkish villages before the Turkish forces arrived."

The Times and The Guardian also reported on the killings. "The Greeks began to shell the Turkish quarter on Saturday, refugees said. Kazan Dervis, a Turkish Cypriot girl aged 15, said she had been staying with her uncle."

"The [Greek Cypriot] National Guard came into the Turkish sector and shooting began. She saw her uncle and other relatives taken away as prisoners, and later heard her uncle had been shot." (Times 23.7.74)

On July 28, 1974 the New York Times reported that 14 Turkish-Cypriot men had been shot in Alaminos. On July 24, 1974 France Soir reported that "the Greeks burned Turkish mosques and set fire to Turkish homes in the villages around Famagusta. Defenseless Turkish villagers who have weapons live in an atmosphere of terror and they evacuate their homes and go and live in tents in the forest. The Greeks' actions are a shame to humanity."

On July 22, Turkish Prime Minister Ecevit called upon the United Nations to "stop the genocide of Turkish Cypriots" and declared, "Turkey has accepted a cease-fire, but will not allow Turkish Cypriots to be massacred."

The German newspaper Die Zeit wrote on Aug. 30, "The massacre of Turkish Cypriots in Paphos and Famagusta is the proof of how justified the Turks were to undertake their intervention."

"Turkish Cypriots, who had suffered from physical attacks since 1963, called on the guarantor powers to prevent a Greek conquest of the island. When Britain did nothing Turkey invaded Cyprus and occupied its northern part. Turkish Cypriots have constitutional right on their side and understandably fear a renewal of persecution if the Turkish army withdraws", the Daily Telegraph wrote on Aug. 15, 1996.

At last, peace for the Turkish Cypriots
"Turkey intervened to protect the lives and property of the Turkish-Cypriots, and to its credit it has done just that. In the 12 years since, there have been no killings and no massacres" Lord Willis (Labor) told the House of Lords on Dec. 17, 1986.

On March 12, 1977, Makarios declared, "It is in the name of ENOSIS that Cyprus has been destroyed."

The United Nations, the Commonwealth, and the rest of the world have put political expediency before principle and failed to condemn this appalling behavior. Greek Cypriots are guilty of attempted genocide but no action has ever been taken against them. Instead they have been rewarded by recognition as the government of all Cyprus. The Turkish Cypriots by contrast were frozen out of the United Nations, the Commonwealth and almost every other international organization.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/578321/posts

End Part 3/3

Cheers.

 

[s3kiz]

At the bottom of this post is a map of Cyprus showing population movements and villages of Turkish Cypriot refugees forced to live between 1963-1974 as a result of Greek attempts to ethnically cleanse the island of its Turkish population, with ambitions of genocide and annexing the island to Greece.

Map of the Turkish enclave areas which constituted 3% of the island within which Turkish Cypriot people were forced to live between 1963-1974. Turkish Cypriot people who were forced to flee their homes, which constituted 30% of the island based on 1960 statistics, gathered within these enclaves and lived in harsh conditions of poverty, under inhumane embargoes imposed by the Greek Cypriots and were continually attacked until 1974 Turkish intervention as detailed in this thread.

Please enlarge the map to better see the legend and the markings on the map detailing this.

Please note that the red areas were populated by Turkish Cypriots, the white areas include regions of Greek Cypriot inhabitance AND non-inhabited lands, forest, valleys, desolate lands etc.

The blue line highlights the division boundries across the island which the Turkish peace intervention of 1974.

Prior to and during the 1974 Turkish peace initiative, some 90 000 Turks migrated to north and some 150 000 Greeks migrated to southern areas.

Those Greeks and Christians who wanted to stay in the northern Turkish area were allowed to stay by the 1974 Turkish peace initiative.

There are populations of Greeks and Maronite-Christian Cypriots, about 3,000, living in Rizokarpaso and Kormakitis regions with their own churches and religious/cultural events continued, under the administration of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizokarpaso
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kormakitis

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus proclaimed independence on 15 November 1983, after many failed attempts to reconcile the two communities. The latest such attempt was the 2004 UN Peace Plan instrumented by the Secretary General Kofi Annan, to bring a just bi-communal, equality, with the Greek side rejecting and the Turkish side accepting it.

http://www.kktcb.eu/index.php
http://www.trncinfo.com/
http://www.northcyprus.cc/

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is also home to thousands of English, German, Irish citizens amoung many others who chose to settle and live in this country, many even taking up and becoming citizens of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

http://www.north-cyprus-properties.com/
http://www.northcypruspropertiesagent.com/
http://www.cyprusnorthernproperty.com/
http://www.aboutnorthcyprus.com/

All in peace, since the 1974 Turkish peace initiative.

Cheers.

 

[chakos]

Before i make a comment id like to state that my background is Greek Cypriot albeit born and live in Australia (parents are 74 war refugees)

So we have discussed to death what has happened in the past, there will be no agreement on both sides regardless of what either party states or claims.

Lets talk about the future.. what does everyone here think will happen? How will this problem be resolved? And more importantly what terms will the solution have?

At the moment for the first time in a long time the Greek Cypriots hold the advantage. As a full EU member, an internationally recognised state, a wealthy country in its own right and just as importantly a Christian country at a time where there is much suspicion over Islamic countries (regardless how moderate these countries may be or the fact that they are notionally secular).

Greek Cyprus has already voted against reunification as it was not in the terms they had expected. The Greek side has (justifiably in my mind) increased its expectations of what terms the final settlement shall give them in line with the relative rise in the influence of the Greek Cyprus over Northern Cyprus (as much as i would prefer to call it 'occupied Cyprus' for the sake of keeping things civil i digress) :vamp

So... what next? what terms? and at what cost?

 

[wyoming cowboy]

wyoming cowboy

Instead of regurgitating the information in this thread.

I will, with all respect, ask you if you have?
-Read this thread from the very beginning, in an attempt to “understand” whats written?
-Observed, checked, verified the evidence put forward?
-Attempted to grasp the origins, evolution and developments of this conflict?

Or,

Are you merely in state of reliance on the distorted perceptions (and falsely calimed) “Turkish invasion” of 1974?. Created due to the millenium old manipulative, devious and discoursive political games of Greeks, referred to in political literature as “Byzantine/Greek Intrigue”.

And is it because of this that, you and the other Greek poster on this thread “wyoming cowbow” are bringing forward:
-claims without evidence,
-trying to distort this threads topic by off-topic claims to cling on to and stir emotional propaganda inline with “yeah but we all know Turks are barbarians”
-twisting the dates of news articles,
-and bringing “maybe this”, “maybe that” kind of arguments without facts, which already have been comprehensively and clearly refuted with the evidence in this thread?

And posting such things to force the presented evidence to go back in the posting order, burried in the thread, perhaps in an attempt to censor as much as possible?

Like Glafcos Clerides said:
"I am sorry that it is wishful thinking and a false dream to believe.…..The things that count are arguments, not slogans."
("My Deposition" by Glafcos Clerides [former President of Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus], Vol.3 (referring to Greek politicians who try to manipulate word perceptions on the facts of Cyprus Conflict) ]



That is why I say that the Greeks should stop their political manipulations and realize the lies been made about this conflict.

And come to realize that they have;
-Done “lot of wrongs have been done to Turkish Cypriots”
-That“the Greek Cypriot side has tried to do away with the agreements”
-In an effort “to deprive the Turkish Cypriots from their rights,"
-and that "the Enosis(union with Greece) road was followed” causing this conflict and ethnic cleansing of Turks.
("My Deposition" by Glafcos Clerides [former President of Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus], Vol.3]

And see that peace comes with;
-Ending continued claims by Greeks to own whole of the island,
-Respect the Turkish Cypriots existance,
-Recognize that after all this conflict, that both sides of the island have the justfull right to go their own way.


I get confused sometimes too, but I easily overcome such confusions when I use my intellect and reach down my heart.

Cheers.

The international community strongly condemned the Turkish invasion of Cyprus UN resolution353, that was adopted on the day of the invasion:"equally concerned about the necessity to restore constitutional structure of the Republic of Cyprus calls upon all states to respect the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus and its territory and demands an immediate end to foreign military intervention.

July 10 1976, The European Commission of Human Rights understands why the Greek cypriots of occuppied Cyprus fled their homes at the approach of the Turkish army"There are very strong indications of mass killings rapes savage torture of children women and pensioners as well as looting and robbery on an extensive scale by invading Turkish troops..

In the USA the 103rd congress H.R. 2826, passed on August 1,1994 orders Turkey to provide information of the whereabouts of US citizens who have been missing and last seen in the custody of Turkish troops during the invasion of 1974....


Currently 34 years later 40,000 Turkish troops illegally occuppy 37percent of Cyprus regardless of UN resolutions and world outcry..The Turkish forces deny access to the 200,000 Greek cyp refugees to their homes and properties. More then 150,000 Turkish settlers from anatolia Turkey have been imported into Cyprus, in direct violations of the Geneva convention..

UN Resolution 939/1994: "Reiterates that the current status quo and maintanance of foreign Turkish troops on Cyprus is unacceptable..."

Louzidou vs. Turkey: Mrs Louizidou a native of Kyrenia and a displaced refugee from the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, filed a lawsuit against Turkey in the European Court of Human Rights on July 22nd 1989, claiming her right to her property is denied By the precence of Turkish troops that occuppy Kyrenia...on July 28, 1998, the judgement came in and it favored Mrs Louizidou the court agreed with her in her claims and awarded her a sum of $900,000, the court specified that the amount was not a transfer of ownership but rather punitive damages against Turkey...Turkey to this date has not adhered to the courts judgement...

Obviously Turkey has no legal jurisdiction in the occuppied areas of Cyprus the only viable solution is the total withdraw of Turkish forces from the island and the return of all Greek cyp refugees to their ancestoral homes, since 3,500BC...

 

[chakos]

Wyoming cowboy its obvious why the Turkish side will never pay. By doing so they by definition accept the ruling of the court ergo accepting that the invasion of Cyprus was against international law.

Also if they do pay it will open a floodgate of litigation from the Greek Cypriot diaspora from around the world (my mothers family included) and would be both tremendously embaressing and tremendously expensive.

I find a lot of the Turkish arguments rather odd when i fail to see one significant international ruling in modern times that favours the Turkish occupation. Its not like the world has all of a sudden decided to pick on Turkey.

The basis of the UN resolutions as well as the rulings of the international courts is fact, not propaganda, not fiction, not slogans and not ideology from either side. :nutkick

 

[s3kiz]

If both of you followed the thread from the beginning, you would realize that the Cypriots Turks lived on all courners of the island prior to their migration to north of it.

And should realize that between these two, ie living anywhere/everywhere on the island to the establishments of north, these Turkish Cypriots were;

1)Forcefully stripped off their political rights as detailed in the 16 August 1960 Constitution of the (original) Republic of Cyprus and Lausanne, Nicosia and Zurich international agreements that gave both the Turkish and Greek side co-founding rights, co-soverightny, co-judicial rights over this new republic, and stripped of these rights by the political junta of the Greek sides against all international agreements and protests,

2)The Greek side physically drove, with killings of babies, children, women and burning over hundreds of Turkish villages in effect forcing them into enclaves making 3% of the island, which they once were on 30% of the island they legally owned in 1960 statistics and records,

3)That the UN intervened in 1964 to stop the ethnic cleansing of Turks by the Greeks,

4)That the UN, amoung with Red Cross, UK, USA, and many official leaders, authorities and international press were witness to the Greek attempts to ethnically cleanse the Turks, and many commented on this both in their parliamanets and UN,

5)That the military invasion from Greece happened with the sending of junta forces from Greece to annex the island to Greece,

6)That all this happened before the Turkish 1974 peace initiative,

If you didnt read the thread from the start you wouldnt know about all this.

But if you are aware of all these, you will realize the Turkish citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have more legal weight in taking the Greek side to court and demanding compensation.

But that would be just playing with the legal loopholes, and not a sincere attempt to bring peace to the island.

Such Greek attempts are nothing but Byzantine/Greek Intrigue that I mentioned many times in this thread.

You want the Turkish side only as subservient to the Greek side, as minorities, even in 2008, just like since 1960s when Greek tried first tried to;

1)politically cleanse Turks of their right
2)demographically cleanse Turks, so they were reduced from 30% of the island to 3% lands,
3)ehtnically cleanse Turks, so that your saying of leaders to clean the island of Turks would come true,
4)and lie about it to the world manipulating everything, making white look black,

And its all documented.

There will be no peace like this.

Turkish Republic of Norther Cyprus will live, she deserves it more than anything.

Cheers.

 

[eliaslar]

Does anyone knows if there is any implication with the opening of Ledra's street barricade?
From what i read in the news lots of people Greek-cypriots and Turkish-cypriots go to the other side, mostly to find the friends from the other side of the wall, which they haven't seen since 1974.