Ptolemy
02-28-2006, 03:41 PM
The story of untold mayhem in Cyprus
Orhan Suleiman's misleading article on July 20, 1999, supplements the millions of dollars that the Turkish government spends in the United States on lobbyists, public relations firms and media in an attempt to distort the history of Cyprus over the last century - that of the rape, torture and massacre of millions of Greeks, Kurds, Armenians, and Cypriots.
In the early 1960s, today's so-called leader of the Turkish Cypriots, Rauf Denktas, was the head of a ruthless terrorist organization - the TMT - which was supported by Turkey and preyed on innocent Cypriots, both Greek and Turkish. TMT's goal was to partition Cyprus by creating conflict and thereby give Turkey an excuse to intervene. Cypriot Turks who refused to join the partitionist movement and wanted to live peacefully were very often murdered and almost always harassed.
Just one of the many incidents involve two Turkish Cypriot newspaper editors who were going to expose the TMT terrorist tactics. They were warned by Mr. Denktas personally to close down their newspaper or their lives would be in danger. When the editors refused they were murdered in front of their families.
In 1963, Cypriot President Makarios proposed amendments for government representation to reflect the percentage in population between Greeks Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Greek Cypriots represented approximately 80 percent of the total population while Turkish Cypriots represented only 18 percent, yet Turkish Cypriots enjoyed almost equal veto power in the government.
The TMT jump on this opportunity to create conflict with scalding rhetoric and attacks on Turkish as well as Greek Cypriots. Contrary to Mr. Suleiman's assertions the Cypriot government was not connected to these attacks. The TMT instigated that conflict to achieve partition. This violence was against the interests of the Cypriot government whose goal was to show the world that it could establish peace inside its borders.
Mr. Suleiman also talks about the 1974 invasion of Cyprus, but he forgot to mention that for six years before the invasion both Greek and Turkish Cypriots achieved a peaceful coexistence.
In that year the then dictatorship of Greece attempted a coup on the Cypriot president, but failed within a few weeks. Turkish forces then illegally invaded and occupied Northern Cyprus, using the coup as an excuse, despite its collapse.
By doing this, Turkey violated the International Treaty of Guarantee which Turkey ratified. The treaty states specifically that any intervention into Cyprus by Turkey, Greece or Britain must be for the "sole aim" of restoring the government of Cyprus. Obviously, after this was not their aim after their troops went on a rampage raping, torturing and killing civilians. Northern Cyprus was ethnically cleansed of 200,000 Greek Cypriots.
Upon learning of this horrifying nightmare, the United Nations passed numerous resolutions calling for the withdrawal of Turkish troops and recognizing only one legitimate government of Cyprus. Turkey remains the only country to not recognize the government of the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee as the only government of Cyprus.
There are also Turkish Cypriots who desire reunification with their Greek Cypriot brothers. They feel that the six peaceful years before 1974 in Cyprus is proof that the two communities can live together peacefully. Their voices are not represented by Mr. Denktas or the Turkish government who repeatedly find ways to silence them.
Unfortunately, these are not isolated acts of aggression for Turkey. According to the U.S. State Department human rights report, the Kurdish struggle for cultural rights has been met with state-sponsored murder of more than 30,000 civilians, the annihilation of 3,500 villages, and the rape and torture of children as young as 2 years old by the Turkish government. This far surpasses Slobedan Milosevic's atrocities in Kosovo. Simply put, anybody supporting or collaborating with the government of Turkey or Mr. Denktas and his regime is supporting state-sponsored terrorism.
Part of Turkey's misinformation campaign is to convince the world that PKK rebels are responsible for the more than 30,000 murders against their people, that the occupation of Cyprus is legitimate, that Greek islands actually belong to Turkey and that Turkey is the victim of the Kurds, Greece and Cyprus. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? With public relations firms and powerful lobbyists such as Clinton ex-counsel Lanny Davis on Turkey's payroll, it may be easy to believe this and other propaganda.
Only the U.S. government has the power and influence to put enough pressure on Turkey to force a withdrawal from occupied Northern Cyprus. It's time for congress to act and demand that a peaceful government reflected of the people's views be restored to Cyrpus.
JOHN N. MYSEROS
Orhan Suleiman's misleading article on July 20, 1999, supplements the millions of dollars that the Turkish government spends in the United States on lobbyists, public relations firms and media in an attempt to distort the history of Cyprus over the last century - that of the rape, torture and massacre of millions of Greeks, Kurds, Armenians, and Cypriots.
In the early 1960s, today's so-called leader of the Turkish Cypriots, Rauf Denktas, was the head of a ruthless terrorist organization - the TMT - which was supported by Turkey and preyed on innocent Cypriots, both Greek and Turkish. TMT's goal was to partition Cyprus by creating conflict and thereby give Turkey an excuse to intervene. Cypriot Turks who refused to join the partitionist movement and wanted to live peacefully were very often murdered and almost always harassed.
Just one of the many incidents involve two Turkish Cypriot newspaper editors who were going to expose the TMT terrorist tactics. They were warned by Mr. Denktas personally to close down their newspaper or their lives would be in danger. When the editors refused they were murdered in front of their families.
In 1963, Cypriot President Makarios proposed amendments for government representation to reflect the percentage in population between Greeks Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Greek Cypriots represented approximately 80 percent of the total population while Turkish Cypriots represented only 18 percent, yet Turkish Cypriots enjoyed almost equal veto power in the government.
The TMT jump on this opportunity to create conflict with scalding rhetoric and attacks on Turkish as well as Greek Cypriots. Contrary to Mr. Suleiman's assertions the Cypriot government was not connected to these attacks. The TMT instigated that conflict to achieve partition. This violence was against the interests of the Cypriot government whose goal was to show the world that it could establish peace inside its borders.
Mr. Suleiman also talks about the 1974 invasion of Cyprus, but he forgot to mention that for six years before the invasion both Greek and Turkish Cypriots achieved a peaceful coexistence.
In that year the then dictatorship of Greece attempted a coup on the Cypriot president, but failed within a few weeks. Turkish forces then illegally invaded and occupied Northern Cyprus, using the coup as an excuse, despite its collapse.
By doing this, Turkey violated the International Treaty of Guarantee which Turkey ratified. The treaty states specifically that any intervention into Cyprus by Turkey, Greece or Britain must be for the "sole aim" of restoring the government of Cyprus. Obviously, after this was not their aim after their troops went on a rampage raping, torturing and killing civilians. Northern Cyprus was ethnically cleansed of 200,000 Greek Cypriots.
Upon learning of this horrifying nightmare, the United Nations passed numerous resolutions calling for the withdrawal of Turkish troops and recognizing only one legitimate government of Cyprus. Turkey remains the only country to not recognize the government of the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee as the only government of Cyprus.
There are also Turkish Cypriots who desire reunification with their Greek Cypriot brothers. They feel that the six peaceful years before 1974 in Cyprus is proof that the two communities can live together peacefully. Their voices are not represented by Mr. Denktas or the Turkish government who repeatedly find ways to silence them.
Unfortunately, these are not isolated acts of aggression for Turkey. According to the U.S. State Department human rights report, the Kurdish struggle for cultural rights has been met with state-sponsored murder of more than 30,000 civilians, the annihilation of 3,500 villages, and the rape and torture of children as young as 2 years old by the Turkish government. This far surpasses Slobedan Milosevic's atrocities in Kosovo. Simply put, anybody supporting or collaborating with the government of Turkey or Mr. Denktas and his regime is supporting state-sponsored terrorism.
Part of Turkey's misinformation campaign is to convince the world that PKK rebels are responsible for the more than 30,000 murders against their people, that the occupation of Cyprus is legitimate, that Greek islands actually belong to Turkey and that Turkey is the victim of the Kurds, Greece and Cyprus. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? With public relations firms and powerful lobbyists such as Clinton ex-counsel Lanny Davis on Turkey's payroll, it may be easy to believe this and other propaganda.
Only the U.S. government has the power and influence to put enough pressure on Turkey to force a withdrawal from occupied Northern Cyprus. It's time for congress to act and demand that a peaceful government reflected of the people's views be restored to Cyrpus.
JOHN N. MYSEROS