Cypriot journalist rejects accusations by Turkey

From Toplum Postasi:

Incirli rejects accusations by Turkey

Mr Incirli stated: “I believe they wish me dead, not that they want to kill me, thanks to the EU factor they can’t do that.”

By Alkan Chaglar

Turkish Cypriot journalist Serhat Incirli talks to Toplum Postası about his feelings regarding the recent case brought against him by Turkey and the reasons behind it. Mr Incirli who writes a daily column in Afrika newspaper, formerly known as Avrupa newspaper, was questioned because of an article he wrote in on the 15th and 17th of July 2004 about the Turkish Army and the status quo in Cyprus. Mr Incirli is accused of ‘insulting Turkish national values’.

Asked about what he said that offended the Turkish Armed Forces, Serhat said: “I believe what they (the Turkish government) are demanding in Cyprus is something they would never give to the Kurds in Turkey. But the columns that I wrote are not strictly about the Kurdish problem; it’s about Turkish racism. The Turkish constitution has racist undertones in its wording.”

Referring to the conduct of politicians in both Turkey and Cyprus, Mr Incirli said: “When you look from a European perspective, many politicians in Turkey and Cyprus like Süleyman Demirel, Bülent Ecevit, Rauf Denktaş and Devlet Bahçeli, the semantics of their speech is racist. I’m not saying that this is their intention, but they should be careful not to present that image.”

This is the first time Turkey is opening a case against a Turkish Cypriot, however, Mr Incirli has both Cypriot and British dual nationality. Commenting on the implications of the case against him on Turkish-EU aspirations, Mr Incirli stated: “I believe they wish me dead, not that they want to kill me, thanks to the EU factor, they can’t do that.” Referring to the importance of the EU factor in the improvement of human rights in Turkey, Mr Incirli said: “If they cannot reach EU standards on freedom of speech, nationalists or fascists will do some terrible things in both Turkey and Cyprus.”

Previous posts on Mr. Incirli can be found here and here.

Papadopoulos Interview with L΄Express

Here is the full transcript of the President's recent interview with the French periodical L'Express.

Thinking about buying property in Occupied Cyprus?

Anyone considering buying property in the occupied North of Cyprus should exercise caution. Take a look at this recent letter (04.05.06) that was published in the Cyprus Times newspaper:

Sir,

I would appreciate your assistance in bringing to public attention the possible problems in purchasing property in `TRNC´. Last July 2005, my wife and I entered into a contract with a builder to have a property constructed in Alsancak (occupied Karavas). We signed contracts and deposited 19,000 Sterling Pounds as the initial installment. In October, we were advised by the Estate Agent who was managing the development that the builder had mistakenly signed the property to another party. From then until now, our lawyer has been unable to recover our money, despite promises from the builder.

I feel it may need to be brought to public attention and in particular any Europeans who may be considering purchasing property in `TRNC´ of the possible problems which may occur.

If your newspaper were to investigate the background to this problem it may assist others in the future, and hopefully prevent the reputation of the building industry from being tarnished.

I trust you find this of consumer interest, and look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Mr Jim Gallacher

Friendly Divorce

Take a look at this snippet from TDN:

President Klaus was also responsible for the friendly divorce of the Czechs and the Slovaks, which had been an artificial union for decades, in a peaceful manner. His easy answer to why there was no referendum on the partition was because the 5 million Slovaks would have voted for separation and the 10 million Czechs would have voted against it. This brings to Turkish minds the question of why there cannot be a peaceful divorce in Cyprus between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots following the Czech example.

Mr. Söylemez proposes an interesting question. I, for one, will lobby the government of RoC for a friendly divorce between the South and the ethnically cleansed land in the North. After all, the Czechs and the Slovaks had a friendly divorce, why can’t we do the same in Cyprus? Better yet, maybe Turkey can show the way by ceding its South-East to the Kurds. What do imaginative “Turkish minds” think about that option, Mr. Söylemez? Come on, lets all follow the Czech example!

Census takes place in the occupied North

Turkish Cypriot authorities have this week carried out a census of the population in the occupied North. The government of RoC has refused in advance to recognize the results of the census ... describing it as unreliable as it aims to legitimize the illegal settlers from Turkey. Preliminary results of the census, according to (the “Prime Minister of TRNC”) Mr. Ferdi Sabit Soyer, indicate a 31% increase of the population in the breakaway Northern statelet, compared to the results of the last census carried out ten years ago. Here is an article from the Cyprus Weekly that delves into the recent census and the issue of Turkish settlers in greater detail:

Legitimising the war crime of ethnic cleansing

Ethnic cleansing and the consequent deliberate changing of the demographic status of a territory under foreign occupation through the introduction of settlers from the occupying power are both war crimes.

This is an undisputed fact of international law. In the case of Cyprus it is also undisputed that Turkey, as the power occupying north Cyprus, and as such responsible for everything that happens there, is guilty of these twin war crimes: the ethnic cleansing of the Greek Cypriot population of the north and its recplacement by settlers from Turkey.

In a move clearly designed to ``legitimise’’ the presence of the illegal settlers, Turkey and the illegal breakaway state staged a census there this week in which the settlers were counted as members of the Turkish Cypriot population of the region.

As expected, Mehmet Ali Talat defended this trickery saying it was wrong to claim this was designed to legitimise the settlers. The leader of the illegal state went as far as to declare that the census was perfectly legal, conducted on the basis of ``internationally recognised norms". ``There was nothing to hide’’ and ``no need to prove anything to anyone,’’ on the issue of the settlers, who are legitimate citizens of the breakaway state he said.

He further assured the settlers that they had nothing to fear as they were equal citizens to the Turkish Cypriots and that there was no attempt to distinguish them in any way.

Myths

Ferdi Sabit Soyer, the ``prime minister’’ of the breakaway state was even more forthright. He said the census would end what he referred to as ``the myths’’ about the north’s demography. ``We have no need to trick anyone,’’ he said.

What is even more astounding about this situation is that Talat, when he was in opposition, made the presence of the settlers one of the main points of criticism of Rauf Denktash, the then leader of the Turkish Cypriots. Talat attended public rallies then that demanded the withdrawal of the settlers, arguing that they were outnumbering the native Turkish Cypriots with whom they were unable to assimilate!

Following his election and his full dependence on Ankara for survival, Talat has now changed his tune completely, maintaining there is nothing wrong with the presence of the settlers.

But this wrong, or guilt, is fully attested by the numerous United Nations General Assembly and Security Council resolutions and judgements of the Human Rights Court of the Council of Europe. The resolutions and the judgements demand an end to this continuous war crime through the withdrawal of the illegal Turkish mainland settlers and the return of the ethnically cleansed Greek Cypriot refugees to their homes and properties that have been usurped by the settlers.

Eternal shame

Turkey contemptuously rejects both the UN resolutions and the Court judgements. What is most regrettable about this situation is that the international community, and more specifically the United States and the European Union, which are in a position to influence, even pressure, Turkey, to end this continuous war crime against Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot population by complying with the UN resolutions and the Court judgements, choose to do nothing, to their eternal shame.

Not only that, the EU is even considering Turkey as a prospective member of the Union without insisting that it should, at the very least, first become law-abiding by complying with the Court judgements and the UN resolutions. The United States at the same time are exerting as much pressure as they can on the EU to accept Turkey as a full member!

It is hardly surprising that Turkey has become so emboldened by this toleration of its continuing war crimes in Cyprus that it brazenly declares it has done nothing wrong.

No squeak

What is hard to understand about this situation is the lack of a dynamic reaction by the Cyprus government. One would have expected a major continuing campaign to inform the world, and to demand concrete action by the international community, about the continuing Turkish war crimes.

Such a campaign would be even more effective if the ethnic cleansing crime was linked to the equally hideous deliberate action by Turkey to wipe out the Hellenistic and Christian cultural heritage of the occupied north. Like the influx of the settlers, this is also continuing unabated through the deliberate desecration and desruction of Christian churces and ancient Greek sites in an attempt to create the impression that north Cyprus has no Greek or Christian links!

This truly abominable, deliberate uncivilised action by Turkey should prove more than enough for the European Union, which is so anxious about the protection of its cultural heritage, to tell Turkey bluntly it has no hope whatever of joining it, unless it acts in a civilised manner in Cyprus by correcting as soon as possible all the wrongs for which it is fully responsible.

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Cypriot journalist fears legal action from Ankara

On Tuesday, i had mentioned that Turkey's chief prosecutor is seeking charges against Mr. Serhat Incirli, a columnist for the Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA, for insulting the Turkish Republic. Here is an update to this story from the Cyprus Weekly. Please note: There is a misprint in this article. The article states Kutlu Adali died on July 6, 1006. His real date of death was on July 6, 1996.

Update: The Cyprus Weekly misprint has been corrected. Below is the full article in its entirety.

Turkey riled over columnists criticism of double standards over Cyprus and the Kurds

By Menelaos Hadjicostis

Ankara is set to drag a Turkish Cypriot columnist before a Turkish court in unprecedented legal action that may signal a “dangerous” escalation in the persecution of dissenting voices in the occupied north.

No formal charges have yet been laid against London-based columnist Serhat Incirli, 38, who writes for independent daily Afrika.

But Turkish Cypriot police have questioned Incirli’s parents at their home in the north, seeking the columnist’s London address and telephone numbers.

Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Ferdi Sabit Soyer confirmed to reporters Turkey’s Attorney General is preparing a case against Incirli.

He said Ankara wants to file charges against Incirli for two of his articles published in Afrika that were deemed as a “direct insult” to the Republic of Turkey.

If the trial does go ahead, it would be the first time that a Turkish Cypriot journalist is tried in a Turkish court – a development Incirli said would mark a “dangerous” turn in how Ankara suppresses dissent in the north.

Numerous Turkish Cypriot journalists charged in the past with insulting the Turkish state have had their case tried in Turkish proxy courts in the north.

Incirli implied Turkey’s return to hardball tactics in stifling domestic dissent could embolden extremist elements both on the mainland and occupied Cyprus to revert to targeted killings.

“Turkish Cypriots could be targetted for assassination,” Incirli told The Cyprus Weekly from his London office.

The most infamous case of a Turkish Cypriot journalist assassinated for his political views was that of Yeni Duzen columnist Kutlu Adali who was gunned down in front of his house in occupied Nicosia on July 6, 1996.

Moreover, Incirli suggested a precedent-setting trial would make Turkish Cypriots easier scapegoats for Ankara to vent its mounting frustration over Turkey’s increasingly troubled EU entry bid as it reaches boiling point.

Incirli said the trial would also lay bare a burgeoning rift between Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot community over Turkish policy as regards Cyprus reunification efforts.

“I always believed that Turkey wants to opposite of what the Turkish Cypriots want…A trial would show that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots have no common interests,” said Incirli.

Incirli said he “had no idea” why Ankara is preparing to sue him, but he suspects it pertains to his harsh criticism of Turkey’s double standards over Cyprus and its own long-standing Kurdish problem.

He said Ankara openly favours the partition of Cyprus, but it quashes any discussion over Kurdish demands for heightened autonomy within its own borders.

“Turkey wants the division of Cyprus - they like it. But it’s hypocritical to want that and not talk about the rights of Kurds,” said occupied Pentayia-born Incirli.

Ankara’s legal backlash is likely owed to a hard swing to the right by the embattled administration of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan who’s under increasing pressure amid growing unrest among he country’s Kurdish minority and his Cyprus woes with the EU.

In a recent article, Newsweek International noted Erdogan’s “sharp lurch toward old-fashioned Turkish nationalism” in a bid to woo back young voters ahead of elections set for as early as this November.

The news magazine said Erdogan recently instructed senior officials from his Islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP) “to play up nationalism” to get back voters increasingly disaffected with what they perceive EU meddling in Turkish domestic affairs.

Incirli said: “Nationalism is the worst illness in the world.”

Incirli – who said he has been “harassed” by Turkish officials through his entire 15-year professional career as a journalist – said he has learned Ankara is upset over two of his articles, but doesn’t know exactly which ones.

He said he faces his trip to the north this week for professional reasons with plenty of trepidation because he doesn’t know how he’s going to be treated by Turkish Cypriot ‘police’.

Incirli, who holds a Republic of Cyprus passport, pondered the legal ramifications of Turkey trying a citizen of an EU-member country it doesn’t recognise.

In an editorial, Afrika Editor-in-Chief Sener Levent asked whether Turkey would treat Incirli the same as it did famed Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk who was sued for insulting the state.

The Cyprus Journalists’ Union has dispatched protest letters to international journalists’ organisations demanding action to thwart the legal action against Incirli.

Levent, long a magnet for official persecution over his writings, was arrested in 2001 for allegedly spying for Greek Cypriots. He was set free following a global outcry.

Extremists have also targeted Afrika, with the paper’s printing press having been bombed twice. No one has ever been charged in connection with those bombings.

The extremist paramilitary group “Grey Wolves” has in the past issued numerous death threats against the paper’s writers.

Χριστός Ανέστη!

Orthdodox Christian Cypriots light candles in Panagia Fanromeni church located in the divided capital of Nicosia, Cyprus.




Greek Orthodox pilgrims hold candles with the holy light after an Easter eve mass at the Great Meteoron monastery in Meteora, central Greece April 23, 2006.

California State Senate - Resolution on Cyprus

From the Press and Information Office (PIO):

California State Senate - Resolution on Cyprus

The California State Senate adopted Resolution 24 on the Cyprus problem on 15 March 2006, which was introduced by Senator Alquist. The Resolution states, inter alia, that “a lasting, just, peaceful and mutually agreed upon solution to the Cyprus problem would greatly benefit the security and the political, economic and social well-being of all Cypriots”, and notes that it could contribute to improved relations between Greece and Turkey, and would serve the interests of the United States interests in the region”. The Resolution makes reference to the Annan Plan, and notes that it “was rejected by an overwhelming majority of Greek Cypriots in a free, democratic and fair vote, since it did not sufficiently address their basic concerns”. It states also that the Republic of Cyprus took together with other EU countries the decision in December 2004 to permit Turkey to begin EU accession talks in October 2005, recognizing that Turkey must abide by the EU principles and that “this will significantly contribute to the development of a secure and economically robust Eastern Mediterranean and offer the prospect of providing a new context to resolve the longstanding division of Cyprus”. It notes that Cyprus has announced and is implementing a series of economic and other measures “to reach across the island’s internal division and benefit the Turkish Cypriots living in the Turkish occupied areas of the Republic” and points out that Cyprus “has as a goodwill gesture unilaterally initiated a program to clear more than 2,300 mines in eight minefields in the buffer zone dividing the island”. Commending the people of Cyprus for their continued efforts in search of a just resolution of the Cyprus problem, the Resolution calls on the President and the Congress of the United States to continue their historic support for the reunification of Cyprus, while fully respecting that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus is the only legitimate sovereign authority for the entire island of Cyprus. - 19.04.2006

Turkey's chief prosecutor seeks charges against Cypriot writer

The Attorney Generals Office of the Republic of Turkey wants to file charges against Mr. Serhat Incirli, a columnist for the Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA, for insulting the Turkish Republic. Outrageous! Columnist Serhat Incirli is a Turkish Cypriot who is currently living in London, England. You can read about this story here.

[Poll] Turkish ports & Cypriot vessels

Tip for this poll: Hover mouse over question or possible answer to make it scroll sideways.

Cyprus in NATO?

The title of this post seems pretty implausible to me, but then again, I am not the one who had the meeting with the U.S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns. Take a look at this article from GreekNews and decide for yourselves.

Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, and Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried, Meet with Greek American Leaders --
Washington, D.C.- Leading members of the Greek expatriate community ascertained that the United States is determined to inaugurate a "new beginning" in efforts to solve the issue of Cyprus, following a meeting they had at the State Department with Assistant Secretary of State Nicholas Burns and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Dan Freed.
read more »

Missing Cypriots

A photo (taken on 13.04.06) of a woman is seen reflected in the portraits of Greek Cypriots who have been missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

A Worthy Cause

I recently read this story that talks about a worthy cause, and if you google the term "Hellenic Cardiac Fund" you will see that it is, indeed, a worthy cause that you may want to help out. For 27 years, the Hellenic Cardiac Fund has helped Greek children overcome the most complex congenital heart problems. Most recently, it has helped Asimina from Macedonia, Greece. When she was seven months old, she developed what appeared to be a cold … but this was no ordinary cold my friends. Asimina began experiencing severe shortness of breath and stopped eating. As her condition worsened, the family was referred to the Hellenic Cardiac Fund. The organization was able to bring her and her parents to the children’s Hospital Boston located in the United States. There it was discovered that this precious little girl had a very dangerous ailment – a huge cardiac tumor. Her parents were in distress as this tumor was the type that was known to cause sudden death to children. But their sorrow would soon turn into exquisite joy when Children’s Hospital world renowned cardiologists and surgeons teamed to remove the killer-tumor. Asimina and her parents have now returned to Greece. She is one of the over 800 children who are living better lives today because of the intervention of the Hellenic Cardiac Program at Children’s Hospital Boston. I’m sure you all know there is a tradition among Hellenes to assist those in need. It is a long, unbroken line of caring and giving that is a source of great pride. If you want to find out how to help this organization, below is the contact info:

Bess Pappas
Director, Hellenic Cardiac Fund for Children
300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115 USA

Το μισό και πλέον Κυπριακό

ΣΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ: «Το μισό και πλέον Κυπριακό»

Η Αυστρία επαναφέρει θέμα Αμμοχώστου

Θέμα Αμμοχώστου σε διασύνδεση με το απευθείας εμπόριο, όπως αυτό ερμηνεύεται πλέον από την Ε.Ε. και όχι από την Τουρκία, ετοιμάζεται να επαναφέρει η αυστριακή Προεδρία.

Σύμφωνα με πληροφορίες, η Λευκωσία έχει έρθει σε σχετική συνεννόηση με τη Βιένη για επαναφορά της πρότασης που προνοεί επιστροφή της Αμμοχώστου, άνοιγμα του λιμανιού της πόλης και συνδιαχείρισή του υπό την εποπτεία των Βρυξελλών.
read more »

Date set for Orams decision

From The Cyprus Weekly:

Decision in Orams case on invasion anniversary

EXCLUSIVE

By Philippos Stylianou

ON THE anniversary of the Turkish invasion this summer, the London High Court will deliver its final judgment on the controversial Orams case, which is expected to have an enormous effect on the future of Greek Cypriot refugee properties in the occupied areas.

Lawyer Constantis Candounas, who has asked the High Court to enforce a decision by a Cypriot court ordering David and Linda Orams from Hove, Sussex, to return land property to his client Meletis Apostolides, said the trial had been set for July 18, 19 and 20.

The action, under an EU regime making possible the enforcement of court decisions of one member state in the courts of another, was filed on December 21, 2005 and, besides being the first of its kind in the UK, it became even more controversial when the Orams retained the legal services of Cherie Blair QC, wife of the British Prime Minister.

Candounas told The Cyprus Weekly that he attended a hearing at the High Court with the Orams’ solicitors on March 1, 2006, during which the Court gave instructions for Apostolides’ expert witnesses to submit their evidence by March 29.

The Orams were to reply within a week, which they did, and then the lawyers of both sides were given two weeks to meet together.

Not easy

Called by The Cyprus Weekly to say if the date coinciding with the 32nd invasion anniversary carried any special significance, Candounas said it was very fortunate that they could get such an early date.

He explained that it was not easy to find a time slot suiting the lawyers of the two sides and the High Court judges.

Cherie Blair tried to get a postponement until Linda Orams’ appeal to the Cyprus Supreme Court against the ruling of the court of first instance was heard, but the High Court rejected this, as it could have taken as long as a year to 18 months.

Leading the UK legal team for Meletis Apostolides against Cherie Blair and other lawyers from the Matrix Chambers, will be Thomas Beazley QC, of Blackstone Chambers, with Simon Congdon of Holmans Fenwick Willan Solicitors and another QC from Brickstone Chambers.

Unaware

Linda and David Orams claimed they had bought Apostolides’ property in Lapithos, near Kyrenia, in good faith from a Turkish Cypriot without being aware of the legal and political implications and build a luxury villa there.

The Nicosia District Court ordered them to demolish the villa and return the property to its rightful owner. In the face of the Orams’ refusal to comply with the decision and being unable to enforce it because of the Turkish occupation in northern Cyprus, Apostolides can ask to have the judgment executed against the Orams’ UK property.

The British High Court will not review the merits of the case but will decide on matters of procedure and public policy.

The development has slowed down the arbitrary sale of Greek Cypriot refugee properties in the occupied territories, mainly to UK nationals, which had reached alarming proportions.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the High Court decision will seal the fate of the Greek Cypriot refugee properties either way.

What kind of Justice is this?

Below is an article (05.03.06) by columnist Sener Levent from the Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA. The translated English version was found on the Cyprus PIO website. An exceptional article worth reproducing it here in its entirety. The following is the full text of the translated English version with original spelling, grammar and punctuation:

In fact the tragedy of the Greek Cypriot community is graver than the tragedy of the Turkish Cypriots.

Just think about it

This country is under occupation for the last 32 years and unfortunately they (Greek Cypriots) were unable to explain this occupation to the world. They were unable to force neither the UN, nor the EU and nor the other International organizations to take strong and effective sanctions against the occupier.

On top of it after so many years of occupation the Greek Cypriot side was put on the accused and guilty chair.

The occupier was declared innocent and those who were under occupation guilty.

For this an Annan Plan and a referendum was enough

All of a sudden the occupier was declared favoring peace and settlement and those who are under occupation against peace and solution

What kind of Justice is this?

Do you know the biggest opponents of the settlement in Cyprus?

The biggest opponents of the settlement in Cyprus are those who say that the obstacle for the solution is Tassos Papadopoulos.

This is an understanding that totally denies the political will of the Greek Cypriot community and it is a propaganda that for a long time now is being systematically injected to everybody. And unfortunately some Greek Cypriot intellectuals are being knowingly or unintentionally became an instrument to this propaganda. The peoples will expressed during the referendum totally are ignored and huge 76% no is attributed to Papadopoulos. It means that Papadopoulos `no´ had no effect. In fact it had harmed the Greek Cypriots. I wish he would have said `yes´ during the referendum. Because at that time peoples `no´ would have been better understood.

He then comments on a recent poll that 48% of the Greek Cypriots said no to living with the Turkish Cypriots. Sener Levent justifies the Geek Cypriot no and says that if he was a Greek Cypriot his answer was not going to be different when the Turkish Cypriots brand the 20 July invasion as liberation and keep silent when return of Varosha is in question or when they usurp immovable property that belong to the Greek Cypriots and sell them with illegal title deeds to foreigners in the north.

Survey Conducted by CyBC

The Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Dora Bakoyannis, on Tuesday said the Annan plan is history and any new initiative would have to be within the European Union framework.

Ms. Bakoyannis, who is currently on a 3-day official visit to Cyprus, said "The Annan Plan, as it was submitted for approval by the Cypriot people, was rejected. From the moment it was rejected, it was history." She went on to say "(The Cypriots) desire a fair and viable solution within the EU framework and we should work toward this direction."

The foreign Minister’s visit coincided with the publication of a poll that was conducted by the CyBC showing most Greek Cypriots have doubts that reunification will occur any time soon. The poll showed that an even greater majority reject the Annan plan. Some 50 percent want a completely new plan while 34 percent favor drastic changes to the Annan plan. The foreign press, however, will be focusing on this part of the poll ... given the chance, 48 percent of Greek Cypriots would rather live separately from the Turkish Cypriots compared to 45 percent who back coexistence. Beware, the pro-Turkish foreign media will not miss a chance to castigate the Greek Cypriots. Allow me to give you a preview ... Shame! The Greek Cypriots do not want to live with the Turkish Cypriots. This is Tassos doing with all his rhetoric; the Greek Cypriots don’t want peace. Some reading this post may say where is your proof of this so called biased foreign media? When was the last time you read an article on Cyprus that mentioned the previous rejections of UN plans by Turkey and the occupied North? When was the last time you read an article on Cyprus that mentioned Turkey’s violation of UN and Security Council resolutions regarding its occupation and colonization of Cypriot territory? There is your proof. If this survey was done in a period where Cypriots believed the UN plan was actually workable with a strong central government ... then the poll results would have been completely different. Now, take a look at this snippet from a recent report by the BBC:

Some wonder quietly if the threat of formal recognition of the north could push the Greek Cypriot side back to the (Annan Plan) negotiating table.

No need to wonder anymore, the CyBC poll results tell us it would have quite the opposite effect. Are the polling results good news for the Turks? Hardly. Cyprus support for Turkey’s EU accession is based on reversing the crimes committed by Turkey and allowing refugees the right to return home. Turkish columnists love to point this out ... those wily Greek Cypriots are using the EU to corner us! Notice how the Turks do not mind how they use their troops to force their own compromise on us but complain when the government of RoC seeks EU help for a compromise to reunite the war divided island nation. If Turkey’s stance leads to separation of the two communities then there is no reason for the Cypriots to support Turkey’s EU accession. The reaction to this by some Turks may be ... If EU talks are suspended over Cyprus, then so be it. I think it is fair to say that Turkey’s EU membership bid means a lot more to a Turkish Kurd than it does to a Turk. Recent reforms were granted to the Kurds in order to appease the EU. I would like to ask Mr. Semih İdiz what the current riots in Turkey’s south-east would look like if Kurds knew that Turkey was not going to be a part of the EU?

The Gladio

Here is an interesting article from the Turkish Daily News which talks about a special war department that may or may not be linked to Turkey’s shadowy Deep State. This is a significant read because, to my knowledge, the existence of such a department has never been acknowledged before by the Turkish Government. The article mentions Turkey's Minister of National Defense Vecdi Gonul stating this special department "shouldered important responsibilities" in the lead-up to the Cyprus invasion.

Τιμή στην εξέγερση της ΕΟΚΑ

Είδηση απο Phileleftheros:

Δοξολογίες και κατάθεση στεφάνων Με ευλάβεια η Κύπρος τιμά την μεγαλειώδη εξέγερση της ΕΟΚΑ

Λευκωσία: Ο κυπριακός λαός τιμά σήμερα την 51η επέτειο της έναρξης του αγώνα της ΕΟΚΑ και με πανηγυρικές δοξολογίες και εκδηλώσεις μνήμης, αποτείει ελάχιστο φόρο τιμής σε όσους αγωνίστηκαν και έπεσαν για την απελευθέρωση της Κύπρου από τον βρετανικό ζυγό. Στον καθεδρικό ναό Αγίου Ιωάννου Λευκωσίας εψάλη στις 10 το πρωί πανηγυρική δοξολογία, χωροστατούντος του Χωρεπισκόπου Τριμυθούντος Βασιλείου. Στις 11 τελέσθηκε στα Φυλακισμένα Μνήματα τρισάγιο για τους ήρωες του απελευθερωτικού αγώνα της ΕΟΚΑ και ακολούθησε κατάθεση στεφάνων.

Στη δοξολογία στον καθεδρικό ναό Αγίου Ιωάννου παρίστατω ο Πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας, Τάσσος Παπαδόπουλος, ο οποίος στη συνέχεια κατάθεσε στεφάνι στα Φυλακισμένα Μνήματα.

Πανηγυρικές δοξολογίες ψάληκαν και στις υπόλοιπες ελεύθερες πόλεις της Κύπρου. Δοξολογία για την εθνική επέτειο της 1ης Απριλίου ψάληκε το πρωί και στον Μητροπολιτικό ναό Αθηνών. Τον πανηγυρικό της ημέρας είπε ο υφυπουργός παρά τω προέδρω, Χριστόδουλος Πασιαρδής.

Palace of Trojan War hero found

Archaeologist links 3,200-year-old Greek island palace with Ajax, hero of Troy
By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS

ATHENS, Greece - Among the ruins of a 3,200-year-old palace near Athens, researchers are piecing together the story of legendary Greek warrior-king Ajax, hero of the Trojan War.

Archaeologist Yiannis Lolos found remains of the palace while hiking on the island of Salamis in 1999, and has led excavations there for the past six years.

Now, he's confident he's found the site where Ajax ruled, which has also provided evidence to support a theory that residents of the Mycenean island kingdom fled to Cyprus after the king's death.

"This was Ajax' capital," excavation leader Lolos, professor of archaeology at Ioannina University, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

"It was the seat of the maritime kingdom of Salamis - small compared to other Mycenaean kingdoms - that was involved in trade, warfare and piracy in the eastern Mediterranean."

Ajax was one of the top fighters in the legendary Greek army that besieged Troy to win back the abducted queen of Sparta, Helen. Described in Homer's Iliad as a towering hero protected by a huge shield, Ajax killed himself after a quarrel with other Greek leaders.

On a wooded hill overlooking the sea at Kanakia on Salamis' southwestern coast, Lolos' team has excavated a town surmounted by a fortified palace complex.

The site flourished in the 13th century B.C. - at the same time as the major centers of Mycenae and Pylos in southern Greece - and was abandoned during widespread unrest about 100 years later.

Scholars have long suspected a core of historical truth in the story of Troy, and archaeological evidence from the Kanakia dig appears to agree.

Lolos also believes that, faced by an external threat, part of Salamis' population left for Cyprus, founding a new town named after their homeland.

"There is no other explanation for the creation on Cyprus of a city named Salamis," he said. "We established that there was a population exodus from Salamis, which was completely abandoned shortly after 1200 B.C. ... They must first have gone to Enkomi on Cyprus, which was already an established center."

Salamis was founded around 1100 B.C., when Enkomi - some 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away - was abandoned. "It was probably the refugees' children that moved there," Lolos said.

The emigration theory would explain why almost no high-value artifacts were found at the Greek site, which bore no signs of destruction or enemy occupation.

"The emigrants, who would have been the city's ruling class, took a lot with them, including nearly all the valuables," Lolos said.

The rest of the population moved to a new settlement further inland that offered better protection from seaborne raids.

Kanakia, was first inhabited around 3000 B.C. The Mycenaean settlement covers some 5 hectares (12.5 acres), and features houses, workshops and storage areas.

So far, archaeologists have uncovered 33 rooms in the 750-square-meter (8,000-square-foot) palace, including two central royal residences containing what appear to be two bench-like beds.

"This recalls a reference by Homer to the king of Pylos sleeping at the back of his house," Lolos said.

Finds include pottery, stone tools, a sealstone and copper implements.

Lolos is particularly pleased with a piece of a copper mail shirt stamped with the name of Pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled Egypt from 1279-1213 B.C.

"This is a unique find, which may have belonged to a Mycenaean mercenary soldier serving with the Egyptians," he said. "It could have been a souvenir, a mark of honor or even some kind of a medal."

Excavations will continue in September, while future targets include the settlement's cemetery, which Lolos has located nearby.

Situated just off the coast of Athens, Salamis is best known for the naval battle in 480 B.C., when the Athenians defeated an invading Persian fleet. The ancient playwright Euripides was born there, and a cave excavated by Lolos in 1997 has been identified as a hideout where the poet composed his work.

The sheer incompetence of it all!

Last week, I had mentioned that Larnacaairport.com directs you to the website of the "Ministry of Economy and Tourism" of North Cyprus. Well, what I found out this Sunday morning completely shocked me. Paphosairport.com, Nicosiaairport.com, and Larnacaairport.com are all registered to the same individual that goes by the name of Ata Atun, and all addresses direct you to the website of the "Ministry of Economy and Tourism" of North Cyprus. Is the Nicosia government aware of this and if so, does it not realize that it can take legal action?

Cyprus Landmines

A recent photo of a warning sign in three languages, Greek, Turkish and English, is seen at a minefield in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. A multi-national team of ordnance disposal experts are working to clear landmines at the U.N. controlled strip of land that splits the island between its ethnic Turkish and Greek communities.

Rice Remarks with Greek FM

The Foreign Minister of Greece, Dora Bakoyannis, paid a visit to Washington today where she discussed several issues of mutual interests, including such matters as Turkey’s EU accession and the Cyprus problem with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. After the meeting, the two held a joint press conference:

SECRETARY RICE: Good afternoon. I would like to welcome Greek Foreign Minister Bakoyannis -- Dora -- to the State Department and here to Washington, D.C. This is her first trip to Washington, D.C. as Foreign Minister. I have to say that I'm a great admirer of the work that she did as the Mayor of Athens, a city that is near and dear to the hearts of most people around the world, and she has been Foreign Minister now for a little over a month and it's delightful to have her here in Washington.

We've had a great opportunity to discuss our strategic partnership with Greece. This is a relationship that is first and foremost, of course, based on values. It is a relationship that recognizes the seminal role of Greece as a cradle of those values and recognizes that in the modern era in which we find ourselves now with so many challenges that Greece is a stalwart partner in the spread of democratic values, whether it be in Greece's work in the Broader Middle East Initiative, in which we've all been involved, promoting stability and prosperity in the Balkans, fighting terrorism and, of course, seeking the reunification of Cyprus on the basis of democratic values.

We have had a very useful discussion of these issues, as well as the concerns of NATO in Afghanistan, in the training mission in Iraq, in Sudan. In other words, it's been a very broad and good discussion and I look forward to many, many more with Dora over the years.

So welcome and the floor is yours.

FOREIGN MINISTER BAKOYANNIS: Thank you, Condi, and thank you for the nice words about Athens. We had a very fruitful and constructive meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and I thank her for this invitation. The U.S. and Greece enjoy an historic relationship. It is the relationship between the world's most powerful democracy and the world's oldest democracy, the birth place of our shared values and ideals.

In our talks we sought effective ways of enhancing this relationship. We discussed developments in the western Balkans, a region of strategic importance for Greece, where we have a strong political and economic presence. We agreed that the future of the western Balkans lies in Europe, that any solution to the problem of Kosovo may take into account all parts concerned and the stability of the region.

We believe in a united bicommunal Cyprus. As I had the opportunity to stress to my colleague a solution to the Cyprus problem will only be viable if it is based on relevant Security Council resolutions, the UN Secretary General's sets of proposals and the norms of the EU to which Cyprus belongs.

We both support Turkey's European aspirations, but I must say that Turkish European future lies in its own hands on the application of the European norms and practices, both inside Turkey and in their relationships with the neighbors, particularly Greece and Cyprus.

We discussed all major international issues, especially the Middle East, Iran and, naturally, Iraq. Greece enjoying a 14 centuries-long relationship with the Islamic world is well suited to play a role in the better understanding between the West and Islam.

Let me conclude by saying that I had the pleasure of inviting Secretary Rice to Greece and she -- and I was very happy that she accepted my invitation. Thank you very much.

MR. MCCORMACK: We'll take two questions a side. The first question to Anne Gearan from Associated Press.

QUESTION: Good afternoon. A double-barreled question on Iran, Madame Secretary. First, are you any closer today to winning the support of Russia and China for a statement at the Security Council? Are you looking for an alternative to that statement if you can't reach consensus?

And secondly, is there anything new to report on whether or not the United States will hold talks with Iran on Iraq?

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you, Anne. Let me start by saying that the United Nations Security Council now has the Iran dossier. That was the agreement of the ministers when we met in London, the P-5 + 1 when we met in London at the end of January. We agreed to wait for the report of Mohamed ElBaradei, the Director General of the IAEA, at the Board of Governors meeting March 6th through 8th, and then we are now taking that up in the UN Security Council.

There is no time for delay in taking up this issue. A presidential statement which will reaffirm the understandings that we had at the London meeting, the understandings that under-girded the February 4th resolution in the Board of Governors for which a number of countries, including Russia, voted. We need to have this statement and to make clear to the Iranians that the international community is united in demanding that Iran return to a posture that is consistent with its NPT obligations and consistent with the international community's need to know that Iran is, indeed, conducting a peaceful nuclear program. There is an erosion of confidence in Iran on this point because they lied to the IAEA for 18 years. They do want a civil nuclear program. That's fine. They can have one, but not with enrichment and reprocessing on Iranian territory. They need to suspend the activities in which they're engaged and return to negotiations.

There shouldn't be any delay. There can't be any stalling. The international community has got to act. People are looking to the international community to show that this can, indeed, be dealt with diplomatically. And we are committed to a diplomatic solution, but it has to be dealt with.

On the matter of what we might do with the Iranians in terms of talks, as I've said a number of times, this authority for Ambassador Khalilzad has been a standing authority for some time and we have found it useful from time to time to talk about concerns on the security side, to raise our concerns on the security side, and he has that standing authority. Those talks would be limited to Iraq and limited to security issues. Ambassador Neumann has similar authorities in Afghanistan.

QUESTION: Thank you. Good afternoon, ladies. I have a question for Madame Secretary. In one way this is a follow-up of a question I put last year of this day. We are talking about strategic partnership between the two countries. Last year, the same expression in answer to me. Could you please give me the substance of this partnership, of this strategic (inaudible)? Thank you.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you. What does it mean to be a strategic partner? It means first and foremost that you share the desire to solve problems in the international system and to come up with solutions and to execute those solutions together on the basis of shared values, on the basis of common concerns.

It doesn't mean that we always agree on every element concerning a particular problem. But it does mean that Greece and the United States, from the strongest possible basis of shared values, from our alliance in NATO, from the work that we are doing together in the Balkans, that we are now reaching past that to the broader Middle East where, as Dora said, Greece has a long history of relations with the Muslim world and is therefore an anchor for any outreach to the Muslim world and the efforts to help to support those who want a democratic future.

It means that we work together on the NATO efforts in Afghanistan. It means that we work together on the NATO efforts for training in Iraq. So I see it as a declaration of, first and foremost, our shared values but also our desire to use that very strong basis to solve common problems together. Even if from time to time we may not agree about everything, this is an excellent relationship and the United States is delighted to have such a good friend and partner in Greece.

QUESTION: Thank you. Next year I am not going to --

SECRETARY RICE: Next time you can ask the same question. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, you spoke with Afghan President Karzai today regarding the case of Abdul Rahman. What assurances did he give you on this? Are you -- have you been assured that Mr. Rahman's life will be spared and what would be a satisfactory outcome as far as the United States is concerned? And some European governments have weighed in on this as well. I'd be interested to hear the Greek view, if you care, Madame Foreign Minister.

SECRETARY RICE: Let me start from the point of view that there is no more fundamental issue for the United States than freedom of religion and religious conscience. This country was founded on that basis and it is at the heart of democracy. People must have a right to conscience and religious conscience.

This is a very deeply concerning development in Afghanistan and we have raised it at the highest levels. As you said, I called President Karzai and we've raised it in the strongest possible terms to make clear that it is our great hope and desire that Afghanistan will reaffirm what is already in its constitution, that the universal -- that the Universal Declaration on Human Rights will be respected and that this will be resolved in a way that is consistent with those principles. That is what would mean -- a satisfactory outcome would mean.

I've talked to President Karzai. I've talked to the Afghan Foreign Minister. We will make other representations as well and we look forward to, hopefully, to a resolution of this in the very near future.

FOREIGN MINISTER BAKOYANNIS: Well, I agree. I think religious freedom is one of the cornerstones of the democracy which is being built up. It will take time. Societies don't change from one day to another. But we have to stick to those values. We have to believe in them and be very consistent if we really want to see the results we are expecting. And I believe that there might be some setbacks. There might be and there will be problems, but at the end of the day this kind of new democracy, which is a very new thing for the Afghan society, it will prevail.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, Greece has taken a number of courageous and positive decisions in supporting Turkey's European perspective, though Ankara seems not to follow constructive policies in a number of issues like Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul or the Halki religion and et cetera. Would we have, please, a comment of you on these issues? Thank you.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you. Well, the United States has strongly supported good relations between Turkey and Greece, the effort to work out -- to reach out. I remember at the time of the earthquake the very helpful efforts that took place on a humanitarian basis that demonstrated that Turkey and Greece have come a very long way in their relations.

We are asking both parties to do as much as they can. I do know that a lot of courageous steps have been taken. The Minister raised Halki with me and we, of course, raised Halki with the Turkish Government on a number of occasions, including at very high levels.

And so we have a common view that -- we have a view that Turkey and Greece have a great deal in common -- in their NATO membership, in their desire for a stable Balkans, their desire for a stable Iraq and indeed, as Turkey has become more and more democratic over time, in shared values. And so there's a lot to work with here and I'm sure that with goodwill and effort on both sides, they will be able to succeed in improving the relationship.

Before we go I wanted to take one other opportunity and that's to congratulate Greece. It will be the 185th anniversary of independence on March 25th and so congratulations. And I also noticed, Dora, that when you said that I'd accepted the invitation to Greece, I had a lot of smiles among my press corps, who are now looking forward to that trip to Athens. So thank you very much.

FOREIGN MINISTER BAKOYANNIS: You're all invited.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER BAKOYANNIS: Thank you very much.

Foreign Minister Bakoyannis will take part in observance of the Greek National Holiday at the White House with President George W. Bush.

Bakoyannis' Interview With AP

The newly appointed Foreign Minister of Greece did not mince words during her interview today with the Associated Press. FM Dora Bakoyannis stated that Turkey must live up to its obligations as a prospective EU member ... "All countries adjusted their laws, accepted the European standards so that they could join the EU. Turkey must also do this. There is no Europe a la carte for any country, and not for Turkey." Well said. Read more on Foreign Minister Bakoyannis’ interview below:

Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis called on Turkey to live up to its obligations as a prospective EU member, including the retraction of a threat to declare war if Greece expands its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea, during an interview she gave to the Associated Press in Athens on Tuesday.

Bakoyannis also said that Turkey's Islamic government should allow the re-opening of a theological seminary that is important for the survival of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul where the spiritual leader of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians has his headquarters.

"The final European course of Turkey will be judged by Turkey itself. Turkey has assumed some obligations and these obligations must be implemented," she told the AP.

"All countries adjusted their laws, accepted the European standards so that they could join the EU. Turkey must also do this. There is no Europe a la carte for any country, and not for Turkey," she said.

According to the AP, Bakoyannis said Greece's relations with Turkey, the Turkish occupation of the northern part of the island of Cyprus, and the volatile western Balkans would be key issues she would discuss with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a meeting in Washington on Thursday.

Bakoyannis leaves for her first official visit to the US on Wednesday.

She said that a media report that Turkey would declare war if Greece extended its territorial waters from six to 12 nautical miles from the coast was an "anachronism".

Turkey's leading Hurriyet newspaper reported Monday that a classified Turkish foreign policy document it obtained said Greece cannot increase its waters to 12 nautical miles, and that Turkey must maintain its deterrence in the face of such a threat. The report could not be independently verified, according to the AP.

"I think this is an anachronism," Bakoyannis said. "Turkey at times is reported in the media as bringing back this position. This position is against the law of the sea and it is an issue that concerns the European Union. I have many times said that these types of declarations don't help Turkey come closer to Europe, which it has said is its main goal."

Relations thawed in 1999 and Greece became Turkey's leading EU sponsor. Turkey also has until the end of the year to open its ports and airports to trade from Cyprus.

"It was not an easy decision to promote and support the European course of Turkey," Bakoyannis said.

She said some progress had been made on restarting talks to unify Cyprus after the rejection by Greek Cypriots two years ago in a referendum of a UN-sponsored peace plan. She said recent talks between Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan "again put forward discussions for the promotion of a viable solution on Cyprus."

One of Turkey's more important obligations, Bakoyannis added, was to respect human rights and religious freedom. She said it could start by re-opening the Halki seminary located on a Turkish island off Istanbul which has for generations trained the Patriarchate's priests, AP notes.

"The issue of the Patriarchate has to do with religious freedom inside Turkey. The existence of the Patriarchate in the long run is dependent on the function of the theological school at Halki," she told the AP. "It is not by chance that all countries in Europe and the United States urge Turkey to change its policies on the theological school of Halki and let it function like it did before 1971."

Turkey has been under pressure from the United States and the EU to re-open Halki, closed in 1971 under a law that put religious education under state control.

Although Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos - a Turkish citizen and ethnic Greek - is considered to be the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox, Turkey has long refused to accept any international role for him. It rejects his use of the title 'ecumenical' or universal, and argues the patriarch is merely spiritual leader of Istanbul's dwindling Greek community.

 "I believe that if Turkey opens the Halki school it will send a very important, symbolic message to the entire world. That an Islamic government like that of Mr. Erdogan respects human and religious freedoms," Bakoyannis told the AP. "I have said this many times to my Turkish interlocutors and I admit I am very saddened that no action has been taken in this direction."

Ancient Sarcophagus Unearthed

From USA Today:

Ancient sarcophagus unearthed in Cyprus
By George Psyllides, The Associated Press

NICOSIA, Cyprus — A 2,500-year-old sarcophagus with vivid color illustrations from Homer's epics has been discovered in western Cyprus, archaeologists said Monday.
read more »

Cyprus Archaeology

Workers from the Antiquities Department working in the ancient tomb in Kouklia village near the coastal town of Paphos, Cyprus, on Thursday, March 16, 2006. An extremely rare, 2,500 year old stone coffin with well preserved color illustrations from Homer's epics has been discovered in the western part of Cyprus. The white stone sarcophagus was accidentally discovered by construction workers last week in a tomb near the village of Kouklia. The artifact dated to 500 B.C., when Greek cultural influence was gaining a firm hold on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

Did you know ...

... that “larnacaairport.com” directs you to a website that is promoting occupied Cyprus? The link above directs you to the website of the "Ministry of Economy and Tourism" of North Cyprus.

"International Crisis Group"

From The Cyprus Weekly:

Crisis Group report denounced as shockingly pro-Turkish


Turkey and TCs praised for Annan Plan acceptance


A REPORT by the "International Crisis Group" (ICG) on the Cyprus situation in Cyprus was denounced as completely biased, pro-Turkish and as such inconsequential and unacceptable by Government Spokesman George Lillikas and other Greek Cypriot personalities yesterday.

The report entitled `The Cyprus Stalemate: What Next?' which was presented in Nicosia on Wednesday, cites President Tassos Papadopoulos as the main obstacle to a Cyprus settlement.

Its main theme is that the controversial Annan Plan, which was overwhelmingly rejected by the Greek Cypriots in the 2004 referendum, "represents the only feasible basis for a reunification solution," and praises Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots for accepting it in a their separate referendum.

The 30-page report analyses the situation in a way that absolves Turkey completely of any blame for its continuing occupation of north Cyprus (something it studiously avoids mentioning) and its consequences.

No reference to UN resolutions


It also avoids any reference to the ethnic cleansing of the Greek Cypriot population of the north, the gross violations of the human rights of the displaced Greek Cypriot refugees, and to the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights.

These found Turkey guilty, repeatedly ordering it to allow the refugees to return and to regain their usurped properties This is something restricted by the Annan Plan which is so strongly backed by the IGC report.

IGC also avoids any reference to the numerous UN resolutions that demand the reunification of the island, the unconditional return of the refugees, the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation troops and the tens of thousands of mainland settlers introduced to the occupied north in violation of the Geneva Conventions. These resolutions brand the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state illegal and a vassal state of Turkey and urge the international community to have nothing to do with it. Despite this the IGC report's other main thrust is for and ending to the ``isolation'' of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state as a reward for its acceptance of the Annan Plan.

It is as if this acceptance by itself automatically nullifies the judgements of the Rights Court and the UN resolutions, legitimising the breakaway state and all the other illegal consequences of the Turkish invasion and occupation. Indeed the report argues that ``the 2004 vote in the north for reunification has invalidated the political logic of isolation.''

In connection with the settlers the report says their influx continues and warns that this increases the risk of the Turkish Cypriots "becoming a minority in their own part of the island," taking it for granted that the north belongs to them and not to the people of Cyprus as a whole!

While pushing hard on the "isolation" issue the report avoids reference to the substantial financial gain of the economy of the north resulting from the income of the thousands of Turkish Cypriots crossing to work in the south, of the government pension payments to the north and free medical aid.

It also avoids explaining that the "isolation," where it exists, is brought on as much by the breakaway state itself which insists on being treated as an equal with the Cyprus government. This insistence prompted it to reject EU aid of 120m euros, insisting this should be paid to it direct and not through the Cyprus government!

Criticism of Papadopoulos


In its determination to blame President Papadopoulos, the report ignores his repeated statements that a Cyprus settlement must be firmly based on the relevant UN resolutions, respect for Human Rights, the judgements of the Rights Court, and, following the accession of Cyprus to the European Union, compliance with the EU aquis, or basic EU principles.

These fundamental demands are also ignored by the Annan Plan and this was one of the main reasons for its overwhelming rejection by the Greek Cypriots in the 2004 referendum.

It is for these reasons, among others, that the plan was accepted in the separate Turkish Cypriot referendum whose outcome was determined by the participation of the illegal Turkish mainland settlers who had every reason to vote `Yes,' since the plan legitimises their stay in the island.

The report states bluntly that "the most substantial blockage of such an agreement (based on the Annan Plan) is now the policy and attitude of the Greek Cypriot leadership and in particular of President Tassos Papadopoulos."

It charges that President Papadopoulos "does not seem to have any inclination, or coherent strategy on how, to get reunification back on track, and the prospects of achieving it look bleak."

The report rejects the conclusions of the Annan-Papadopoulos Paris meeting last month as inconsequential. It declares that this ended with "no indication of serious re-engagement by the Greek Cypriot side."

This contrasts glaringly with the view of the US Ambassador to Cyprus Ronald Schlicher who, during a visit to Limassol this week, described the outcome of the Paris meeting as a major breakthrough in the settlement efforts.

In its staunch support of the Annan Plan, the report quotes people backing it but avoids any parallel reference to the many prominent international critics, including eminent jurists, who maintain it is so flawed, and pro-Turkish, as to be unacceptable.

'We gave Cyprus to Turkey in form of the Annan Plan'


In this respect, it is worth recalling the blunt public admission by a senior United States State Department official, who summed up the situation by declaring in public that "we gave Cyprus to Turkey in the form of the Annan Plan."

Report excerpts and comments

THE report is too long to reproduce in full. Here are some of its key points, glaring inconsistencies and recommendations (with page reference):

1 - The report refers to Turkey's right to intervene militarily under the Treaty of Guarantee following the 1974 coup by the Greek junta. But it avoids clarifying that this right was strictly aimed at restoring the constitutional order, not to occupy the north, expel the Greek Cypriot population and eventually proclaim a breakaway state.

4 - Reference to ``143,000 Turkish Cypriots going to the polls'' in the 1974 referendum, without specifying that this figure included the illegal mainland settlers who had every reason to vote `Yes," and who outnumbered the native voters as claimed by Turkish Cypriots themselves.

7 - Saying that that "Claims that the Annan Plan violated EU law and the European Convention of Human Rights are overstated." This in effect admits that rights are violated, but sidelines the natural expectation that any violations must cease, and not be condoned.

7 - "Complaints about the Annan Plan's toleration of the continued presence of Turkish troops are overstated ... Complete demilitarisation of the island was unattainable in the context of the 1960 constitutional treaties, which were not in question in the 2004 referendum.'' It is strange that the report justifies the presence of the Turkish troops under the 1960 treaties, but ignored all the other provisions of the same treaties which are also ignored by the Annan Plan.

7 - The report argues that the Greek Cypriots should have voted yes in the referendum ``so that many refugees could return home, rather than `no' so that none could return.'' The `No' vote was precisely because the Annan Plan did not allow all the refugees to return, as demanded by UN resolutions and international law.

13 - In a remarkable piece of advice to the Greek Cypriots, the report says that "if they are worried about the Turkish Cypriots seeking recognition, they should call their presumed bluff and accept the Annan Plan."

20 - In an even more remarkable passage, the report makes a brief comment that unwittingly reveals the main obstacle to a settlement all these years. The comment says that following its accession to the EU Cyprus is using this to increase pressure on Turkey. But it then adds that "it is most improbable that any Turkey government now or in the future could afford to give up Cyprus for the sake of EU membership." This is clearly an admission that Turkey intends to maintain its hold on Cyprus no matter what.

Threat of secession is repeated


Taking this further, the report in effect warns that if the EU rejects Turkey's full membership, then "Turkey's incentives to seek accommodation with anyone in the EU, let alone the Cyprus government, would greatly diminish, and the likelihood of a push for TRNC secession would accordingly increase.''

21 - The threat of secession is also repeated in a reference to the likelihood of the rejection of an agreed solution in a second referendum. In such a case "the two communities could then be granted the option of separate self-determination by the international community."

28 - The report argues that following the accession of Cyprus to the EU, "the EU has become part and parcel of the conflict and cannot credibly undertake a mediating role: this will remain the responsibility of the UN." But the EU should assist in ``the economic development and European integration of northern Cyprus and contribute constructively to the much-abused `European solution' slogan on the island.'' It should also increase bilateral contacts with Turkish Cypriot politicians and maintain ``constant pressure on the Greek Cypriot government to moderate its intransigence.''

29 - The EU, the US and other states should open branch offices in the north.

Expanding on this, the report says one option that could be considered, "if international impatience with the Greek Cypriots became very strong," would be for the UN to decide that a Cyprus delegation would only be seated if it included representations from both communities.

Other intergovernmental institutions such as the Council of Europe "could follow suit." If Cyprus refused, the report says, this would "open the way for the separate international political representation of the Turkish Cypriots, with all that would imply."

More...

International Crisis Group

Report extremely biased

THE government and Greek Cypriots in general were rightly angered this week by the extremely biased, pro-Turkish report of the International Crisis Group entitled "Reflections on the Cyprus Stalemate: What Next?"

The government tried to play down the importance of the report, arguing that the IGC is a little-known group and that its biased report is of no consequence.

The wide distribution of the report, however, is clearly a major public relations coup for Turkey and the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state who are presented as the angels in the Cyprus imbroglio, while President Tassos Papadopoulos is demonised as the main obstacle to a settlement.

The nature of the report was summed up perfectly by Andreas Theophanous, the Director of the Research and development Centre of Intercollege. He described it as an attempt at historical revisionism similar to the attempt by certain people who argue the Nazi holocaust never happened, since the authors of the ICG report also claim Turkey committed no war crimes or human rights violations in Cyprus.

Anyone even faintly informed about the Cyprus problem realises, of course, how unfair and deliberately misleading the report by the allegedly independent ICG is and how baseless is its demonisation of President Papadopoulos.

The vast majority of people everywhere who are unaware of the intricacies of the Cyprus problem, or of the unpunished continuing war crimes and gross human rights violations committed by Turkey as a result of its continuing occupation of north Cyprus, will undoubtedly form an erroneous view of the Cyprus problem if they come across this report. This is all the more worrying since the ICG Board of Governors is a perfectly respectable, widely representative collection of 56 prominent international personalities, including former Prime Ministers and other senior politicians, diplomats and other VIPs from many countries.

One may well wonder whether any of these 56 governors are aware of the report or even if they have read, and agree with its twisted conclusions.

This is immaterial however; the sad reality is that this report has been published and may damage the just cause of Cyprus.

One would have expected that the Cyprus government would have wasted no time in arranging a press conference, or at least in issuing a statement, to demolish the gross inaccuracies and castigate the equally gross omissions and deliberate misrepresentations of the ICG report, allowing its presenters to remain officially unchallenged.

Viewpoint, Cyprus Weekly, March 2006

Famagusta Video

I found the link to this video from David Koyzi's website. It is video footage taken last year of Famagusta including the ghost town of Varosha in the occupied North. A small bit of info on Famagusta: When Famagusta was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1571, the Cypriot inhabitants were expelled from the old walled city but did not leave the area and settled close by to the south. Varosh means suburb in Turkish, so Varosha refers to the suburb of Famagusta. Today, Famagusta can mean both, the old walled town of Famagusta and the ghost town of Varosha.

Obliterated ... Why?

With the flight of the Greek population, Turkey succeeded in her first target: the region ceased to live and breathe to the tune to which it had done for almost three millennia of its history. Here is a recent article from Chiesa (Italiana) that talks about Cyprus and the pillaging and destruction that occurred after the Turkish invasion. Article in its entirety:

Cyprus: Portrait of a Christianity Obliterated
In the northern part of the island, occupied by Turkey, the churches have become stables or mosques. The diary of a trip beyond the wall

by Sandro Magister

ROMA, March 9 2006 – The island of Cyprus was the first destination of the “special mission” that the Holy Spirit entrusted to Paul and Barnabas, according to what is written in the Acts of the Apostles, in chapter 13.

On the island they found a Roman governor, Sergius Paulus, “an intelligent man who wanted to hear the word of God and believed, deeply shaken by the teaching of the Lord.”

But if Paul and Barnabas were to return to Cyprus today, to the northern part of the island, they would find not the Romans as governors, but the Turks.

And instead of a Christianity being born, they would find a dying Christianity, with the churches and monasteries in ruin, or else transformed into stables, hotels, and mosques.

This is documented in a startling report from Luigi Geninazzi, who was sent to Cyprus by “Avvenire,” the newspaper of the Italian bishops’ conference.

Cyprus became part of the European Union on May 1, 2004. But this was true only for the southern part of the island, which is Greek and Christian.

The northern part was occupied by Turkey in 1974, with 40,000 soldiers. The Turkish occupation caused death, destruction, and a forced relocation of populations. About 200,000 Greek Cypriots of the Christian Orthodox faith who lived in the north of the island fled to the south. And likewise, the Turkish Cypriots of the south, Muslims, moved to the north.

In 1983 Turkey consolidated the occupation by creating a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is internationally recognized only by the government of Ankara: 180,000 persons live there, 100,000 of whom are colonists originally from Anatolia.

A wall guarded by the blue helmets of the United Nations divides the two parts of the island and cuts through the capital, Nicosia. In April of 2004, the UN placed before a referendum a plan of confederation between the two states, but this was rejected by the Greek Cypriots of the south, who are four times as numerous as the Turkish Cypriots of the north.

The Islamization of the north of the island has been concretized in the destruction of all that was Christian. Yannis Eliades, director of the Byzantine Museum of Nicosia, calculates that 25,000 icons have disappeared from the churches in the zone occupied by the Turks.

For a Turkey that aspires to enter the European Union, its actions in the north of Cyprus give a terrible impression of itself.

And what it has done in destroying the Christian presence begun by Paul and Barnabas is described in the report that follows, published in “Avvenire” on Sunday, February 26:


"They did not even spare the stone altar..."

by Luigi Geninazzi

Europe ends here, in the most beautiful island of the Mediterranean, torn by a wall that splits it in two. Europe ends abruptly along a barrier of barbed wire, cement, and military turrets that splits Cyprus along its entire width and divides Nicosia, a capital wounded in its ancient heart.

For the UN, which guards over it with its blue helmets, it is the “green line.” But here the people continue to call it the “Attila line,” from the name that the Turks gave to the invasion.

The scourge has left its marks. It has struck Cyprus, the site of the most ancient Christian community on European soil, in its artistic, cultural, and religious treasury: stupendous Byzantine and Romanesque churches, imposing monasteries, mosaics and frescoes of inestimable value. It is a heritage that in the northern part of the island, under Turkish occupation, has been sacked, violated, and destroyed.

To realize this it is enough to cross the “Attila line” at the checkpoint of Nicosia, and there you are in the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which greets the visitor with a large banner on which is written a topsy-turvy welcome: “How happy I am to be a Turk!” (a famous phrase of Kemal Ataturk). The nationalist pride of the descendents of the Ottoman empire has also modified the natural countryside, carving the crescent moon and the red star on the side of the Pentadattilos mountains, which dominate the wide plains.

The Turkish flag billows on the façade of the church of Agia Paraskevi, in the once Greek Orthodox village of Angastina. A sign says that work is underway to transform it into a mosque. The bell tower, which no longer bears a cross, is a strange minaret with the loudspeaker of the muezzin fixed upon an archway.

Christodoulos, the young archeologist accompanying me, is visibly shaken: “I was baptized here,” he says in a voice hoarse with emotion. He is one of the 200,000 Greek Cypriot refugees who, thirty years ago, lived in the north of the island and were chased out of their homes.

Christodoulos kneels on the spot where he was once baptized and lights a candle. The Turkish construction workers, squatting in front of the apse for their lunch break, look at him curiously: “Every time I come back to this area, it’s always worse,” he sighs.

We stop at Trachoni, where a jewel of the Renaissance once stood, the church of the Panagia, Our Lady. Now only the walls are left; the interior bears the signs of vandalism that has not spared even the stone altar, the pieces of which have ended up in a hole dug recently to search for who knows what treasure.

Ours is a sad pilgrimage that at every stop adds to one’s outrage and disbelief, a via dolorosa that retraces the places of Christian memory at risk of disappearing. At the village of Peristerona, on the road to Famagosta, the medieval monastery of Saint Anastasia (see photo) is being used as a stable, with the cows chewing their cud amid what remains of the ancient cells. The tombs of the cemetery have been profaned, and the gravestones broken.

We leave the countryside behind and go to the coast. Here many of the churches have been turned into restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, for the enjoyment of the tourists. At the top of the rock of Lapethos, which juts out over the sea, the church and convent of Agia Anastasia have become a sumptuous hotel with a swimming pool dug into the cloister, and a casino under the bell tower.

Almost the entire artistic patrimony of the Orthodox Church in the territory occupied by the Turks – 520 buildings between churches, chapels, and monasteries – has been sacked, demolished, or disfigured. Only three churches and one monastery, the monastery of Saint Barnabas, which has been turned into a museum, are in a more or less dignified state.

“The ruin is before our eyes, but the European Union prefers to look the other way,” the Cypriot foreign minister, George Iacovou, bitterly tells us. “The only hope is that, in the course of negotiations for Turkey’s adhesion to the EU, someone might pull out the dossier of shame.”

The Byzantine Academy of Nicosia has gathered detailed and meticulous documentation on the occupied churches in Cyprus. And for two years an attempt has been made at religious dialogue, with the support of the Orthodox bishop Nikiforos of the historic monastery of Kykko: “We have met with the Muslim leaders headed by Lefka, and I told them that respect for our places of worship is the basis for cooperation.” Nikiforos is moderately optimistic: “I encountered a lot of understanding. Errors have been made on both sides; we must overcome the divisions of the past and walk together.”

But the last word belongs to the politicians. Huseyn Ozel, a government spokesman for the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, displays great cordiality with the foreign journalist. The destroyed and sacked churches? “There was a war, and bad things happened on both sides,” he explains.

I point out to him that most of the mosques in Greek Cypriot territory have been restored, while his government has authorized the transformation of churches into restaurants and hotels, an insult to the sentiment of believers. “They did this to keep the buildings from falling into ruin, and anyway, these are decisions made by the preceding government, which I do not share,” Ozel counters.

I insist: what do you have to say about the churches that, still today, are being turned into mosques? The Turkish Cypriot functionary spreads his arms wide: “It is an Ottoman custom...”

It as a tradition that, unfortunately, continues. An unsettling calling card for a Turkey that aspires to enter the European club.

__________

The Greek Orthodox bishop: "Europe, intervene!"

An interview with Chrisostomos Englistriota

In Cyprus, the head of the Church has always been an ethnarch, too, a leader of the people. This directly political role was exercised by the famous archbishop Makarios, the charismatic leader of the rebellion against the English domination during the 1950’s, and the first president of the independent republic of Cyprus.

“Our Church doesn’t practice politics anymore, but its authority has not diminished,” recalls the bishop of Paphos, Chrisostomos Englistriota. Since His Beatitude Chrisostomos I was struck by a grave illness, the bishop of Paphos has carried out his functions as leader of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church on the island.

Q: Your Excellency, Cyprus remains divided. Can the Greek Orthodox Church foster dialogue between the parties?

A: “It is a situation that saddens us deeply, the result of a completely illegal military occupation. A true dialogue is impossible, because the Turkish Cypriots do not enjoy any autonomy, the last word belongs to the government of Ankara.”

Q: Are there contacts among the religious exponents?

A: “Some of our bishops have met with the leaders of the Turkish Cypriot Islamic community. It’s important to us to have good relations with them, but then when it comes time to discuss concrete matters, like the problem of the sacking and profanation of our churches, they don’t know what to say, they refer everything to the political authorities.”

Q: Have you tried to raise the question in international circles?

A: “Yes, of course. We have repeatedly turned to the European Union to ask for their intervention. The last time was in the autumn of 2004, after Cyprus entered the EU.”

Q: The results?

A: “Nothing so far. My personal conviction is that the European governments should exert pressure on Turkey, above all in this phase of the opening of negotiations for the entry of Ankara into the Union. But they don’t want to take advantage of this opportunity. And so the more time passes, the more our sacred places in the northern part of Cyprus are falling into ruin. The Turks want to destroy every trace of Hellenism and of Christianity. Only strong international pressure can stop them.”

 Interesting reading, right?  Just search the word "destruction" on this site to get an idea of the ongoing cultural obliteration.

So, a great article from Chiesa.  Truly amazing and i say this because it is very rare to read such an accurate depiction of Turkey's occupation from the western press as to not upset a key NATO ally. Obviously there are some exceptions.  Below are some foreign publications and what they had to say in the past about this so called special "peace operation".

The Times

"It is important to distinguish between random damage that might have been caused by drunks after a night out, and the demolition of crosses, tombstones and heavy marble slabs which weigh several hundredwieht and would need men with sledgehammers to destroy them. We found nothing to fit the first category. In fact, at Dhavlos, on the north coast, now occupied by mainland Turks, even the graveyard wall was partly demolished. Not a single tombstone remained standing...

..the process of obliterating everything Greek has been carried out methodically. The churches and graveyards have suffered severely."

"The Times", 5.27.1976

"The little treasure house of Antiphonitis Monastery, in the mountains north of Lefkoniko, had sustained the most comprehensive looting and damage....the 11th, 12th, and 15th century icons..all had vanished or had been destroyed. The nineteenth and twentieth century icons were smashed, the furniture broken. In the corner were bags of cement and the remains of a fire. Furniture had been lugged outside onto the grass, and the whole place was a strewn with bottles and filth. Somebody was clearly proud of this work, for the wrecked iconostasis the date was chalked March 6, 1975."

"The Times", 5.27.1976

The report (August 9)from the Cyprus Director of Antiquities on the recent looting or desecration of the mosaics in the church of Panayia Kanakaria in the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus has reopened the debate on the fate of churches, monasteries and mosques on that unhappy island.

As a journalist I have travelled widely and freely on both sides of the partition line. In Turkish Cyprus there was large scale damage to churches in the immediate aftermath of the 1974 intervention. That was perhaps understandahle. More recently, historic churches have been seized, stripped and whitewashed and converted into mosques. One example is on the fringes of Nicosia, another outside Famagusta. Others have been desecrated.

Less than a year ago, travelling in the company of Mr. Mustapha Adiloglou, press official in London of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus we came across a desecrated church in the centre of a busy village between Famagusta and Nicosia. Fresh excrement and urine lay on the smashed altar and the floor. The church Bible had been used as toilet paper and the wall paintings gashed and disfigured. The icons had vanished. From the state of the place it was clear that this was not a single act of violation. The place obviously had been a public convenience for months.

In fairness one should add that some churches (particularly tourist conscious Kyrenia) have been restored by the rurkish authorities and are either open for prayer or tourism or securely locked.

"The Times", 19.8.80

Yenidyzen

"The Turkish Cypriot Arts Society leader, Ali Atakan, in a statement issued on May 20 revealed yet more antique smuggling. According to this revelation, a valuable Byzantine mosaic has been stolen from a Byzantine Church in the village of Lythrangomi. There are two inter-connected churches in the village and the mosaic was stolen from the apse of the older church which dates back to the 8th century..."

Turkish Cypriot "Yenidyzen", 6.1.1982

"You will see chambers cut out of the rocks, lighthouses, the remains of baths, layouts and the military camps set up on the ruins both before and after 1974... Today Lambousa is a military zone closed to tourists. Here are many important churches and the mythological Akhiropietos Monastery. Now you cannot see it because it is being used as a military warehouse. The icons stolen from Lambousa were retrieved while being smuggled out of Ankara airport."

Le Monde

"The antiques are illegaly exported from the northern part of the island, especially rich in archaeological sites'

"Le Monde", 12.27.1978

Bozkurt

"The Cyprus Arts Society in the occupied areas issued a press release saying that the antique smuggling in the occupied areas has reached enourmous dimensions and that measures should be taken to protect the destruction of the antiques."

Turkish Cypriot "Bozkurt", 7.4.1982

The Guardian

"We visited 26 former Greek villages. We found not a single undesecrated cemetery..."

"...The vandalism and desecration are so methodical and so widespread that they amount to institutionalised obliteration of everything sacred to a Greek ... In some instances, an entire graveyard of 50 or more tombs had been reduced to pieces or rubble no larger than a matchbox...we found the chapel of Ayios Demetrios at Ardhana empty but for the remains of the altar plinth, and that was fouled with human excrement... At Syngrasis ... the broken crucifix was drenched in urine.. At Lefkoniko ...the interior of Gaidhouras church... was overlooked by an armless Christ on a smashed crucifix... Tombs gaped open wherever we went...crosses bearing the pictures of those burried beneath ... had been flattened and destroyed.

"The Guardian", 'The Rape of northern Cyprus', 5.6.1976

Ortam

"The trial of the director sic of Kyrenia Museum, Mehmet Rasih, has ended with the case being referred to the "criminal court". The trial is connected with the 3 chests of antiques discovered in Turkey on their way to Germany, on 16.3.1981... The number of the missing icons or substituted icons were 225 ...later it was found that large icons had been sawn down to smaller sizes and thus entered in the books."

Turkish Cypriot "Ortam", 5.6.1982

Bozkurt

"Two icons estimated to cost arounf TL 1 million were stolen from Kyrenia "Court". The icons stolen from the village church of Karmi 5 months ago were found in the Famagusta district and 4 persons were arrested in connection with the incident. The icons were locked away in Kyrenia "Court-House" to be stolen again."

Turkish Cypriot "Bozkurt", 3.9.1979

The Times

"Confidential United Nations military documents, circulated to officers in the United Nations peace - keeping force in Cyprus, disclose that looting is being systematically carried out on a massive scale by the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot authorities in the north of the island"

"The Times", 12.13.1976

"...historic churches have been seized, stripped and whitewashed and converted into mosques ... Others have been desecrated. ... we came across a desecrated church in the center of a busy village between Famagusta and Nicosia. Fresh excrement and urine lay on the smashed altar and the floor. The church Bible had been used as toilet paper and the wall paintings gashed and disfigured. The icons had vanished. From the state of the place it was clear that this was not a single act of violation. The place obviously had been a public convenience for months. ... On the Greek side all the mosques I have seen are securely locked and protected."

"The Times", 8.19.80

The Sunday Times

"Scotland Yard and Customs Officials are uncovering a highly organized smuggling network behind the trail of antiques looted in Cyprus"

"The Sunday Times", 4.25.1976

OPEN GRAVES, BROKEN CROSSES...

The Times

The above testimony, by a British journalist, member of the crew of a British TV network which visited the occupied part of Cyprus, proved that the places of rest of the dead became targets of the most intense destruction mania. According to this and other testimonies, the crosses on graves were cut away and broken to pieces. Tombstones were also overturned and crushed to bits, while the invaders violated the graves.

"We managed to check 26 villages in all. Some other villages, such as Marathovouno and Pyrga, were sealed by the Army and access to the church itself was not possible. Since graveyards are usually some way out of the village, these were checkable and, in every instance, we found deliberate and usually comprehensive damage. In no village we visited was the graveyard intact"

"The Times", 5.27.1976

The Guardian

"We visited 26 former Greek villages. We found not a single undesecrated cemetery..."

"The Guardian", 5.6.1976

"The next village had been -until the events of 1974- Greek. Now it is deserted but for Turkish refugee squatters. There are two churches in the village. One has been stripped and converted into a mosque. A few Turkish Cypriots kneel, praying, inside it. The other church has been vandalised. The exterior walls are covered with illegible graffiti. Inside, the destruction is complete. The body of the church is bare of pews or chairs. The alter screen, composed of six-inch timbers, has been wrenched out, the icons have been looted. Among the filth on the floor lies the torn remains of an antique bible. ...The altar ... has been smashed. On the remains of the altar are broken bottles, excrement, and what smells like urine. When asked about the desecrated Greek church and the massacre villages, Rauf Denktash, "president of Turkish Cypriots"...ads that it all shows that Greeks and Turks can no longer live side by side on the island".

"The Guardian", 11.30.1979

OLAY

"Illegal digs are being made in all districts. For example, in Kyrenia, in Ayios Epiktitos, in Nicosia, and in the hills beyond Krini. But, Famagusta is the most suitable for illegal digs. Illegal digs virtually cover the whole district. In this district the first settlements were established and since ancient times they had maintained their historical importance.

Illegal digs in the Karpass start from the cliff in the east, from the small islets in the sea, and from the caves of Galinoporni, and extend to the north-west of the Karpass, to Eptakomi, Ovogoros, Galatia and Ardhana".

Turkish Cypriot, "Olay", 1 7.5. 1982.

The Observer

"Vandals have desecrated scores of British graves in Turkish occupied northern Cyprus, some of them dedicated to First World War soldiers ... The wrecking of British gravestones pales beside the destruction in Christian Greek Orthodox cemeteries ... Every cross has been destroyed and the tombs gape open to the elements, the lizards and the robbers, spurred on by the superstition that the Greeks have valuables buried with them"

"The Observer", 3.29.87

OLAY, April 1982.

"Haven't you heard that the 2000 year old Christian church in Cyprus, St Barnabas' Church, has been robbed? Haven't you heard that 35 icons were stolen, that 11 of them were found in Kythrea, that 11 were retrieved at Ankara airport while being smuggled out, and that the rest are lost? Haven't you heard what's happening in Varosha (Famagusta)? Haven't you heard that figurines belonging to the Catholic period and kept in the Archaelogical Museum have been stolen and smuggled to London? What about the icons in the other churches; the mosaics, the private collections, the illegal digs? Why have they stopped the digs started before 1974 at the city of Gastria, which belongs to the geometric age? Do you know what happened since then? The government has issued permits to certain businessmen from Turkey to set up a gypsum factory there. The tombs were destroyed and plundered."

Mehmet Yasin, "Perishing Cyprus" in the Turkish Cypriot Review "Olay", April 1982.