SAVE PEACE IN CYPRUS (1)

Double standards cause the delay of finding solution

By Al Sayed Hani

Al Gomhoureya Newspaper

26.11.2008

The Cypriot issue is a very obvious model for double standard policies followed by western countries while dealing with international issues. In fact, the Former Russian President Putin, who is now the Russian Prime Minister, used this issue when he wanted to prove the double standard policies of the West as he said that the western countries rushed into acknowledging the independence of Kosovo region while it still refuses to acknowledge the independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which was separated from Cyprus on the 20^th of July 1974 and declared its independent state on 15 November 1983.

First remark: If the motive of western countries, which acknowledged the independence of Kosovo region, is that the people of this region have been persecuted by the Serbians, the Turkish Cypriots have also been persecuted by the Greek Cypriots, and suffered much more than the people of Kosovo region. The Turkish Cypriots were subjected to genocide and ethnic cleansing operations committed by the Greek Cypriots that lasted for 11 years (from 1963 to 1974). The aim of these operations was to repeat the scenario of Crete at the beginning of the century when all Turkish people, who were living on the island which was annexed to Greece in 1913, were either killed or expelled. At that time the Turkish people had one of two choices: to carry the bag or to enter the coffin.

The Greek Cypriots were trying to repeat the same scenario in the island of Cyprus aiming at achieving a patriotic target which is "Enosis" (meaning: unity with "mother Greece". However, the Turkish Cypriots did not give up, they adhered to stay in their homes and lands in the island. Subsequently, they were subjected to the most terrible torture, killing and persecution. Mass slaughtering of complete villages that didn't even leave the school students. I had the chance to visit one of the schools which were shelled on the heads of small children who died immediately on their school chairs.

This school has become today a memorial site for each tourist in Turkish Cyprus to see that photos of the children who died there. There are also mass grave yards for these small school students.

Such sufferance continued for 11 years and when the Turkish Cypriots resorted to Turkey to interfere with its army and protect them, the President of Cyprus at that time, Bishop Makarios said his famous line "if Turkey decides to military interfere to save the Turkish Cypriots, their forces will not find any Turkish Cypriots to rescue".

This line, which is engraved on a marble board at the entrance of one of the mass graveyards in Turkish Cyprus, explains the volume of sufferance and persecution for which the Turkish Cypriots have been subjected to from the Greek Cypriots before the arrival of the Turkish forces to rescue them on 20 July 1974. These forces have secured 1/3 of the island's area for the Turkish Cypriots to live in peace and security and this is the land which is currently known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

This Republic has several demands which could be summarized in the following points:

1)             To end the political isolation and economic siege on them and to acknowledge their state as an independent state following the same pattern of western countries and the EU when they acknowledged the independence of Kosovo.

2)             Or to reunite with the Greek side of the island of Cyprus basing on the same principles of the Island's independent agreement signed in 1960 and which was signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece as peace sponsoring countries. And this was also the base of the UN initiative adopted by the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, aiming at solving the Cypriot issue. This initiative was displayed for voting on both sides of the island on the 24^th of April 2004 as the Turkish Cypriots accepted it with 65% while the Greek Cypriots have refused it with 760,10!!

The second remark: Why do the western countries act fast and lively to impose sanctions on Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan and North Korea, under the claim that they do not respect international legitimacy, while in return they reward Greek Cyprus for refusing the UN's initiative by granting it the membership of the European Union, only two days after refusing the initiative!. How can they reward them after refusing a plan that expresses the will of international community and its vision for the settlement of the Cypriot issue and which embodies international legitimacy. It was better for the European Union to reward the side that has accepted the UN plan, which are the Turkish Cypriots and not for the side that has refused it, which are the Greek Cypriots...!!

The third remark: is the absence of the Cypriot issue on· the agenda, which was proposed by the French President Sarkozy, who was the one that came out with the idea of the Union For Mediterranean, as well as the strong French insistence on ruling out this issue from any discussions that would be opened inside the Union, despite the fact that Cyprus is located in the heart of the Mediterranean. However, it seems that Sarkozy does not admit that. .. !!