Cyprus has been in the news lately. As the fighting intensifies in Lebanon and Gaza, Western nations have begun evacuating their citizens from Lebanon to the nearby island of Cyprus.
As Islamic terrorists attack civilian targets in Israel, this is a good time to remind the world that Cyprus has been under occupation by a Muslim power for 32 years.
In the summer of 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, a tiny island-nation off the coast of Syria. In a clear violation of U.S. law, Turkey used "defensive weapons" sold or given to Turkey by the United States to attack a peaceful neighbor without provocation.
More than 6,000 Greek-Cypriots (mostly civilians) were killed by the Turks and another 1,600 disappeared behind Turkish lines. Thirty-two years later, there still has not been a full accounting by Turkey of the whereabouts of 1,300 men, 116 women and 133 children trapped behind the advancing Turkish army.
The invasion of Cyprus lasted a few weeks, but Turkey managed to drive out 200,000 Greek Cypriots from their homes in the northern part of the island. One out of every three Cypriots became refugees in their own country.
Turkish troops set up what became known as the "Attila Line" and a Turkish occupation force of 35,000 troops have guarded the occupied territory since 1974, preventing Greek-Cypriots from returning to their ancestral homes. Turkey continues to occupy 37 percent of Cyprus.
The Turkish regime set up a puppet state known as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," recognized by only one nation — Turkey.
So when you hear on the news that Americans have been evacuated to Cyprus, it's on the southern end of the island, which is the officially recognized and legitimate government of Cyprus.
Over the past 32 years, more than 120,000 Muslim settlers have been brought from mainland Turkey to occupied Cyprus, forever changing the ethnic and religious balance of a Christian nation that once hosted the Apostle Paul, who preached on Cyprus during his first missionary journey. Paul also converted the Roman governor of Cyprus during his visit, establishing Cyprus as the first nation in the world to be governed by a Christian.
The invasion of Cyprus and the annexation of the northern third of the island by Turkey have been condemned repeatedly by the United Nations, but we all know how effective U.N. resolutions are. They’ve been ignored continuously by aggressor states like Turkey.
Relations between the United States and Greece have been strained since the 1974 invasion. And our so-called ally, Turkey, has repeatedly turned its back to U.S. requests to use its air space and U.S.-built military bases for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
More than 60,000 American soldiers were supposed to invade Iraq from the north in 2003 to prevent the escape of Saddam Hussein's army and sectarian militias, but Turkey refused to grant the U.S. permission to use its air space for the assault.
As a result of Turkey's decision, American soldiers are dying today in Iraq at the hands of fighters who escaped the 2003 invasion. Inexplicably, billions of U.S. dollars in military and economic aid continue to flow into Turkey each year. The top three beneficiaries of U.S. foreign aid are Israel, Egypt and Turkey.
Since the 1974 invasion, every American president has pledged to find a peaceful resolution to the Cyprus problem, but every single president — Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush — has failed to persuade the Turks to leave Cyprus.
The United States has always maintained a double standard when it comes to Turkey. The U.S. criticizes North Korea and Iran for human rights violations and aggressive actions against their neighbors, but will not do the same with Turkey, which has openly violated U.S. law and thumbed its nose at the U.S. repeatedly.
Had Turkey consented to allow the U.S. to open a second front against Saddam's forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, thousands of Saddam loyalists — the so-called insurgents who are now killing Americans — would have been captured or killed. Instead, they fled the advancing U.S. forces from the south and set up for the guerrilla warfare we now see in Iraq. Every time an American soldier dies in Iraq, Turkey has blood on its hands.
The only just solution to the Cyprus problem is the immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island and the removal of the 120,000 illegal Turkish settlers.
The only way to force Turkey to comply with U.S. and international law is to stop sending American tax dollars to Turkey. Write to your congressman and ask why billions of U.S. tax dollars are being spent to support a rogue nation like Turkey.
For more perspective on the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, check out www.lobbyforCyprus.org or www.kypros.org.
E-mail Tony Phyrillas at tphyrillas@pottsmerc.com
3 comments:
You are worng - I am not an extreme left person. I am a member of the labour party in Finland since 1971. My conviction is:democracy and non violelnce. Journalistic criterias. Witout my investigations you would not know abouth Macey. Yours Robert Alftan
Are these comments for real? If you were to believe this version of events (by Tony Phyrillas)you would think that no killing of British soldiers and then Turkish Cypriots ever took place. Don't think these things never happened, my Father's village is testiment to this. A bus full of Turkish Cypriot workers killed on their way to work, their crime?...they were Turks. I have an uncle who as a young child witnessed his family being killed. His father was made to kneel before being shot, their crime?...they were Turks. There are many other numerous accounts of crimes against Turkish Cypriots, women, children and unarmed men. Why do you choose to not mention these? Do you have selective memory? By the time 1974 arrived retribution came along, I don't subscribe to this view but if Greek Cypriots are still in denial then there will never be a solution. This bias continues to exist...you only have to look at the case of the Orams. This is the case of a British couple who have bought a house on previously Greek Cypriot owned land in the North. The EU judge who decided that they are living illegally on this land is a Greek national. The previous owner of this land (who issued legal proceedings)lives in a Turkish Cypriot house in the South. How hypocritical is this? People who lost property on both sides have already been compensated for their loss, but conveniently this fact is never mentioned. Up until now it is a fact that partition has kept the peace.
Post a Comment