We demand Recognition of our Sovereignty and Equality  27 Old Gloucester St.London WC1 3XX "Peace At Home, Peace With the World"

NOT GOOD ENOUGH MR. SIMITIS
 
The Athens Agreements of 1913 and the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 1923 define the status of the 150000 ethnic Muslim Turks living in the northeastern region of Greece known as Western Thrace. Under these treaties, Greece is under an obligation to extend the same security, basic rights and liberties to the Turkish minority as she does to other Greek citizens. However, since the 1930s with no regard for these treaties, Greece persistently implemented a wide range of racist policies directed at the Turkish minority. In defiance of the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, the Paris Charter and the European Union, Greece continues with her policies today.
   Furthermore, in her policy to ethnically cleanse the country of non-Greek minorities Greek governments systematically implemented Article 19 of the Greek Nationality Law. This infamous article states that "a person of non-Greek ethnic origin leaving Greece without the intention of returning may be declared as having lost his Greek nationality." In their determination to eradicate the Turkish minority Greek governments deliberately ignored the fact that this article was in direct contradiction with Article 4 of the Greek Constitution which states that every Greek citizen has the right to travel abroad and return to his country.
   Nevertheless, Article 19 was implemented to expel tens of thousands of Greek citizens of Turkish origin without granting them the right to appeal. Families visiting their relatives abroad, students enrolled in overseas schools or even some who were in the country at the time of their expulsion found their citizenship revoked at the whim of a local government official. Turks of Western Thrace who once constituted 70 per cent of the population of the region in 1920 barely make up 30 per cent today.
    Tragedies suffered by the Turks of Western Thrace often met with the indifferent attitude of the EU politicians who turned a blind eye on the abuses that took place within the EU itself. Various Helsinki Watch Reports came out highlighting the plight of these 'EU citizens' which must have been causing considerable embarrassment to the EU of late. Consequently, the offending Article 19 came under scrutiny at long last and the Greek government decided on the 23 January 1998 to abolish it.
    At first this was widely seen by the Turkish minority to be a positive step in the right direction, until it emerged that there would be no measures taken to rectify the damage caused by the implementation of the article to thousands of families over the past forty-nine years. In other words, those who were expelled from citizenship prior to the abolition of Article 19 will not be given the right to apply to have their citizenship reinstated. This brought to light the real reason behind the move. Greece, content with the extent of ethnic cleansing she implemented in Western Thrace over the years, embarked on a publicity stunt to save face and silence the human rights organisations such as Helsinki Watch. Now she will feel off the hook and free to continue with the rest of her racist policies with the ultimate intention of fully assimilating the Turkish minority.
    The racist policies of Greece directed at the Turkish minority extend far beyond Article 19. They contain a multitude of crimes including restriction of movement within the country, restrictions on freedom of speech, interference with the free exercise of religion, denial of ethnic identity and degrading treatment.
    A halfhearted attempt involving nothing more than the abolition of a sinister regulation will not bring Greece to par with the civilised world; nor will it absolve the EU of its responsibilities to the Turks of Western Thrace.

The following news item was reported by Cyprus Communication Centre on their Internet page on 27 January 98:

"Under the headline 'The Disgraceful Alliance', Yeni Demokrat newspaper claims it has been learned from several Turkish Cypriots living in London who serve the Greek Cypriot side and circles close to Pauline Green, the leader of the Socialist Group at the European Parliament, that the daily Avrupa, run by Sener Levent, is supported by a Committee, established under the leadership of Pauline Green with the objective of bringing down the Turkish Cypriot people, wearing down and demeaning Turkey in the eyes of the Turkish Cypriot people and damaging the  ties between Turkey and the TRNC. The paper says that several Turkish Cypriots, who have been from the very beginning serving the Greek Cypriots in return for money, are also on the committee. It says no Greek Cypriots living in London have been admitted to the Committee, but appointments have been made to secure co-ordination with the Greek Cypriots. Reports from London say, the paper reports, that the circles which support Avrupa are claiming that some of the aims have already been achieved. The illegal attacks on President Denktash, the said paper's description of the Turkish  peace force as 'occupation forces', and the paper's abuse of Turkey are being shown as among the success."   On 3 February 1998, Yeni Demokrat further reported that Avrupa newspaper is owned by European Journalism and Publishing Ltd. Information obtained from the Registry of Companies revealed that the company was set up with a registered capital of 100 million TL, just under £300; but paid-up capital was shown to be nil.
   Yeni Demokrat went on to ask how it was possible for the company to publish a 12 page daily newspaper with no capital and asked what the source of the funds needed to publish the Avrupa was. Yeni Demokrat also suggested that Sener Levent, the chief editor, may be a magician or perhaps he had a share of Ali Baba's treasure!
   As TCN, we wrote to Pauline Green and requested her views on the situation. We also repeated a question we had asked her in a previous letter. In this previous letter besides other questions we had asked Pauline Green to reveal the names of the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot associations that she claimed she had helped to get financial aid from the local councils in the UK. Unfortunately like the previous time we have had no reply from Pauline Green to date. Here we are repeating our questions again:
Mrs. Green do you have an involvement in the Turkish Cypriot newspaper called Avrupa?
Can you please reveal the names of the Turkish and the Turkish Cypriot associations you claim to have helped?
We wonder why Pauline Green is refusing to answer our questions. Is it possible that she is involved in the said newspaper? Is it possible that the associations she helped are involved in the committee that is mentioned by Yeni Demokrat newspaper?
  

  Glafkos Clerides has managed to keep his post as the leader of the Greek Cypriots after two rounds of elections that took place on 8 February and 15 February 1998.
  First round of the elections, with seven candidates bidding for the post, ended up with George Iacovou as the front runner with just a small percentage ahead of Clerides.   In the second round the present leader Glafkos Clerides managed to close the small gap and won the elections to become the leader of the Greek Cypriots again for the next five years.
  Clerides was backed by the right wing Democratic Rally he founded in 1976 and by four of the five presidential candidates, who also ran for leadership in the first round.
  The fifth candidate, EDEK leader Vassos Lyssarides, who obtained more than ten per cent in the first round, asked his supporters to vote at will after deciding that there is no difference between the two front runners who are both EOKA members.
   On the other hand runner up Iacovou was backed by left-wing AKEL party and the right-wing Democratic Party (DIKO) of Spyros Kyprianou.
   From the Turkish Cypriot point of view, the result of the election in the South means no change at all. Regime in the South is still controlled by EOKA members. In the last five years Clerides proved that he has no intention to agree to a just solution of the Cyprus problem. Since he came to office in 1993, he refused to agree to the UN set of ideas, he refused to sign the confidence building measures and he strengthened the military agreement between Greece and South Cyprus under the so called Defence Doctrine.
   If it was the other way around and Iacovou won the elections, there would be no difference at all. Iacovou gave a letter of promise to Kyprianou, promising to follow in the footsteps of late Makarios, before he got Kyprianou's blessing. Moreover, Iacovou was made the foreign minister by Kyprianou in 1986 when the then foreign minister Rolandis resigned accusing Kyprianou of not wanting a federal solution based on bi-zonality and bi-communality.
    One aspect of the election we could not ignore were the scenes on television after the election, which we watched in amazement. Watching the supporters of Clerides celebrating his victory on Greek Cypriot television PIK was like watching an election victory in Greece because of the presence of hundreds of Greek flags. In fact there was not a single 'Cyprus' flag in sight.

   The air base in Paphos built by the Greek Cypriot administration was completed and handed over to the Greek National Guard on 24 January 1998. Greek Cypriot leaders stated that the air base would be in operation for the use of the Greek air force in March this year. Hiding behind its size, South Cyprus is claiming that the air base is defensive and will be used by Greek jets against attacking Turkish jets. In reality, the aim is for Greece to establish control in the region; hence the need for Russian missiles to protect these jets that will be based in Paphos air base.
  For nearly twenty-four years Turkish army has been in Cyprus keeping the relative peace established in 1974 and did not advance an inch from its position. If there is no direct threat from the Greek-Greek Cypriot alliance why should it move now? This is only another ploy by the Greeks to increase their offensive ability and gain the upper hand in the region. Claiming that a small country like South Cyprus is only doing this to defend itself against Turkiye is only a lie the Greeks have been feeding the EU in order to gain its support. It seems like the lie is being swallowed because the EU is not showing any concern or putting any real pressure on Greece to stop pushing the region into unimaginable chaos. According to recent military reports, the military capability of the 'little' South can more than match Ireland's military capability.
  Greece embarked on the invasion of Cyprus in 1963 and has not given up yet. She continues on the same path and is furthering the invasion by adding an air base and soon a naval base to its forces already stationed in the South.

   A German police officer, Dirk Krafft, who shot dead a Turkish man was found guilty by a local court in Furth, Germany, and was asked to pay 5100 Deutsche Marks in damages on 15 November 1996.
   Baki Yaradan who was murdered in cold blood was father of three children. His wife Gulser Yaradan was shocked at the decision of the German judge Rolf Ricther and could not hold back her tears in court. She said, "I was not expecting this from the German justice. Is this the human rights?"
  Meanwhile the lawyers of Yaradan family said: "What we expected has happened. A sinister plan was staged and it has just been announced that a Turk's life is worth 5100 Marks. If the police had shot dead a German, the situation would have been different." Baki Yaradan's father and brother who were also present at the court said that they would appeal against the decision and take the case to a higher court.
   However, when the animals are concerned German laws are not that bad. Animal rights are well protected compared to the rights of Turks. Apparently the penalty for killing a cat is 5700 Deutsche Marks.

   Over the last few months, gangs of Greek fanatics carrying out brutal attacks on the Turkish people of Western Thrace in Greece has become a daily occurrence.
   During the Christmas period and the month of January, gangs of Greek youths subjected members of the Turkish minority living in Gumulcine (Komotini) to such horrific attacks. On 23 December a sixty-six year old grandmother Fatma Reshit was approached by two Greek fanatics pretending to ask questions and was punched and kicked in the face. Fatma Reshit was taken to hospital and received three stitches to her eyebrow. After beating up the old lady, they moved on to another street and attacked a young Turkish woman. The twenty-eight year old Sevim Ahmet said that the assailants asked her where the pizza shop was and then punched her in the face when she replied.
   On 24 December 1998 the gang returned and this time they attacked the seventy-five year old Hasan Hadjisherif who was on his way to the local mosque for prayers. He was punched and kicked and received bruises and cuts to his face. He also said that last year similar gangs going around on motorcycles had attacked his wife too.
  The following day they picked on another Turkish women called Mahide Mehmet who was punched and kicked in the face. Like the others she received cuts and bruises to her face.
    Attacks on the Turkish community in Gumulcine continued until the police caught the two attackers on  9 January 1998.
It emerged that Ayshe Sadik, Ibrahim Ali and the seventy-one year old Mahmut Ali were also among the victims of the fanatics.
   These victims who were brave enough came forward and told their plight to a local newspaper. It was claimed that there were others who were attacked but were too scared to come forward.
  Greek police, renowned for turning a blind eye to such incidents, claimed that the two attackers were under eighteen and that no complaints had been lodged against them. Attackers were released and no charges were brought against them.
   These victims are all citizens of the EU. Unfortunately they do not enjoy the same security and human rights that we do.

 Aysel Zeybek, the young woman we wrote about in our last issue and the above victims are not just victims of simple criminal incidents as the Greek foreign minister Pangalos would like to have us believe. They are the victims of Greek authorities and the Greek fanatics working hand in hand.

   According to the Turkish Daily News, Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the terror organisation PKK is getting ready to move to Greece.
   Turkish Daily News reported that according to intelligence sources, Abdullah Ocalan, currently residing in Damascus Syria, is concerned about his future there because of the Syrian President Hafiz Assad's deteriorating health. He fears that he might meet unfavourable conditions in Syria after Assad's eventual death.
  In a recent interview Ocalan gave to a Greek newspaper he said that Greece was a "safe country" for him. The newspaper also quoted a PKK commander Shemdin Sakik, who is at odds with Ocalan, saying; "How is he going to solve the Kurdish problem while sitting in a hotel room in Greece? He knows he is cornered. And now, in order to prevent further defections from the organisation, he is trying to create the impression that Europe has started to recognise the PKK and that he will establish himself in Greece. Furthermore, does he expect that Turkey will allow his presence in Greece? And is it reasonable to rely on Greece, a country whose history is marked by hypocrisy? Believing Ocalan's lies, that the PKK will be recognised in Europe, is equivalent to handing over the Kurdish people to the imperialists and betraying the PKK."

  The European Rights Commission agreed on 20 January 1998 to look into the case of nine Turkish

Murdered Turkish Cypriot    Those who committed these crimes are still running South Cyprus. People like Clerides, Kyprianou and Lyssarides who are the main leaders today are among the responsible. Why aren't they asked to answer for their crimes?

© 1997, TURKISH CYPRIOT NETWORK. All rights reserved. For further information and comments please contact us. Address: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3XX. TEL: 0930 194 191(all calls charged at 50p per min) Email: tcn@tc-net.demon.co.uk