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

  Since the landing of the Greek jets at the Paphos air base followed by the landing of the Turkish jets in TRNC in response, we can not really say that things are any calmer at the moment.
   The four day visit by the Greek president Constantinos Stefanopoulos to South Cyprus did not help the situation.
 During his visit Stefanopoulos claimed that Cyprus was a part of Greece and that Greece would continue to strengthen its defence doctrines on Cyprus until they reached their aim. Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy spokesman Sermet Atacanli reacted to this claim  and said that “statements made during Stephanopulos' visit to the Greek Cyprus on June 25-28, confirmed Greece’s hostile approach to dealing with problems on the island.”
     During his visit to south Nicosia, Stefanopoulos, commenting about the wall that separates the two sides said “it is unacceptable to have walls based on violence, still separating people.” 
  At the dinner given by Clerides, Stefanopoulos claimed that his country supported the participation of Turkish Cypriots in the accession negotiations between ‘Cyprus’ and the European Union. Explaining his vision for Cyprus, he stated that “we envisage a free and truly independent Cyprus where its citizens will be absolutely equal and where their different national, cultural and religious traits will enrich their country....A federation where the two federated areas will constitute the unifying elements of a unitary state and not the seeds of confrontation.” Stefanopoulos also  talked about the need for respect of international legality for a solution to the Cyprus problem through bicommunal talks and on the basis of Security Council Resolutions and stated that Cyprus' course to the EU is not negotiable.
Speaking at a meeting with the Archbishop Chrysostomos, where he was met with banners saying “our border finishes at Kyrenia” the Greek president said that the Cyprus problem is a disgrace not only to those who created it but also to those who tolerate its existence.
 
TCN COMMENT

Greek president's visit to South Cyprus and his comments he made during his visit was not a great deal of surprise to the Turkish Cypriots. It confirmed our belief that the Greek officials are very good at acting. All he did was, he tried to thicken the wool the Greeks have been pulling over the eyes of the international community.
   When Stefanopoulos said that Cyprus was a Hellenic island he has taken us back to the beginning of 1983, to the visit of the late Andreas Papandreou, where he made a hurried visit to South Cyprus and claimed that Cyprus was a Greek island. At the time Papandreou felt that he had to rush to South Cyprus and give his support to Kyprianou, the then Greek Cypriot leader, because he first agreed and then refused to sign certain UN documents, which could have taken Cyprus to permanent peace long time ago.
   The shameful wall that separates the two people, is another classical lie of the Greeks. They seem to forget that it was their desire for ENOSIS that created that shameful wall and it was general Young of the British forces who drew the Green Line on a map with a green army marker, which had the intention of protecting unarmed Turkish Cypriots against the Greek Cypriot police and the terrorist that was supplied with heavy weapons by Mr. Stefanopoulos’ predecessors.
  During his meeting with the Greek Cypriot Archbishop Chrysostomos, it was very fitting, when the Greek president said that the Cyprus problem was a disgrace to those who created it. Without realising he delivered the message to the right address, because it was the Chrysostomos’s establishment that started the Cyprus problem with the help of Greece.
   Greek president also spoke of the need for respect of international legality. This we have to agree with him, that is exactly what we want from Greece and rest of the EU members. They should respect the international agreements of 1960, which vested the sovereignty in both communities not just the Greek Cypriot community.
    We refuse to believe that the Greek president was honest when he claimed that his country supported the participation of the Turkish Cypriots in the accession negotiations and that the Turkish Cypriots would be absolutely equal citizens of Cyprus as a member of the EU.
     If his country really wanted to have peace in Cyprus his country should stop trying to drag us into the EU without Turkiye and abolish all our rights established by international agreements using the EU. First they should restore the rights of 200,000 Greek citizens of Turkish origin in Western Thrace, respect the rights given to them by the international agreement of Lausanne.
   Finally a little advise to Mr. Stefanopoulos, he should be more careful when he talks about a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation when he is with Archbishop Chrysostomos, he might curse him, because Chrysostomos does not believe in a federation.

During his visit to Russia Greek Cypriot defence minister Omirou described his meeting with Sergeyev, Russian defence minister, as "very fruitful", stressing the two countries' interest in peace, stability and cooperation in the Mediterranean.

Thank god they are only working towards peace and stability, god knows what would happen if they worked towards   stirring things up.

On 16 July 1998, newspaper of terrorist Nicos Sampson, Machi, gave priority to Nicos Sampson's interview on Antenna TV about his part in 1974 coup. Sampson once again denied he took any part in trying to overthrow Makarios and said the coup was orchestrated to topple the military junta in Greece not to destroy the legal government of Cyprus.
 
We always thought Greeks are a bit funny. They staged a coup in Cyprus in 1974, in order to topple themselves in Greece.

Greek Cypriot newspaper Haravgi, the mouth piece of   the communist party AKEL has set out a 10 page special about the 15 of July (Greek coup)  and accused the Greek junta and the EOKA terrorists of the murders of more than 2000 people including Turkish Cypriots.
London based Greek Cypriot newspaper Pariakiaki reported that Andreas Angelides was appointed as the Chief of Police in South Cyprus. Pariakiaki said that Angelides was born in Kato Drys village in 1942. He was jailed as a teenager for his EOKA activities by the British. He is the first person to be appointed Chief' of Police from outside the force, he is also responsible for 5,000 men and women within the police force.

On one hand, Greek Cypriots condemn the terrorists, on the other they appoint one of them as chief of police, which could be used in the direction of the aims of EOKA. Is this a preparation for another coup to topple some other junta in some other country. Who knows?

Turkish Cypriot newspaper KIBRIS reported on 8 July 1998 that the Argentinean commander of the United Nations peace keeping force in Cyprus refused to accept the service of a Dutch Soldier with dual nationality.
According to KIBRIS Argentinean commander General De Vergera has refused to accept a Dutch soldier of dual nationality (Turkish and Dutch) to serve in the Dutch contingent of the UN Peace Force in Cyprus.
KIBRIS, quoting a Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad said that the Argentinean commander has refused to accept the Dutch soldier of dual nationality fearing of soldier’s own safety.
   It is ironic that the UN cannot guarantee its own soldiers’ safety in Cyprus but expects Turkish Cypriots to trust the UN with their own lives. That mistake was made between 1964 and 1974, we will not trust them again, we will not let the UN watch while the Greeks massacre our people.

   Several Italian senators from the Forza Italia Party, lead by Silvio Berlusconi, requested on Monday the Government to make efforts for Turkiye, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and the Turkish people living in Western Thrace.
  The motion that was presented to the Italian Senate with the signatures of Cosimo Ventucci, Antonio D'Ali and Enrico Pianetta, requests the Italian Government to make effective efforts for Turkiye's membership in the European Union and the rights of the Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish minority in Western Thrace to be recognised. The motion also demanded an explanation how the EU proposed to protect the Turkish Cypriots rights where Greece was a member of the EU.
   Responding to the questions of the A.A correspondent, Antonio D'Ali reminded that he visited both Turkiye and the TRNC, and described Turkiye as a window of Europe opening to the East. 
  Noting that the pre-conditions are ready on Cyprus for a federal solution, D'Ali said that the Cyprus problem should be solved before the full membership negotiations between the Greek Cypriot side and the EU are concluded.
   The support of the Italian MPs came after a visit  to the TRNC on 11 June 98 by 24 Italian MPs and Senators, which the Greeks tried but failed to stop before it took place. Failing to stop the visit the Greeks sent a protest note to Luciano Violante, the Head of the Italian parliament  to be handed to the 24 MPs and the Senators who visited the TRNC.
    Reacting to the protest, Tizian Maiolo, one of the MP’s of the Forza Italia said it is hard to understand why the Greeks are protesting and said that all the Italian citizens are free to travel where ever they wished to. Maiolo also said that the democracy established in the TRNC was equal to that of the Western countries and said that to be able to form an independent federation, the sides should sit at the table as equals.
   Obviously the Greeks are protesting because they know very well that when the foreign politicians visit the TRNC, they get to learn the truth of Cyprus. Rest of the European politicians should take the Italian politicians as an example, they should visit the TRNC, talk to our people and our leaders before they pass judgements condemning our country and harming our future, based on Greek blackmail and lies.

At a time the whole world, with the exception of Russia, are telling the Greek Cypriots to cancel the purchase of the S-300 Russian missiles, they are defiantly going ahead with the purchase. Greek and Greek Cypriot officers have been training in Russia for a while and this month they took part in an exercise where two missiles were fired. Greek Cypriot newspaper Alithia reported that the test-firing of the S-300s in Astrakhan, which was attended by the Greek Cypriot so called defence minister Yiannakis Omirou, was successful. Both missiles hit their targets, drawing applause from Omirou and Cyprus National Guard officers present. 
    Worried about the consequences of the delivery of the missiles, Javier Solano, the Secretary of the Nato is amongst the people who are voicing concerns. Whilst in US, he said that the the missiles were a grave mistake.
  Also, the US Secretary of State Madeline Albright sent a letter to Clerides, in which she called for the missile deal to be cancelled or to stored the missiles outside the island, which was confirmed by the Greek Cypriot spokesman.
   According to the Greek Cypriot press the Russians and the Greek side were not happy about the letter leaking to the press.
   Simerini, a Greek Cypriot daily reported that both Clerides and the Russians were annoyed by the leak of Albright's letter and claimed that diplomatic sources told the paper that the US must be very happy about the leak and wondered why the missile issue was allowed to resurface a day before the       test-firing of the S-300s was scheduled in Russia. Only the foreign ministries of Greece, Cyprus and the US knew about Albright's letter Simerini said. Simerini also claimed that certain circles in the Greek government which are close to the US were trying to prevent the deployment of the missiles.
  Despite all the warnings, Greek Cypriot side refuses to see that these missiles can actually create a war in Cyprus and to make matters worse, on his arrival to South Cyprus from his visit to Russia, Clerides said that they will be buying more weapons from Russia, which included more T-80 tanks and short range missiles.
  Greek Cypriot daily Phileleftheros  reported on 16 July 1998 that this was a double-edged message to the US. On the one hand Clerides is pushing his demilitarisation proposals and on the other expressing his determination to purchase extra Russian hardware the paper said.
  While it is still a puzzle how and when the missiles will be delivered to the island, Machi, the newspaper of the terrorist Nicos Sampson, basing its story on the Russian newspaper Russki Telegraf, reported that the      S-300 missiles will arrive to the island. According to Machi, the Russki Telegraf said the controversial ground-to-air missiles would be deli-vered by the nuclear-powered Russian warship Peter the Great in August, months earlier than the government says they will arrive. The Russian paper's front-page report was carried under the headline "Peter the Great to holiday in Cyprus", final arrangements for delivery of the missiles were ironed out during Clerides's recent talks with Russian President Boris Yeltsin in Moscow, Machi said.
    While all this going on, Turkiye is keeping her firm stance on the missile issue and saying that she will take all the necessary precautions. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said he could not accept turning the missiles into an issue for negotiations.
      It is obvious that by threatening to deploy the missiles, the Greeks are trying to get concessions from the Turkish side but they have to remember that two can play this game. What happens if Turkiye decides to send another 30,000 soldiers to TRNC and  offer to pull them out when the missiles are cancelled.

   The relations between Russia and the Greek Cypriots was the subject of an essay written by William Safir, which appeared in Washington Post on July 2, 1998.
    In his essay, which attracted the curse of the Greek Gods, William Safir briefly explained that in 1974 Turkiye intervened to protect the Turkish Cypriot community when the Greek junta staged a military coup trying to unite Cyprus with Greece. He then went on to explain how the Russian Foreign Minister Primakov found a way of splitting the NATO by agreeing to sell the S-300 missiles to the Greek Cypriots. He also pointed out that the Russian involvement was not only commercial but was also military and explained that “Primakov has a fistful of interests in Cyprus. His commercial interest is in getting hard currency for Russian arms and keeping missile factories humming. Especially delicious to the ex-spy master is the espionage interest: Cyprus has long been the intelligence crossroads of the Eastern Mediterranean, of benefit to Syria, Iraq and Libya. Turks charge that along with the missiles would come Russian "technicians" to bolster Russia's intelligence network. Fourth, international spooks know that corporations in Cyprus's capital, Nicosia -- a city split by a "green line" like a Berlin wall separating Greeks and Turks -- have for years made it the money-laundering capital of the Middle East. ...  Primakov will be able to monitor the flight of Russian rubles to foreign banks, and gain added leverage over Serbia, which gets clandestine foreign money support through Cyprus.”
He then went on and explained that all the efforts of the US failed to convince the Greeks and the Russians not to go ahead with the missile agreement and listed the achievements of Primakov’s efforts and the EU’s failure to  include Turkiye on the membership list.
He said that  “As a result of Primakov's manoeuvring and European anti-Turk bias, we now have
(1) Ankara more adamant than ever about a separate Turkish Cypriot republic;
(2) the U.N., which patrols the green line, passing resolutions blaming Turks for everything, and
(3) Greeks lurching into a foolish missile provocation.
Finally he suggested that, “This thing could get out of hand. President Clinton should get on the horn to Yeltsin and say, ‘Tell Primakov to cancel that missile order’.”

Talat Shocks Greek Cypriots

The Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Mehmet A. Talat and the Communal Liberation Party leader Mustafa Akinci (TKP) put forward proposals at the four day conference held at the New Hampshire University by the World Peace Foundation, have shocked the Greek Cypriots. Illegal Greek Cypriot radio said that the Turkish Cypriot Delegation at the conference proposed that the TRNC be recognised, the European Union review the decisions taken at the Luxembourg Summit and the embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriots be lifted.

   The hate campaign of the Greeks towards the Turkish people never stops. It goes on   distorting the history and using every possible lie and means to discredit the Turkish people.
  This time the target of this hate was the famous Spanish actor Antonio Banderas.
   According to The Daily Telegraph of 2 July 1998,  Banderas who was going to play the role of Ataturk announced that he was pulling out because of a hate campaign organised by the Greeks targeting  his person and his wife Melanie Griffith. The Daily Telegraph reported that Banderas was “reconsidering his position after receiving hate mail, apparently organised through e-mails and Greek-American newspapers.” The films co-producer Tarquin Olivier, the son of Lord Olivier told The Daily Telegraph “I have been working on this project for a long time and have sunk a lot of my money and other peoples’ money into it, what is being said about Ataturk is not true ...” and added “I believe that this is an amazing story about a man who did more for his country than any man in history. He introduced a new alphabet, he gave women the vote, he set up a republican democracy.”
   The Daily Telegraph further reported that “The letters follow an invitation to Protest in a Greek-American newspaper, and accuse Ataturk of being an alcoholic, a child molester, a mass murderer and a ‘disgrace to human civilisation’.”
  The whole world accepts that Ataturk was a brilliant leader, who led his people to victory against the Greek invaders after the first world war and showed them the way into the future. In a short period he achieved many things that many people thought would be impossible. He even showed the Greeks that he held no enmity towards them for invading his country. He extended his hand to them in friendship. That is how the friendship between Ataturk and Venizelos was formed and it was through this friendship that Venizelos nominated Ataturk for Nobel Peace Prize.
   Unfortunately this hate is not just an ordinary reaction of people but it is a hate that is being culminated from a young age in the Greek institutions. The hate starts in schools and in churches.

  While this hate goes on the EU is trying to convince the Turkish Cypriots to live in a united Cyprus with the Greeks. Not in a million years.

Michael Lake, the  EU permanent representative in Ankara, published a 25 page informal report expressing his views on the EU-Turkiye-Greece relations. In his report Michael Lake accused Greece of undermining the west’s strategy and harming the EU’s interests in the region and said that admitting Greece into EU was a mistake, which upset the balance in the Mediterranean.
  Lake expressed his views about the EU mishandling relations with Turkiye and criticised the decision to open the  accession talks with the Greek Cypriots while they were preparing to buy missiles from Russia and asked “Are we ready to put the interests of the Cypriots (Greek Cypriots) ahead of Turkey ... which of the two is more important for our long term strategy and economic interests?”
  Greek newspaper Ethnos gave the news from the front-page under the headline “Commission envoy a servant of Turks” and accused him of being a spy of Turkiye.