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

Injustices dished out to the Turkish Cypriots by the EU, concerning their equality and their human rights made the Turkish Cypriots realise that they have to believe in the TRNC more than ever and protect it against all injustices directed at their republic by the EU and biased politicians.

Recent decision by the EU to start the accession talks with the Greek Cypriots on behalf of all Cyprus made it clear that the EU’s policy on Cyprus is unjust and hypocritical. This proved to  Turkish Cypriots that they cannot trust the EU. They know quite well that the protection of their rights is only possible  through the recognition of their sovereignty.

Here in London, around 2,000 Turkish Cypriots attended the anniversary celebration of the TRNC, which  took place at  Trafalgar Square on 15 November 1998. This was the first time so many people attended the celebrations, which showed to all concerned that Turkish Cypriots living in the UK give their full support to the TRNC.

Celebrations, which started at 11:00  with the crowd singing the national anthem went on until 14:00. In his speech he delivered at the gathering, the London representative of the TRNC, ambassador Hakki Muftuzade condemned the double standards used by the British and the EU politicians concerning the Cyprus issue.

Another speaker reminded the public that it was not the Turkish Cypriots who shot British soldiers and civilians in the back in the 1950s; “in fact we were the ones protecting them from the EOKA terrorists” he said. He also reminded that when Tony Blair asked the British public for support one of his promises was that he would get rid of the sleaze in the parliament but that unfortunately there is more sleaze in the parliament now than ever, especially concerning Cyprus.

Despite the provocation attempt of a few Greeks, the quick action taken by the police and the restraint exercised by the Turkish Cypriots attending the celebrations ensured that there were no incidents during the celebrations. Celebrations continued with songs, poems and folk dances. The day ended with the crowd singing ‘happy birthday’ for the TRNC.

TRNC did not come about overnight. It was founded after a long and hard struggle. Our people suffered  terrible tragedies at the hands of the Greek - Greek Cypriot terrorists. TRNC will not disappear just because the Greeks and some paid politicians desire to see it vanish. To make sure that the TRNC lives forever and to cherish it is up to us...
 
 
 

Over the past few weeks we have been following the British media with amazement where almost every week there appear new reports on the developments concerning the relationship of high ranking Labour party officials with Greek Cypriot businessmen.

As far back as February 1997, in our issue 12, we published a speech delivered by Alan Meale at an exhibition in the Commons on 29 October 1996 and criticised him for completely distorting the facts on Cyprus. In that article we asked if he was a Labour MP or a Greek Cypriot MP.

In that speech Alan Meale had said: "I regard it as an honour to be given the opportunity of being associated with the Greek Cypriot Brotherhood..."

At the time we also said that Clerides, the fake president of Cyprus, himself could not have delivered such a speech any better. Now we understand clearly why he distorted the Cyprus facts to the degree that he did. It looks like his advisor, Greek Cypriot multi millionaire Haris Sophoclides, the head of the Greek Cypriot Brotherhood wrote that speech for him.

On 1 November 1998 Sunday Times reported that "Alan Meale, the environment minister, has given a House of Commons researcher's pass to his friend Haris Sophoclides, head of foreign (Greek Cypriot) lobby groups that have paid for Meale to visit Cyprus at least six times."

The Sunday Times also reported that “The register of MPs' staff shows Meale has given a second pass to Sophoclides' son, Tony, who also acts as Prescott's Commons researcher.” When asked about the researchers’ passes he provided for his Greek chums, "All I need is [Sophoclides'] advice on matters related to Cyprus or I just wanted to ask his advice on one or two other things", claimed Alan Meale.

On 16 November Daily Mail revealed that the number of visits to south Cyprus by  the twenty four MPs in question, including the speaker of the Commons Betty Boothroyd, is 42 in total since last year.

An e-mail we received from a reader  has raised questions as to the number of visits by the MPs, specifically by Alan Meale. The reader claimed that Alan Meale’s visits to south Cyprus from 1992 to date amount to a number far greater than 11. The reader also claimed that Alan Meale attended EOKA memorial services and also sponsored an exhibition for “the Hero of Makhairas” in Mansfield in 1992. These were protested against by the local British Legion branch and  were reported in the local Mansfied paper. Meale called this a ‘Turkish Embassy conspiracy’.

Greek Cypriot newspaper Cyprus Mail reported on 22 September that Sophoclides’ company J&P was subject of a bribery investigation involving the Greek Cypriot interior minister Dinos Michaelides. Cyprus Mail reported that Michaelides “... has conceded that he did purchase two flats at a ‘good price’ from major construction companies J&P and the Zachariades group. This admission alone has been termed a ‘classic case of bribery’ by Pourgourides.” Pourgourides, a Greek Cypriot deputy, also questioned whether “it made good business sense for a company as successful as J&P to sell property at a loss if it did not expect anything in return.”

Claim by Pourgourides makes us wonder as to what Sophoclides expected in return for the donations he made to John Prescott’s office and  to others, amounting to thousands of pounds.

One of Tony Blair's promises, before the  elections last year, was to wipe out the sleaze from British politics but unfortunately the sleaze that is taking place in the parliament today is worse than ever. His ministerial code, which makes it clear that ministers should ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their private interests and their public duties, has been made a mockery of by his own high ranking people like John Prescott and Alan Meale.

Alan Meal’s friendship with millionaires, whether they are Greek Cypriots or not, raises the question of his honesty about the Cyprus problem. Does he really care about Cyprus or does he really care for rich friends?

His argument for the passes handed to Greek Cypriots is unacceptable. Is it possible that Alan Meale is still living in the middle ages? Whatever happened to telephones, fax machines and the electronic mail facilities that the wonderful new technology provides us with?

As Turkish Cypriots we feel that the relationship  high ranking government officials have with so many Greek Cypriot businessmen does not allow the present British government to act honourably when it comes to the Cyprus conflict.

The Daily Mail published on 16 November 1998, in addition to its article about the MPs taking freebie holidays in South Cyprus, published 10 facts about Cyprus to save the MPs the trouble of going to South Cyprus. Below are 10 facts from the Turkish Cypriot Network in addition to the ones the Daily Mail published.

1- Britain is one of the Guarantor countries for Cyprus, who is supposed to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots as well.

2- Greek-Greek Cypriot partnership destroyed the republic in 1963 by committing atrocities against their Turkish partners.

3- Britain and the rest of the world stood by and watched the persecution of Turkish Cypriots.

4- Greece tried to annex Cyprus in 1974. Turkey stopped this as well as the extermination of Turkish Cypriots by Greeks and Greek Cypriots.

5- Freebie holidays and one sided fact finding missions won’t reveal any facts.

6- Sophoclides uses freebies and bribes to get his own way.

7- Most of the members of the Greek Cypriot Brotherhood are EOKA supporters.

8- Greek Cypriot Lobbies are ruining Britain’s foreign policy concerning Cyprus and Turkey.

9- It was the EOKA members who murdered British soldiers and civilians.

10- No amount of money will change the facts of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will live forever.

These facts are in addition to those that Daily Mail presented on 16 November 1998 to the MPs  who are concerned about Greek Cypriots.

POKING FUN AT LABOUR Upon revelations of the Sunday Times about the sleaze going on amongst the ranks of Labour party, which is becoming  a real embarrassment for the Prime Minister, other newspapers and magazines have also picked up on the news. Two caricatures appeared in the press, one in the Private Eye Magazine and the other in the London Turkish Times Hur Soz, shows the public opinion in general and the Turkish Cypriots feelings at the community level.

Relations between Italy and Turkey, which were much better than some other EU countries is fast approaching breaking point because of the unexpected support of the present Italian government for Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the PKK terror organization.

Ocalan, a notorious terrorist who is responsible for the deaths of nearly 30,000 people, landed in Greece  when he could not find refuge in Russia. He had left Moscow and returned to Greece from where he went on to Rome where he was supposed to be arrested.

Soon after his arrest Greek parliamentarians and Greek Cypriot regime declared their support for Ocalan. A draft recommendation asking the EU parliament to grant political asylum to the PKK leader, which was prepared by Greek and Italian Communist members, was rejected by the EU parliament.

Since the arrest of Ocalan, Greece has been trying very hard to turn the issue into a question of human rights and a problem between EU and Turkey instead of a question of terrorism and a matter between Italy and Turkey.

On 18 November 1998 Reuters reported that "Greek Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou said Mr. Ocalan could have turned up in any of the 15 EU member-states, provoking the same stand-off between allied countries that now confronts Rome and Ankara."

Well, Ocalan did turn up in Greece and was directed to Rome by Greece. In other words, Greece set Italy up with this problem and then tried to present it as a problem of the EU.

One other person, who immediately tried to present the problem in such terms was none other than the North London MEP Pauline Green. Pauline Green criticised the Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz for saying that if Italy granted political asylum to Ocalan  she would become  party to the terrorist acts committed by the PKK. Green said this was unacceptable and she also said that the EU would give full support to Italy. This is only a normal reaction from Pauline Green for she is only following the lead of the Greek deputies, and as usual she will support anything that is against Turkey. Did she for one moment, as she does for so called missing Greek Cypriots, feel sorry for the 158 teachers, hundreds of babies and thousands of others that PKK murdered, bearing in mind that these are mainly Turkish civilian citizens of Kurdish origin.

The German magazine Focus, reported in its latest issue that according to UN documents over 3000 young people had been asked to attend the so called cultural centres run by the PKK where they were tricked into joining the terrorist gang. Focus also reported that the leaders abused the young girls in the organization.

We suspect that certain EU politicians, Greeks being at the forefront, wish to present the head of the terror organization as the political leader of the Kurds and grant him political asylum. This will legalise terrorism and exonerate a terrorist like Ocalan.

An article by the Greek newspaper Stohos clearly explains the role of the Greek government in this issue:
 " Stohos (Greece) - According to confirmed information that Stohos had, the leader of the Kurds passed through Athens airport on his way to Moscow and all his actions were revealed by certain Greek Services resulting to his arrest in Rome (an arrest that some people wanted to present - for various reasons - as voluntary surrender). Ocalan came to Ellinikon airport - which was under E.Y.P. (Greek Intelligence Agency) strict supervision - and discussed with a small number of people. Stohos revelation that Ocalan passed from Athens airport - a revelation of international interest and various extensions - shows how deep the information of Stohos is. Stohos - because we always say the truth - was aware from the very begging of Ocalan's passage through Greece, but had not revealed it for obvious reasons. Stohos reveals it now after the course the matter took."

Other Greek newspapers also revealed that Ocalan did go to Greece on two occasions despite the Greek government's denial and revealed that the Greek intelligence had a hand in all the movements of the leader of the PKK. Stohos is known for its good relations with the Greek intelligence.

Other revelations, which lives no doubt that Greece is heavily involved with the PKK came from Shemdin Sakik. Sakik, who was the second in charge of PKK, in an interview he gave to a TV channel on 26/11/98, said that there are training camps in Greece and Greece supplies weapons to PKK, including Stinger missiles.

© 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