Anti-Turkish Nonsense

Last year, before joining the ranks of ComingAnarchy, I spent a month in Turkey and Cyprus. Most of my Cypriot time was spent in the north, where I was based out of Girne and day tripping around. Yesterday, I came across this post which contained a few photos of the green line dividing the north from the south. I’ve been to that very beach and enjoyed seeing the photos until I noticed this utter garbage at the end:

For 31 years Varosha has been uninhabited. Turkey ought to be ashamed of itself. Since the military won’t let me take pictures, I imagine that on some level they are ashamed ““ or at least a bit embarrassed ““ by what they have done and are doing. They did not want you to see this.

This runs quite contrary to history. Firstly, Michael doesn’t seem to understand that there isn’t a single country in the world where you are allowed to photograph military zones, bases and so forth. You can’t do it anywhere!

Secondly, the Turks have very little to be embarassed about. In fact, the Greeks are very clearly the party to blame over the trouble in Cyprus. In 1925, Cyprus became a British colonly, taken over from the Ottomans who’d ruled the island for around 500 years. By 1931, there were already riots by Greeks demanding, Enosis, or union with Greece. By the 1950s, EOKA was formed, a militant resistance organization opposed to British occupation and in favor of uniting the island with Greece. Their attacks targeted the British stationed on the island, but also Turkish and Greek Cypriots who supported the British. The organization operated from 1955 to 1959 when it officially ceased operations after the Zurich-London agreement established independence for the island. Parties in the talks were Britain, Greece and Turkey.

Cyprus becomes independent of foreign rule. Archbishop Makarios, (Greek Cypriot) becomes the first President, Dr Kutchuk (Turkish Cypriot) Vice-President. Both have the right of veto. Turkish Cypriots, who form 18% of the population, are guaranteed vice-presidency, three out of ten ministerial posts and 30% of jobs in the public service, 40% in the army and separate municipal services in the five major towns. Overall, a very complex constitution is drafted, including a lot of decisions to be taken by majority of votes overall as well as within each community.

The Greeks naturally had many objects and wanted to abolishing the ethnic clauses. Fighting erupts between Greeks and Turks, with the UN eventually coming in to try and prevent further conflict. As usual, they were unsuccessful. In 1974, the Greek Junta ordered a coup to overthrow the current Cypriot government and a former EOKA fighter was installed in his place. While EOKA 1.0 was originally a band of freedom fighters, an extreme right-wing version of the group again emerged in 1970 with the express intention of overthrowing the government and joining Greece. With ethnic fighting raging and the Turkish minority having little chance to survive, Turkey invaded on July 29th 1974 (Chirol has been to the beach where they first landed). After a brief pause in fighting, UN sponsered negotiations break down and the fighting continues, with the Turks ultimately capturing a little under half the island. The situation today remains the same.

Since then, northern Cyprus has delcared independence, though only Turkey has recongized them. Yet, Turkey waited until war had erupted to intervene and protect the Turkish minority who clearly were in danger. Turkey never annexed the island or asserted any territorial claims to it. Also, though maintaining large military bases there to protect the north, it remains largely uninvolved in Turkish Cypriot politics.

Thus, history quite clearly points out that it was the Greeks who instigated the ethnic fighting and the Greeks who overthrew the government, proceeding to pave the way for a Turkish intervention. And lastly, Turkey, under the previous treaty for Cyprus’ independence, had the right to do so, even though Britain backed down from its legal obligation to guarantee the island’s independence.