ROC proposes steps to end sale of GC properties in north

[Keithcaley]

Cyprus (the so-called 'republic of' ) proposes steps to end sale of GC properties in the north...

The steps include 'forcing a cessation of all activities advertising the sale of those properties, and to halt construction', according to an article in the GC so-called 'Cyprus Mail' which you can read here, so that will be interesting...

...and really demonstrates their commitment in striving for a settlement.

[waddo]

And it looked like this time it might be possible but it seems that the GC have still not grown up yet. I think they may be in for a shock in the end because this round of talks has had so much publicity that it will be made very apparent that it is the RoC that is causing all the problems - maybe it will turn out to be a good thing for the TRNC in the end.

[Keithcaley]

Yes, that was the way that my thoughts were going...

It would be a real shame if it all comes to naught, and I suspect that if it does, then the main losers will be the GC side, because the world will - eventually - move on, and leave them behind.

[Ragged Robin]

And it looked like this time it might be possible but it seems that the GC have still not grown up yet. I think they may be in for a shock in the end because this round of talks has had so much publicity that it will be made very apparent that it is the RoC that is causing all the problems - maybe it will turn out to be a good thing for the TRNC in the end.

If the rest of the world were capable of turning a blind eye and crossing to the other side of the street when blatant genocide was taking place in the 50s 60s and early 70s are they really likely to pay much attention now if the GCs start throwing a few more toys out of the pram?

It never ceases to amaze me just how much common sense, not t mention common decency appearst to be totally invisible to politicians generally and particular from he UK, the EU and above all the USA! (and before anyone accuses me of racial prejudice I know Germans and Americans who share that view!)

[Joe Soap]

One Sunday about two weeks go, 3 South registered coaches toured the area where I live in Alsancak.

Last weekend there was a GC registered car with a woman hanging out the window taking a video of the area. Just to make sure she got everything on film, the car went round the block again.

Perhaps this is a prelude (another one) to claims that the properties were hers or her relatives.

The properties were built in the last 20 years, but why should that fact prevent a rewrite of history.

[waddo]

Quite right Joe, the GC are very good at rewriting history and then teaching it in the schools, it keeps their politicians in power after all - if they had to share then there would be less jobs for them to not do and get paid for anyway. I sometimes think that their biggest worry is that the continuing supply of refugee payments will stop if an agreement is signed, that loss of income to well over 200,000 people will be the thing that sways any vote!

I have always wondered why it is that the GC get refugee payments yet the TC do not - strange that.

[Groucho]

Quite right Joe, the GC are very good at rewriting history and then teaching it in the schools, it keeps their politicians in power after all - if they had to share then there would be less jobs for them to not do and get paid for anyway. I sometimes think that their biggest worry is that the continuing supply of refugee payments will stop if an agreement is signed, that loss of income to well over 200,000 people will be the thing that sways any vote!

I have always wondered why it is that the GC get refugee payments yet the TC do not - strange that.

Because only GC's are refugees and TC's are squatters?

DQ what percentage of TC's have relocated versus GC's...? That is - are there a higher percentage of displaced GC or TC...?

I'm asking the question because I don't know the number in percentage terms...

Where I live in Esentepe most of the TC's came from Paphos district, they are displaced too...

[waddo]

This: http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/10/18/our-v ... ary-right/ may give you a bit more insight!

[Barney]

And it looked like this time it might be possible but it seems that the GC have still not grown up yet. I think they may be in for a shock in the end because this round of talks has had so much publicity that it will be made very apparent that it is the RoC that is causing all the problems - maybe it will turn out to be a good thing for the TRNC in the end.

If the rest of the world were capable of turning a blind eye and crossing to the other side of the street when blatant genocide was taking place in the 50s 60s and early 70s are they really likely to pay much attention now if the GCs start throwing a few more toys out of the pram?

It never ceases to amaze me just how much common sense, not t mention common decency appearst to be totally invisible to politicians generally and particular from he UK, the EU and above all the USA! (and before anyone accuses me of racial prejudice I know Germans and Americans who share that view!)

Can you shed some more light on the figures involved in the "genocide" with reliable sources. My information is that several hundred on both sides were killed before 1974 but the casualties following the invasion of 1974 were in the thousands - mainly Greek Cypriots. I find it odd that the killing of tens of thousands of Kurds in Turkey is seen as an insurrection by pro Turkey supporters but the inter communal murders in Cyprus is genocide.

[frontalman]

I can't really help with total numbers or other such-like statistics, but we did a couple of coach trips to the three villages of Murataga, Sandillar and Atlilar earlier this year. These villages suffered genocide on 14 August 1974. 125 Turkish Cypriots, mainly women and children were machine-gunned and bulldozed into mass graves after their male relatives were arrested and imprisoned by the Greek forces. People bang on about Srebrenica and the genocide carried out there, but at least they allowed the women and children to go free before murdering the men of fighting age, that can be a little more understood.

[kerry 6138]

http://www.kibkomnorthcyprusforum.com/v ... =8&t=30680
you could always google PRIO but I think from the above thread you thought they where biased .

[Ragged Robin]

I am afraid I dont have figures either - in any case they can be misleading - statistics are like bikinis, what they reveal is important but what they conceal is vital!

I should point out that I was referring to the events between the outbreak of communal violence in 1963 and the unilateral intervention of Turkey in 1974., what happened after 74 is a different issue.

There is evidence that prior to 74 there was a deliberate policy on the part of a section of he Greek Cypriot population and administration to remove the Turkish Cypriots from the Island by whatever means including genocide to enable their aim of achieving Enosis - union with Greece. It should be remembered that during the latter part of this period Greece itself was under a regime that was hated by many decent Greek citizens, who were relieved when the events of74 toppled that regime!

With the third of the three guarantee powers unlikely to intervene on behalf of the TC , the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey on their behalf made frequent and repeated efforts to persuade Britain as a guarantee power and the United Nations generally and even the USA to prevent the victimisation including genocide of the Turkish Cypriots., All their representations were ignored.

The prejudice and commercial, financial and power political factors that lead tothis appalling example of "crossing t the other side" still exist today, if anything more so, as indeed does the balance of the "propaganda war" and my point is in the light of this the latest GC proposal with regard to land in the north is not very likely to have much impact on word opinion on the reunification negotiations..

[wondering1]

And it looked like this time it might be possible but it seems that the GC have still not grown up yet. I think they may be in for a shock in the end because this round of talks has had so much publicity that it will be made very apparent that it is the RoC that is causing all the problems - maybe it will turn out to be a good thing for the TRNC in the end.

If the rest of the world were capable of turning a blind eye and crossing to the other side of the street when blatant genocide was taking place in the 50s 60s and early 70s are they really likely to pay much attention now if the GCs start throwing a few more toys out of the pram?

It never ceases to amaze me just how much common sense, not t mention common decency appearst to be totally invisible to politicians generally and particular from he UK, the EU and above all the USA! (and before anyone accuses me of racial prejudice I know Germans and Americans who share that view!)

Can you shed some more light on the figures involved in the "genocide" with reliable sources. My information is that several hundred on both sides were killed before 1974 but the casualties following the invasion of 1974 were in the thousands - mainly Greek Cypriots. I find it odd that the killing of tens of thousands of Kurds in Turkey is seen as an insurrection by pro Turkey supporters but the inter communal murders in Cyprus is genocide.

How are you in this Country, with zero understanding of its recent history? That seems absurd and extremely ignorant.

The removal of the Turkish Cypriot population was not just being carried out by small groups of people taking law into their own hands, it was ordered to be done by the then Government, this is not disputable and it is written in documents that you can see copies of online. That is by definition a genocide.

Likewise, unless you have difficulties with the intricacies of the English language, the prevention of a genocide is not called an "invasion" but an intervention. I'd advise you to be careful with your terminology on the basis of living in this Country because almost every Turkish Cypriot, like myself, has at least one relative that went missing during this genocide and are likely to take offence if you imply Turkey should not have intervened.

[Keithcaley]

...How are you in this Country, with zero understanding of its recent history? ...

What makes you think that he is in this Country?

If you click on his Forum 'name' - Barney, and look at his profile you will see by his real name that he is, most likely, either Greek, or Greek Cypriot.

If you then look through his previous posts, you will see where his sympathies lie

[Groucho]

This: http://cyprus-mail.com/2015/10/18/our-v ... ary-right/ may give you a bit more insight!

It actually only serves to muddy the waters...

If you think about - Maybe EOKA B murdered enough potential TC refugees to create a self-serving imbalance... i.e. there's a lower percentage of you misplaced than there would have been because we did away with you before you became a refugee statistic.

Still don't know the percentages however...

i.e What percentage of the GC population as at 1974 was displaced in 1974 and what percentage of TCs?

[erol]

i.e What percentage of the GC population as at 1974 was displaced in 1974 and what percentage of TCs?

UNFICYP estimates 165,000 Greek Cypriots and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypriot_refugees

[Groucho]

i.e What percentage of the GC population as at 1974 was displaced in 1974 and what percentage of TCs?

UNFICYP estimates 165,000 Greek Cypriots and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypriot_refugees

Yes these are numbers but not percentages... what was the population in each community?

Is 45,000 TC's a bigger or smaller percentage than 165,000 GC's of that community's numbers?

[erol]

i.e What percentage of the GC population as at 1974 was displaced in 1974 and what percentage of TCs?

UNFICYP estimates 165,000 Greek Cypriots and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypriot_refugees

Yes these are numbers but not percentages... what was the population in each community?

Is 45,000 TC's a bigger or smaller percentage than 165,000 GC's of that community's numbers?

They are in the same ball park. In the region of 20-25% of the total community population.

[waddo]

If you go to the PRIO site and take down the numbers for every town/village (GC/TC) pre 74 that will give you the percentages. It took me about three days last time I did it but have not got the figures anymore - in anycase, if you publish them you will only get comments that the PRIO site is a GC funded site and can not be trusted - there is no way to win!

[Groucho]

They are in the same ball park. In the region of 20-25% of the total community population.

So how come only GC's are recognised in any meaningful way by the world at large as refugees?

[waddo]

Mainly because the Greek Cypriot Government declares them as such and as the TRNC is not recognized by any other country than Turkey it can not have refugees - probably because a "Place" that does not exist can not have people in it???

Most likely reason is that the GC is very good at squeezing money out of a stone and have excellent propaganda whereas the TC is seen to be supported by Turkey and very, vary rarely tries to get their own side of the story into the press.

But your guess is as good as anyones, I have been trying to figure out the answer to your question since around 1985 and still can not see why it is.

[erol]

Technically both GC and TC are 'internally displaced people' not refugees but that is semantics really.

The difference in how GC displaced people are regarded vs how TC such are I suspect is that partition / taksim was a stated desire / objective of various TC leaderships historically and was achieved as a result of Turkish force of arms.

[wondering1]

Mainly because the Greek Cypriot Government declares them as such and as the TRNC is not recognized by any other country than Turkey it can not have refugees - probably because a "Place" that does not exist can not have people in it???

Most likely reason is that the GC is very good at squeezing money out of a stone and have excellent propaganda whereas the TC is seen to be supported by Turkey and very, vary rarely tries to get their own side of the story into the press.

But your guess is as good as anyones, I have been trying to figure out the answer to your question since around 1985 and still can not see why it is.

This hits the nail on the head, yet the humility prolongs the suffering.

The Turkish culture is to get on with things, they are too busy getting on with their lives than to make it their mission to inform everyone of what really happened.

On the other hand the Greek Cypriots will literally stop at nothing to disrupt life for Turkish Cypriots, through any means possible, they still have dreams that the whole of Cyprus will be Greek.

They have had the assets of property developers from North Cyprus frozen in England (!) for developing on land here, they have ensured an embargo to prevent Turkish Cypriots being able to export making growth extremely difficult and life considerably harder for the average family.

They have gone to far as to petition international pop stars not to visit here:-

"The Republic of Cyprus deems business conducted in the north as illegal, which has hampered concerts by international bands or singers.[19] In 2010, a concert by Jennifer Lopez, scheduled to take place in Northern Cyprus, was cancelled after extensive campaigning by Greek Cypriot groups."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embargo_a ... ern_Cyprus

They want the world to think Turkish Cypriots do not exist and after they could not do it by murdering them they decided to do it politically by making life here so unbearable everyone would leave, the population would dwindle and there would be no argument not to make it Greek.

Unfortunately for them that plan has not been working either. They bankrupted their Country even while constantly receiving international aid and then stole from their own population - all while the North has been growing slowly but surely and more and more people have been discovering the truth about what really happened.

An isolated incident manipulating a population can be be forgiven, Germany for example, but if Germany still was doing everything they could to achieve their WW2 aspirations what could you think of that nation, their people, after 40 years?

[Keithcaley]

...if Germany still was doing everything they could to achieve their WW2 aspirations what could you think of that nation, their people, after 40 years?

Well, to read some of the comments on the 'Brexit' thread, there are people who seem to think that they are still at it, just using other tactics...

[Barney]

I can't really help with total numbers or other such-like statistics, but we did a couple of coach trips to the three villages of Murataga, Sandillar and Atlilar earlier this year. These villages suffered genocide on 14 August 1974. 125 Turkish Cypriots, mainly women and children were machine-gunned and bulldozed into mass graves after their male relatives were arrested and imprisoned by the Greek forces. People bang on about Srebrenica and the genocide carried out there, but at least they allowed the women and children to go free before murdering the men of fighting age, that can be a little more understood.

As I said earlier thousands died following the 1974 invasion. The murders you refer to in August 1974 were a consequence of the second stage of the Turkish invasion when reports of atrocities committed by the Turkish armed forces reached the Greek Cypriots - not that justifies the actions of the killers. Turkey knew that isolated TCs would be at the mercy of the EOKA B thugs but was determined to satisfy its long standing aim of taking part of Cyprus regardless of the consequences for all Cypriots.

[erol]

Turkey knew that isolated TCs would be at the mercy of the EOKA B thugs but was determined to satisfy its long standing aim of taking part of Cyprus regardless of the consequences for all Cypriots.

Turkey and TC also knew what the results of TC generally being at the mercy of GC thugs allowed to operate with impunity in the years preceding the events of 74, from 1963 on wards, were. They were not good for TC.

[Groucho]

I can't really help with total numbers or other such-like statistics, but we did a couple of coach trips to the three villages of Murataga, Sandillar and Atlilar earlier this year. These villages suffered genocide on 14 August 1974. 125 Turkish Cypriots, mainly women and children were machine-gunned and bulldozed into mass graves after their male relatives were arrested and imprisoned by the Greek forces. People bang on about Srebrenica and the genocide carried out there, but at least they allowed the women and children to go free before murdering the men of fighting age, that can be a little more understood.

As I said earlier thousands died following the 1974 invasion. The murders you refer to in August 1974 were a consequence of the second stage of the Turkish invasion when reports of atrocities committed by the Turkish armed forces reached the Greek Cypriots - not that justifies the actions of the killers. Turkey knew that isolated TCs would be at the mercy of the EOKA B thugs but was determined to satisfy its long standing aim of taking part of Cyprus regardless of the consequences for all Cypriots.

At Christmas 1963 the Greek Cypriot militia attacked Turkish Cypriot communities across the island, and very many men, women, and children were killed. 270 of their mosques, shrines and other places of worship were desecrated.

On 28 December 1963 the Daily Express carried the following report from Cyprus: "We went tonight into the sealed-off Turkish Cypriot Quarter of Nicosia in which 200 to 300 people had been slaughtered in the last five days. We were the first Western reporters there and we have seen sights too frightful to be described in print. Horror so extreme that the people seemed stunned beyond tears."

On 31 December 1963 The Guardian reported: "It is nonsense to claim, as the Greek Cypriots do, that all casualties were caused by fighting between armed men of both sides. On Christmas Eve many Turkish Cypriot people were brutally attacked and murdered in their suburban homes, including the wife and children of a doctor—allegedly by a group of forty men, many in army boots and greatcoats." Although the Turkish Cypriots fought back as best they could, and killed some militia, there were no massacres of Greek Cypriot civilians.

On 1 January 1964 the Daily Herald reported: "When I came across the Turkish Cypriot homes they were an appalling sight. Apart from the walls they just did not exist. I doubt if a napalm attack could have created more devastation. Under roofs which had caved in I found a twisted mass of bed springs, children's cots, and grey ashes of what had once been tables, chairs and wardrobes. In the neighbouring village of Ayios Vassilios I counted 16 wrecked and burned out homes. They were all Turkish Cypriot. In neither village did I find a scrap of damage to any Greek Cypriot house."

On 2 January 1964 the Daily Telegraph wrote "The Greek Cypriot community should not assume that the British military presence can or should secure them against Turkish intervention if they persecute the Turkish Cypriots. We must not be a shelter for double-crossers." Britain did not however make any serious attempt to stop the Greek Cypriots.

On 12 January 1964 the British High Commission in Nicosia wrote to London[118] "The Greek (Cypriot) police are led by extremists who provoked the fighting and deliberately engaged in atrocities. They have recruited into their ranks as "special constables" gun-happy young thugs. They threaten to try and punish any Turkish Cypriot police who wish to return to the Cyprus Government. . . . . . . . Makarios assured us there will be no attack. His assurance is as worthless as previous assurances have proved."

Quotes from Michael Stephen written evidence to the UK Foreign Affairs Committee.

Michael Stephen LL.M. is a Barrister and international lawyer and was a member of the UK Parliament 1992-97. He held a Harkness Fellowship in International Law at Stanford and Harvard, and was Assistant Legal Adviser to the UK Ambassador to the UN for the 25th General Assembly. He is the author of "The Cyprus Question." (London, July 2001).

[kerry 6138]

Barney's bored, time to get out his sharp stick and poke the angry dog !

[Groucho]

As I said earlier thousands died following the 1974 invasion. The murders you refer to in August 1974 were a consequence of the second stage of the Turkish invasion when reports of atrocities committed by the Turkish armed forces reached the Greek Cypriots - not that justifies the actions of the killers.

If you pick a fight and get a bloody nose and lose some ground it's a bit rich to blame the victim of the attacks...

It you go to war to try and take what is not rightfully yours they you'd better be absolutely sure you are also prepared for the eventuality that it might go pear-shaped and you could lose ground rather than gain it....

It seems to me the consistent persecution of the TC's by armed GC thugs between 1960 and 1974 egged on by the duplicitous Greek Cypriot regime characterised an attempt at ethnic cleansing and genocide but they didn't think they would face the challenge that ensued... bad judgement call.

I'm pretty sure they relied upon their 'Christian' credentials knowing the west would not side with a Moslem people when forced to choose between the two.

It is to the eternal shames of the UK and UN that we/they chose to sit on our hands and allow the slaughter - in those days the UK did not tolerate any thoughts of multiculturalism in any meaningful form... still don't I think, we only pay lip-service to it but when push comes to shove we retreat into our comfort zone of marginalising ethnic communities with different religions and cultures.

The Greek Cypriots should count themselves very lucky indeed that the Turkish Army did not prosecute the intervention to its logical conclusion and drive the GC's into the sea but chose the moral high ground (probably now wishing they had not done so) and held back from securing the entire island....

The Ottoman Empire accepted the loss of Cyprus in 1914 as the result of their affiliation to Germany in WW1.... They could have easily reclaimed it in 1974 but following the intervention brokered a gentlemen's agreement for peace instead - only for that bi-zonal separation and exchange of lands and to be reneged upon by the GC's... go figure! Greeks going back on an agreement that's never happened before has it.... 1960 and shared sovereignty?

A potted history of how we come to find Cyprus where it is by an independent and learned scholar

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 13we45.htm

Also the link below, is in my view is also a very restrained and remarkably balanced and self-effacing view given Turkey's normal inability to put together a reasoned debate to press their claim...

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/cyprus-_historica ... ew_.en.mfa

But I guess you won't want to read these.... because they don't serve to back up your claim of victim-hood for GC's....

[Barney]

As I said earlier thousands died following the 1974 invasion. The murders you refer to in August 1974 were a consequence of the second stage of the Turkish invasion when reports of atrocities committed by the Turkish armed forces reached the Greek Cypriots - not that justifies the actions of the killers.

If you pick a fight and get a bloody nose and lose some ground it's a bit rich to blame the victim of the attacks...

It you go to war to try and take what is not rightfully yours they you'd better be absolutely sure you are also prepared for the eventuality that it might go pear-shaped and you could lose ground rather than gain it....

It seems to me the consistent persecution of the TC's by armed GC thugs between 1960 and 1974 egged on by the duplicitous Greek Cypriot regime characterised an attempt at ethnic cleansing and genocide but they didn't think they would face the challenge that ensued... bad judgement call.

I'm pretty sure they relied upon their 'Christian' credentials knowing the west would not side with a Moslem people when forced to choose between the two.

It is to the eternal shames of the UK and UN that we/they chose to sit on our hands and allow the slaughter - in those days the UK did not tolerate any thoughts of multiculturalism in any meaningful form... still don't I think, we only pay lip-service to it but when push comes to shove we retreat into our comfort zone of marginalising ethnic communities with different religions and cultures.

The Greek Cypriots should count themselves very lucky indeed that the Turkish Army did not prosecute the intervention to its logical conclusion and drive the GC's into the sea but chose the moral high ground (probably now wishing they had not done so) and held back from securing the entire island....

The Ottoman Empire accepted the loss of Cyprus in 1914 as the result of their affiliation to Germany in WW1.... They could have easily reclaimed it in 1974 but following the intervention brokered a gentlemen's agreement for peace instead - only for that bi-zonal separation and exchange of lands and to be reneged upon by the GC's... go figure! Greeks going back on an agreement that's never happened before has it.... 1960 and shared sovereignty?

A potted history of how we come to find Cyprus where it is by an independent and learned scholar

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 13we45.htm

Also the link below, is in my view is also a very restrained and remarkably balanced and self-effacing view given Turkey's normal inability to put together a reasoned debate to press their claim...

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/cyprus-_historica ... ew_.en.mfa

But I guess you won't want to read these.... because they don't serve to back up your claim of victim-hood for GC's....

I suggest you educate yourself and learn a little history of the Greek Turkish conflict and post independent sources rather than Turkish propaganda.
The impression I get from some contributors to this site is that the Greek Cypriots initiated and were solely responsible for the inter-communal conflict. The Greek – Turkish troubles have their roots in other places and earlier times. Despite what you may believe there were very few killings on the island in the years immediately before the invasion. Turkey had the legal right to reverse the Greek Junta inspired coup against Makarios, it did not have the right, nor could it justify, the displacement of one third of the island’s population


The Events of September (1), in which a Turkish community place was attacked in Greece and then Greek community places were attacked in Turkey, are both intimately related to the Cyprus Conflict, and very instructive in understanding Cypriot cultural destruction. http://human-rights-archaeology.blogspo ... urkey.html

Earlier Turkey reneged on the Treaty of Lausanne and kicked the Greeks off the island of Imbros. “On the other hand, the indigenous Greek population being deprived of its means of production and facing hostile behaviour from the government and the newly arrived settlers, left its native land. The peak of this exodus was in 1974 during the Cyprus crisis.[30] By 2000, only 400 Greeks remained, while the Turks were around 8000.[31] As of 2015, only Greeks 318 remained on the island, whereas the number of Turks increased to 8,344” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbros


The real motives for the Turkish invasion 1974 according to US Embassy in Nicosia.
http://2001-2009.state.gov/documents/or ... /96606.pdf
(Page 468)

And Ecevit’s own reason for ordering the invasion, “Suddenly, after Turkey’s first intervention in Cyprus on July 20, 1974 Ecevit received massive popular support and a celebratory mood prevailed in the country.”
http://essay.utwente.nl/62369/1/ENDVERS ... n_(2)s.pdf
(from page 26)

[Groucho]

As I said earlier thousands died following the 1974 invasion. The murders you refer to in August 1974 were a consequence of the second stage of the Turkish invasion when reports of atrocities committed by the Turkish armed forces reached the Greek Cypriots - not that justifies the actions of the killers.

If you pick a fight and get a bloody nose and lose some ground it's a bit rich to blame the victim of the attacks...

It you go to war to try and take what is not rightfully yours they you'd better be absolutely sure you are also prepared for the eventuality that it might go pear-shaped and you could lose ground rather than gain it....

It seems to me the consistent persecution of the TC's by armed GC thugs between 1960 and 1974 egged on by the duplicitous Greek Cypriot regime characterised an attempt at ethnic cleansing and genocide but they didn't think they would face the challenge that ensued... bad judgement call.

I'm pretty sure they relied upon their 'Christian' credentials knowing the west would not side with a Moslem people when forced to choose between the two.

It is to the eternal shames of the UK and UN that we/they chose to sit on our hands and allow the slaughter - in those days the UK did not tolerate any thoughts of multiculturalism in any meaningful form... still don't I think, we only pay lip-service to it but when push comes to shove we retreat into our comfort zone of marginalising ethnic communities with different religions and cultures.

The Greek Cypriots should count themselves very lucky indeed that the Turkish Army did not prosecute the intervention to its logical conclusion and drive the GC's into the sea but chose the moral high ground (probably now wishing they had not done so) and held back from securing the entire island....

The Ottoman Empire accepted the loss of Cyprus in 1914 as the result of their affiliation to Germany in WW1.... They could have easily reclaimed it in 1974 but following the intervention brokered a gentlemen's agreement for peace instead - only for that bi-zonal separation and exchange of lands and to be reneged upon by the GC's... go figure! Greeks going back on an agreement that's never happened before has it.... 1960 and shared sovereignty?

A potted history of how we come to find Cyprus where it is by an independent and learned scholar

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 13we45.htm

Also the link below, is in my view is also a very restrained and remarkably balanced and self-effacing view given Turkey's normal inability to put together a reasoned debate to press their claim...

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/cyprus-_historica ... ew_.en.mfa

But I guess you won't want to read these.... because they don't serve to back up your claim of victim-hood for GC's....

I suggest you educate yourself and learn a little history of the Greek Turkish conflict and post independent sources rather than Turkish propaganda.
The impression I get from some contributors to this site is that the Greek Cypriots initiated and were solely responsible for the inter-communal conflict. The Greek – Turkish troubles have their roots in other places and earlier times. Despite what you may believe there were very few killings on the island in the years immediately before the invasion. Turkey had the legal right to reverse the Greek Junta inspired coup against Makarios, it did not have the right, nor could it justify, the displacement of one third of the island’s population


The Events of September (1), in which a Turkish community place was attacked in Greece and then Greek community places were attacked in Turkey, are both intimately related to the Cyprus Conflict, and very instructive in understanding Cypriot cultural destruction. http://human-rights-archaeology.blogspo ... urkey.html

Earlier Turkey reneged on the Treaty of Lausanne and kicked the Greeks off the island of Imbros. “On the other hand, the indigenous Greek population being deprived of its means of production and facing hostile behaviour from the government and the newly arrived settlers, left its native land. The peak of this exodus was in 1974 during the Cyprus crisis.[30] By 2000, only 400 Greeks remained, while the Turks were around 8000.[31] As of 2015, only Greeks 318 remained on the island, whereas the number of Turks increased to 8,344” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbros


The real motives for the Turkish invasion 1974 according to US Embassy in Nicosia.
http://2001-2009.state.gov/documents/or ... /96606.pdf
(Page 468)

And Ecevit’s own reason for ordering the invasion, “Suddenly, after Turkey’s first intervention in Cyprus on July 20, 1974 Ecevit received massive popular support and a celebratory mood prevailed in the country.”
http://essay.utwente.nl/62369/1/ENDVERS ... n_(2)s.pdf
(from page 26)

I find your suggestion that we need education very impertinent...

Are you suggesting that The UK foreign Affairs Committee evidence is Turkish propaganda? I know it's been said before (by Greeks and Gc's go figure) - but we all know that is merely because the ROC and Greece do not like the implication that they are largely to blame, having set a course to take for themselves unilateral control of the island's government against the constitution and further more promote total 'Greekification' of the island, with theft of Turkish Cypriot lands and with Enosis as a final goal - evidence which points the finger well and truly in their direction for instigating the whole sorry mess...

Or is it simply because it does not serve your own GC atrocity denying narrative?

As a young man back in the UK I read the Times and Telegraph newspapers every day (a required part of my education) and I can tell you they made horrific reading.. I simply could not understand how the Government (UK) could allow such brutality rained-down upon defenceless Turkish Cypriots to prevail... but with time I've come to realise that this was the norm in those days when racism was a part of everyday life in the UK and making jokes about 'darkies', and 'wogs' was accepted as humour at best and allowable at worst... We simply did not side with non-Christian bodies when faced with a choice.... sad but true... too much Greek influence at court I fear.

I think you'll find that there was an air of celebration when the Allies defeated Nazi Germany... that, it would seem, is only natural following a conflict that you have had success in prosecuting.... So I don't know what point they or you hope to make with that startling revelation....

[Barney]

Groucho just because evidence is submitted to a Parliamentary Committee it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true or without bias. Michael Stephen is a well known Turcophile.
“Many accounts of the crisis are heavily politicised. Michael Stephen sides staunchly with the Turkish Cypriot community in his account ‘The Cyprus Question’, though this is unsurprising given the fact that the publisher was ‘The British-Northern Cyprus Parliamentary Group’.”

http://www.academia.edu/2343038/British ... is_of_1974
No doubt you have not bothered to look at the links I posted, you really ought to study them they are quite educating. Understand this, the Turkish Cypriots were "top dogs" in Cyprus 1955 - 60 because of their position as British auxiliary police. They committed the first inter-communal massacre and expulsions of Greek Cypriots so why are you surprised that, outnumbered four to one, they got the worst of it after “independence”
This telegram from The British Governor to the Secretary of State for the Colonies clearly shows that the minority TCs were intent on causing problems between the two communities.
“4. I fear this could be the beginning of communal strife of a more serious kind than any we have seen since it indicates that Turks are prepared to carry out attacks on Greek property in order to serve their political ends.”
http://mignatiou.com/2014/05/turkish-bo ... the-facts/

As to the real reason for the Turkish invasion here in his submission to the The UK foreign Affairs Committee Brigadier Henn says, “While the intercommunal dimension is a highly important ingredient, the fundamental factor that lies at the heart of the problem today is no different from that which has been the island's misfortune throughout history, namely its geo-strategic importance, especially for Turkey. In 1974 the Turks intervened militarily ostensibly to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority, but there was for them an overriding undeclared national interest— the prevention of enosis and the threat to Turkey's own security that this would have created. Although enosis is no longer an issue, the determination of the Turks, especially the military, to preserve their own security vis-a"-vis Cyprus is no less today” http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 13we15.htm

This is what Dr Ahmet Djavit An had to say to The UK Foreign Affairs Committee. “I hope it will give you an insider's look at one of the main obstacles of the ongoing interference to the internal affairs of the Turkish Cypriot community which are made a minority in their own homeland. You have to keep in mind that occupation and the settlers question created by Turkey is one of the main obstacles of the current impasse.”http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 13we31.htm
You can see the Dr’s blog here, http://myislandcyprus.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... it-an.html


In response to your last paragraph,” Erbakan started to take up conservative issues of public morality, which were antithetical to Ecevit’s liberalism. In July 1974, the coalition was in a deep crisis, and Ecevit was forced to the very brink of resignation”. Rather like Thatcher in the Falklands War, there’s nothing like a military victory to regain the support of the people.
http://essay.utwente.nl/62369/1/ENDVERS ... n_(2)s.pdf