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by **eracles** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:20 pm

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/arti ... wsid=68753

Chilly ties between gov't, military in Cyprus, again
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
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DIPLOMACY

The government in northern Cyprus has trouble with military, which follows the demolition of a footbridge in Nicosia

ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

The tension between the Turkish Cypriot government and the military resurfaced when a Turkish commander refused to shake hands with Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer and instead asked the latter to prove his Turkishness in a critical tone.

Soyer and Lt. Gen. Hayri Kıvrıkoğlu, commander of the Turkish peace-corps in Cyprus, met in a chilly atmosphere at a special reception on Sunday for the honor of retired Brig. Gen. Nihat İlhan, who went to northern Cyprus 44 years after his family was shot to death during a Greek Cypriot campaign of annihilation of Turkish Cypriots all around the island, which is often referred to as �Bloody Christmas.�

Lt. Gen. Kıvrıkoğlu refused to shake hands with Soyer before the eyes of many attendees who witnessed a strained exchange of words between the two officials.

�Why didn't you sing the Turkish National Anthem at the congress of your Republican Turks' Party (CTP)? You even did not observe a one-minute silence for the memory of martyrs. What's more, you introduced the party congress at the same time with the Martyrs' Day,� Kıvrıkoğlu told Soyer, according to news reports.

Appalled by the Turkish commander's surprising move, Soyer, reportedly, asked: �Turkishness lies in our heart. Do you have doubts about it?� In response, Kıvrıkoğlu asked Soyer to prove his Turkishness then.

In a televised speech yesterday, Soyer described the incident as a reflection of the election period in Turkey and said: �Nobody can doubt our Turkishness. We are Kemalists.� At a press conference, Talat declined to comment on the issue.

The rift between Soyer and the military drew reactions from the Turkish Cypriot opposition, with National Unity Party (UBP) leader Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu questioning whether the CTP is a party of northern Cyprus or of the so-called Republic of Cyprus.

�If you are a Turkish Cypriot party, you must explain why you did not sing the National Anthem,� he said.

It is not the first time that the Turkish Cypriot government has had a confrontation with the military. In January, the Turkish Cypriots dismantled a footbridge in the heart of the world's last divided capital Nicosia, despite objections from the Turkish military who said such steps need to be simultaneous with Greek Cypriot overtures.

In 2005, Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat broke a tradition of hosting receptions on the occasion of the Sugar Feast (Ramazan Bayramı) together with both the Turkish ambassador to northern Cyprus and the commander of the peace-corps in Cyprus.

Talat hosted the reception on his own in 2005. Aydan Karahan, then-ambassador of Turkey to northern Cyprus, as well as the Turkish commander refused to attend the reception after Talat's move. But Talat defended the new practice, saying that the old one cast a shadow over the independence of northern Cyprus.

by **karma** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:27 pm

Turkey may invade North Cyprus suddenly..who knows

by **askimwos** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:39 pm

eracles, this is nothing new and has been happening since 1960, the TC leadership has always been dictated on what they should do and what they shouldn't do. The recent reaction of Talat and the whole bullshiting after the RoC demolished the wall at Ledra street proves for another time that what Turkey wants thats what the TC leadership does. The same with Bertev, he agreed last week, after a trip to Turkey the whole thing was turned around. To be fair to them though they don't really have any option. It is either you have the balls and uprise or you don't and continue being the puppet of Turkey.

I really hope that something will change, though I am not optimistic. I think that Ozkier Ozkiour was the last of the Mohicans. Talat's group though made sure that he was sidelined from CTP. Maybe that was the turning point in TC politics...

by **free_cyprus** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:50 am

askimwos

turkish chypriots as you like to call them and greek cypriots as im sure you like to call them to have always been dictated to by greece and turkey; the so called cyprus leadership right is an agent for greece and turkey. heres a question for you???????????????????????????????? when the feck did greek speaking or turkish speaking sooooooo called leaders in cyprus ever made an independent decision concerning cyprus ???????????????????

by **askimwos** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:42 am

free_cyprus wrote:askimwos

turkish chypriots as you like to call them and greek cypriots as im sure you like to call them to have always been dictated to by greece and turkey; the so called cyprus leadership right is an agent for greece and turkey. heres a question for you???????????????????????????????? when the feck did greek speaking or turkish speaking sooooooo called leaders in cyprus ever made an independent decision concerning cyprus ???????????????????

I don't know about the TC leadership but I am sure the RoC leadership have long distanced themselves from Athens. There has always been discussions with athens but athens has never been allowed to dictate policies

by **observer** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:39 pm

The recent reaction of Talat and the whole bullshiting after the RoC demolished the wall at Ledra street proves for another time that what Turkey wants thats what the TC leadership does

I've said it before, and I may have to say it again - The RoC pulled down one wall for the publicity, and put up anther wall with a lot less publicity. If you don't believe it, go and see it. I did, and there it is, a brand new wall with soldiers guarding it. Great bullshitting on live TV