Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

Under the title "The bitter confession of the commander", Mehmet Levent writes, inter alia, the following in his daily column in Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (28.01.05):

"You have been thinking that Turkey conducted a military intervention in Cyprus in 1974 in order to protect the life and the property of the Turkish Cypriots and to restore the constitutional order as a guarantor power. Is it not so? I have been thinking in this manner as well, because this is what they taught us.

Unfortunately many of us would find out later why they swerved from the purpose and turned into occupying northern Cyprus.

The commander of Turkey's Land Forces General Yasar Buyukkanit confessed something very remarkable beyond all these during his recent visit to Cyprus! I do not know how it happened, but this is a very important and amazing confession that cannot escape one's eye. Upon a warning of a valuable friend I found the statement of the General. 'I read it again and again to avoid misunderstanding it. 'I am quoting the words of General Buyukkanit without changing even a comma: 'The reason because of which the Turkish army came here is not the people of the TRNC. It came here for the security of our Turkish citizens living in Northern Cyprus, for the security of our citizens of Turkish origin'. (!!!)

I do not know whether or not Prime Minister Erdogan was thinking of withdrawing some troops from Cyprus and be one step in front. If he had, however, it means that this dream failed after the words stressed by Turkey's Land Forces General Yasar Buyukkanit during his visit to northern Cyprus. What has the General stressed? 'Not a single soldier will be withdrawn before an agreement is reached'! The commander came to northern Cyprus in order to give this message to the JDP administration. The inspection of the military units here was just a camouflage. The whole issue was warning Erdogan for steps he was possibly planning to make. To remind him what he must never do!

Now you would ask: 'Well, could the commander not do this in Ankara and came to Cyprus to do it?' He could certainly do it, but he could not camouflage in such a beautiful manner the interference of the army in politics in Turkey and the fact that the army is the authority that has the last say, especially on the Cyprus issue! '".

[brother]

The title sums up what to feel about that statement made by the commander.

[brother]

I have to add its like being in the dark ages.

[boulio]

but insan isist that the greek ruling elite control t/c and not the turkish ruling elite which in large part is the turkish military.Turkey is there for her own interest not the trnc unfortunatly.I feel really bad for the t/c community in cyprus,they got screwed by greek nationalistic ideology once and know there getting screwed by turkish national interest for the last 30 years.

[iskismet]

Hi Guys

You are commenting on the paragraph below.

['I am quoting the words of General Buyukkanit without changing even a comma: 'The reason because of which the Turkish army came here is not the people of the TRNC. It came here for the security of our Turkish citizens living in Northern Cyprus, for the security of our citizens of Turkish origin'. (!!!)

I'm afraid I don't fully understand the significance of the sentence - or your comments.

Is he not saying that the TCs were not the sole reason but that there was also the other issue of the Greeks taking over the island?

What am I missing?[/quote]

[brother]

What we are reading into it is that it was her own interests not the tc.

[insan]

The words of the Turkish General Buyukanit sounded to me a total nonesense I haven't listened to his speech live, so I'm speaking according to what I've read on newspapers.

When they came to Cyprus in 1974, there were no Turkish citizens in Cyprus and no northern Cyprus. His statement is totally nonsense. Other than the article of Sener Levent; I didn't find just a single article critisizing him regarding his false speech . At least, the collumnists of "Ortam" and "Yeniduzen" should have critisized him regarding that part of his speech. Though according to the reports in his speech he also stated that the Turkish army came Cyprus for security of Turkish Cypriots...


It seems to me that General Buyukanit made a big blunder which should have been harshly critisized by media And NGOs.

[turkcyp]

TCs, GCs and alike. According to your opinion why did Turkey send its military to Cyprus in the summer of 1974?

I believe Turkey coming to Cyprus was completely legal and necessary. I believe Turkey had two reasons coming to island one internal relating to its own security and second external relating to TCs security. Having two separate reasons in this instance was not conflicting because they were very well aligned together.

Internal reason of Turkeys intervention was that Turkey was never let Grivas change the constitutional order of Cyprus and make it a part of Greece and let herself be surrounded by Greece from south as well. This was I believe Turkey’s personal aim. Turkey never came to island just to save TCs from getting exterminated here. Everybody knows that and nobody denies that.

At the same time, TCs on the island were in agreement with Turkey on this matter. The reason being we never wanted to be a part of the Greece anyway. After Turkey came to island why didn’t it leave back after Makarios came back into power? I guess at this point according to GCs and international politics things started being illegal. I assume nobody even GCs would claim that Turkish intervention was illegal if after Makarios came back to power she had left.

But Turkey did not leave. Why? At this point the second reason for Turkey coming to this island comes into play. The second reason is to save the TC existence on the island. It was a known truth that TCs were denied their rights from 1960 constitution by GCs, and it was also known that if the situation continues to be like that the TCs one day will either emigrate out of the island or forced to emigrate or killed slowly, etc. etc. that ine day will come there will not be anymore TC on the island. This was the TCs reason of supporting the intervention, and leaving after the Makarios government is restored does not make things turn back to 1960 agreement where TCs has rights. So TCs were left with a choice of either supporting continuation of intervention or truning back to period of between 1963-74 I guess it was a no brainer for them as well.

The best thing that would have cleaned this mess in 1974 was that if Turkey had said that if Makarios government gives our rights back from 1960 government then announce that she will leave.

But probably TCs would not have liked this at 1974 because by the time 1974 come along they did not want to leave mixed with GCs anyway. So they favored a federal solution which means to separate regions. They did not want any more constitutional rights and in fact they were even willing to give up some of their rights to get this bizonality back then.

And then years start passing by and politics start settling in both sides. GC political leaders start making unrealistic promises to their constituents like everybody will be able to turn back. And TC political leaders start pumping up the idea of independence to its constituents, and we have come till today and Turkish army is still here.

I do find the words of general a bit provocative though. Instead of saying not even one soldier will leave till there is a comprehensive solution, which in itself is not a bad thing. It means that when there is a solution we will leave. But what I did not like about the words were the fact that it also limits the idea of goodwill gesture from the Turkish side. He could have said something like this. The amount of Turkish soldiers can be reduced but they will never be eliminated from the island completely until there is a solution. I would have liked that.

But anyway, I still firmly believe that Turkey will start drawing its troops out of Cyprus this year. She probably with an agreement of TRNC government announce a timetable of draw. Saying 1/3 will leave by this year, 1/3 by this year, and the last 1/3 will stay till the solution is achieved. This will be done this year to earn more kudos in the eyes of international community and to make them understand that Turkey do want a solution to Cyprus problem.

Take care everybody and have a great weekend,

[-mikkie2-]

Turkey never came to island just to save TCs from getting exterminated here. Everybody knows that and nobody denies that.

Turkcyp,

Perhaps the Turkish 'ruling elite' should be reminded of that because their argument is that the Turkish Army invaded presicely to protect the TC's!

[iskismet]

But it was reasonable at the time to have two equal priorities surely?