Cyprus-Forum.com

[MR-from-NG]

Tuesday , 04 September 2007





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Turkey’s July 20, 1974 intervention on Cyprus was legal, say the Athens Court of Appeals and the Council of Europe.

The Council of Europe adopted Resolution 573 on July 29, 1974 on this particular case, stating that Turkey’s intervention on Cyprus was a legitimate act emanating from the Treaty of Guarantee, Part IV.

The historical decision of the Athens Court of Appeals, No. 2658/79, dates back to March 21, 1979.

On July 15, 1974, the junta ruling Greece implemented a coup d’etat on Cyprus, overthrowing the elected government of President Makarios, which had been in control since the independence of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960. On July 20 of the same year Turkey staged a military intervention to reverse the coup.

Turkey’s action was perfectly legitimate and understandable. It was in fact a duty, stationed by the 1960 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus; in Part IV of the Treaty of Guarantee, which forms part of the constitution. Cyprus was saved from being annexed by Greece and the Turkish Cypriots freed from Greek oppression.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the Western world only watched as the Turkish Cypriots were being massacred by their Greek Cypriot neighbors, with the aid of Greece, in a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing, and did nothing.

The splitting of Cyprus into two ethnically homogeneous, self-governing states was not achieved by the Turkish military intervention in 1974, as is commonly believed, but by Makarios and Georgios Grivas a decade earlier in 1963. All that the Turkish intervention of 1974 accomplished was to consolidate Turkish Cypriot enclaves into a unified Turkish Cypriot zone in Northern Cyprus and to save their lives.

Of all the nations in the world only Turkey had the humanity to save what was left of the Turkish Cypriot population after years of ethnic cleansing in 1974, and only Turkey now stands for justice in Cyprus.

Under the provisions of the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee which provided that the Hellenic Republic, Turkey and United Kingdom would ensure the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, it was Turkey’s legal duty to take unilateral military action purportedly to restore constitutional order.

The Turkish intervention was perfectly legal according to the Treaty of Guarantee of 1960. Its legality has even been acknowledged by the Standing Committee of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe in a resolution dated July 29, 1979, and by the Athens Court of Appeals in a decision dated March 21, 1979. Sampson admitted that he was just about to proclaim enosis (union of Cyprus with Greece) when the Turkish intervention occurred (Cyprus Mail, July 17, 1975).

A father of one of the Greek commandos sent to Cyprus by the Greek junta in July 1974 to fight against Turkish Cypriots and Turkish troops who was shot down by Greek Cypriot National Guard members, filed a case against the Greek government for compensation in December 1976.

The Court of Athens ruled in favor of the father and ordered reasonable compensation to be paid by the Department of the Treasury of the Greek Ministry of Finance.

The Ministry of Finance objected to the decision of the Court of Athens and appealed to the Athens Court of Appeals for a cancellation of this order.

But unexpectedly the Supreme Court decided in favor of the father again and confirmed the decision of the Court of Athens.

The first paragraphs of the justification of the Athens Court of Appeals explains in detail the 1960 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, Part IV of the Treaty of Guarantee, the rights of Turkey, the coup d’etat organized by the Greek junta against Makarios and the improper behavior of Gen. Phaedon Gizikis, the head of Greece’s junta government in 1974.

The very last paragraph clearly highlights the legitimacy of the Turkish intervention on Cyprus.

The preposterous assertions by the Greek and Greek Cypriot governments that the Turkish Cypriots are nothing but a rebellious minority and that the Turkish peace operation of 1974 was an unprovoked act of aggression are in fact aimed to misinform the world. Unfortunately many European and American politicians subscribe to this spurious version of events, not knowing that by promoting the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus without adequate guarantees for the protection of the Turkish Cypriot people they are, in fact, promoting the creation of new problems on the island which will turn out like Iraq if Turkish troops withdraw.

4 September 2007

[oranos64]

RIGHT ...HMMMM

[BigDutch]

Intervention - legal but proclamation of "TRNC" and ongoing occupation of northern part of the island - illegal.

[GeorgeV97qaue]

Well said Big Dutch. The Turks always like to twist things to suit them. How about all the UN resolutions that ask for Turkeys Illegal Occupation to end. They dont mention that. Stop posting shite.

[MR-from-NG]

Intervention - legal but proclamation of "TRNC" and ongoing occupation of northern part of the island - illegal.

Illegal for some morally justifiable for others. One mans meat another mans poison.

[the_snake_and_the_crane]

Illegal for some morally justifiable for others. One mans meat another mans poison.

Stop being such a fucking moron and admit when you are in the wrong.

Ethnically cleansing a 3rd of Cyprus is justifiable to you!?

...and dont even bother saying yes because the Turkish Cypriots were being attacked because we both know thats not true.

[Kifeas]

We have had this discussion in this forum about 100 times in the past! Based on the UN Charter, the pinnacle of international law and the only international treaty that has the status of ruling over any other international agreement, the Turkish invasion was illegal!

Turkey did not have the right to invade Cyprus, more so prior to the issue of the Junta coup against Makarios being discuss buy the UN SC, and prior to the UN SC issuing of a resolution calling for any set of measures or intervention against the coupists and the Greek Junta!

Article 103 of the UN Charter rules the provision for "unilateral intervention" of the "1960 treaty of guarantee," inapplicable and ineffective, since it contradicts with the provisions of the UN Charter, the highest level of international treaty and the pinnacle of international law!

The Turkish invasion, set aside the occupation, the ethnic cleansing and the property looting of the GCs, was illegal, full stop! If Turkey had the guts, it would have accepted a judgment by the international court of Hague, when Cyprus had invited her in numerous occasions to do so!

Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, was in violation of the UN Charter and consequently of international law, full stop!

[GeorgeV97qaue]

Intervention - legal but proclamation of "TRNC" and ongoing occupation of northern part of the island - illegal.

Illegal for some morally justifiable for others. One mans meat another mans poison.

Who are you kidding mate. When Turkey invaded they said they were only carrying out the action so they could restore the legal goverment. Where is the justification for them to be their now. If Turkey are serious about getting into the EU then they should leave Cyprus now let the two communitys re-unite. The GC's are not going to start kiling the TC's are they as we are now part of the EU. Can you really see Brussles allowing that. Just excuses.

[Kifeas]

Intervention - legal but proclamation of "TRNC" and ongoing occupation of northern part of the island - illegal.

Not right!

Turkish invasion was in violation of the UN Charter, therefore illegal, full stop!

[MR-from-NG]

and dont even bother saying yes because the Turkish Cypriots were being attacked because we both know thats not true.

So, when I was a young lad and men with guns were advancing towards our village and killing anybody who stood in their way were what? Turks? Maltese, perhaps Martians?

I think you are the one behaving like a moron, not me.