Just a little part of the Tpap interview with an Arab journalist. This was written by a Greek Cypriot:
Does the President suffer memory loss?
Opinion
By Loucas G Charalambous
The interviews given by President Papadopoulos have developed into a unique form of self-flagellation, to such a degree that we should be asking what is actually happening. His responses in the interview to the publisher of the United Arab Emirates-based English language newspaper Khaleej Times, Mohammed Galadari, were bizarre and raised several questions.
Here is an excerpt:
Galadari: Turkish Cypriots said that after independence and before the Turkish troops came, within 11 years, lots of massacres occurred. When the Turkish troops came, they saved them from further violence, and if they hadn't come, all of them might have been killed?
Papadopoulos: They say that and claim that the Turkish troops protected them.
Galadari: The Turkish Cypriots say that Mr Papadopoulos is a hardliner.
Papadopoulos: From the beginning, they were planning for a separation. But, in fact, the Turkish Cypriots were the ones who committed massacres and in 1963 we asked to increase the police patrols, but they refused. From 1963 to 1974, how many Turkish Cypriots were killed? The answer is none.
We should resist the temptation to laugh at this response by the President. The situation might be more serious than what it seems and it would be wrong to laugh at it. I did not have time to read my archives so as to give you a relatively accurate number of Turkish Cypriots (or of Greek Cypriots) who were killed between 1963 and 1974. I will just remind you that during this period, there were bloody clashes in Masoura-Tylliria, in Lefka-Ambelikou, in Trypimeni, in Arsos, in Mari and in Kophinou-Ayios Theodoros.
You can read the whole stuff at:
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmfaff/113/113we23.htm
Sometimes just one word can destroy everything. And Tpap's "none" word had ended any hopes for him in the hearts of Turkish Cypriots.