Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

The Turkish state television station TRT is broadcasting a documentary series about the recent history of Cyprus. This documentary apparently takes an extremely one-sided view of events. Just as back in the 1950's the Turkish government used the activities of the Cyprus is Turkish Society and events like 6/7 September 1955 to create public support for a more hardline approach to Cyprus, I wonder if this documentary presages the adoption here and now of a more hard-line approach towards Cyprus by the Turkish government.

Columnist Tümay Tuğyan made some interesting comments on this point in the Yeni Düzen newspaper on 24/10/2008. I have translated this section of her column below:

http://www.yeniduzengazetesi.com/templa ... &zoneid=16

The “Cyprus from Yesterday to Today” documentary.

Some of you are surely watching it. Since 6 October, TRT 2 has been broadcasting a documentary about Cyprus. The documentary, entitled “Cyprus from Yesterday to Today”, examines the past fifty years of the island’s political history.
I may be starting some kind of conspiracy theory, but when I look at the texts used in the documentary, the witnesses whose opinions are sought, the statements made by these witnesses, the language they use to describe events and the various extremely obvious points which great effort is made to hammer home to viewers, my stomach begins to turn.
Bearing in mind the ongoing process on the question of Cyprus and the talks that commenced last month, I cannot help but view with suspicion a documentary whose main narrator is former President Rauf Denktash, which views the Cyprus problem from a single window, which reeks of nationalism, which declares Greek Cypriots as a whole to be cutthroats, and, in these very days in which the question of guarantees is being debated, which sanctifies Turkey’s “rights” and “authority” over the island.
I ask myself whether this is the right time for such a documentary. And I turn round and reply myself, “Yes, this is just the right time for those who do not want peace on the island.”
Both the contents and the timing of the documentary, as well as the fact that it is being broadcast on the state TRT station, are highly significant. We all know about the tension between Denktash and the AKP. The reason for this tension is undoubtedly the Cyprus problem.
Their political stances on the Cyprus problem turned the AKP and Denktash, if I may use the expression, into sworn enemies. This being so, for a television station which broadcasts in co-ordination with the AKP government to transmit a documentary which is dominated by Denktash and people who share his political views makes one stop and think.
Either the Justice and Development Party, from its murky depths, is attempting to mobilise Turkish opinion with a view to wrecking the peace process, or the “state”, its clout far exceeding that of the AKP, is using the TRT for this purpose. Quite honestly, I cannot see a third explanation.

[T_C]

Hardly anything to worry about if it's being aired on TRT Tim, let alone TRT "2".

Who in their right mind would watch that channel anyways?

[Nikitas]

"rights and authority" of Turkey, (bugger the TCs), you do not need more than that. It reminds me of the Imia crisis which was also well engineered by the usual suspects. Or that unique burst of enthusiam by Mrs Ciller: "today Turkish jets are bobmbing the heard of Europe". Same old same old.

[Tim Drayton]

Same old same old.

There was a lot of hope at one time that the coming to power of the AKP would usher in a radical paradigm shift in Turkey's Cyprus policy. This did appear to be happening a few years ago, as witnessed by the fall from grace of Denktash, but now we seem to be back where we started. Perhaps a more appropriate exclamation, then, might be:
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

[Nikitas]

Tim, the clue to Turkish policy regarding Cyprus was the reaction to the oil exploration agreement between Cyprus and Egypt. Turkey is not willing to countenance any nation having any rights in the eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish claims reach as far as the delimitation line of the Egyptian continental shelf and EEZ as if Cyprus was not there. THis attitude was recently reaffirmed by the announcement of the Turkish navy chief that he is sending ships to patrol the Cyprus continental shelf and EEZ.

Since there has never been an open public debate in Turkey about its Cyprus policy, we can only infer from facts what that policy might be. The reaction to the continental shelf issue is one such fact and it does not lead to any hopeful conclusions.

[Bananiot]

Thanks Tim for the translation. I also think that there are worrying messages coming from AKP. The recent hardening stance on the Cyprob as seen at the negotiation table (probably to the dismay of Talat) highlights this turn on behalf of Erdogan who probably thinks that this is not the right time to solve the Cyprus issue. If this is the case, there is no way the Turkish Cypriots will stand behind and vote for any solution plan, in their majority at least. In 2003-2004, with the help of Erdogan, a working majority was forged in favour of solution, but of course we were blinded at the time by the bigots on our side who would rather see partition than a Cyprus run by Grrek and Turkish Cypriots. Erdogan now can affort to be complacent with the generals and the deep state by giving them a bigger bite and an issue of national interests, such as the cyprob, would be enough to keep them happy, once things return to their way of thinking.

It also appears that Talat is on the way out and of course we shall have Denktash in front of us at the negotiating table, probably in the shape of Ertogruloglu. Things are very gloomy to say the least, and to suggest that the EU will not allow Ertogruloglu to act as the leader of the Turkish Cypriots, like a forumer wrote earlier today, shows how far we stand from reality.

[halil]

Tim ,
Tümay Tuğyan works at Bayrak TV ....

I hope you can translate below one as well for forum members . most of the GC's forum members knows about this report but TC's at abroad or other forum members does not read greek or turkish ...

tell them what Prist is thinking as well ......

Chrisostomos + Denktash ....TRT ..... ???????

http://www.kibrisligazetesi.net/kibrisl ... e_id=17881

[paliometoxo]

is it going to be in english? i have the turkish channels here to

[Tim Drayton]

Tim ,
Tümay Tuğyan works at Bayrak TV ....

I hope you can translate below one as well for forum members . most of the GC's forum members knows about this report but TC's at abroad or other forum members does not read greek or turkish ...

tell them what Prist is thinking as well ......

Chrisostomos + Denktash ....TRT ..... ???????

http://www.kibrisligazetesi.net/kibrisl ... e_id=17881

Halil, I think you can find this here:

http://www.greekrealm.com/forum/current ... ement.html

This is rather old news, isn't it?

[halil]

Tim ,
Tümay Tuğyan works at Bayrak TV ....

I hope you can translate below one as well for forum members . most of the GC's forum members knows about this report but TC's at abroad or other forum members does not read greek or turkish ...

tell them what Prist is thinking as well ......

Chrisostomos + Denktash ....TRT ..... ???????

http://www.kibrisligazetesi.net/kibrisl ... e_id=17881

Halil, I think you can find this here:

http://www.greekrealm.com/forum/current ... ement.html

This is rather old news, isn't it?

Your one and this one it is not same news Tim ,

İ will try to put down to see who is trying to do what .... like documentary one .... they are all same .....