Cyprus-Forum.com

[Piratis]

Outspoken MEP fails to impress with his usual antics

CONTROVERSIAL MEP Marios Matsakis wrapped up his visit to Turkey in typically dramatic style, though he was made aware in no uncertain terms that he had outstayed his welcome.

Matsakis had been attending Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission meetings in Ankara, but by the day of his departure he had managed to annoy his Turkish hosts on more than one occasion.

While talking to journalists at the waiting lounge of Atat?rk International Airport on Friday, the MEP reportedly flashed a picture of a Greek Cypriot family, claiming that the father had been killed by Turkish troops during the 1974 hostilities.

Moreover, Matsakis pointed out, one of the family’s six children was probably in Turkish captivity.

But according to the Turkish media, the antics did not impress a Turkish parliamentarian who had overheard the comments and rushed to the waiting lounge to admonish Matsakis.

“Enough of this nonsense. Go home,” the Turkish deputy reportedly told the MEP.

It was apparently the last straw for his Turkish hosts, who had put up with Matsakis’ sound bytes for several days.

In one instance, he declared that “there is no democracy in Cyprus.” He would also walk around showing people pictures of dilapidated Christian churches in the occupied areas, blaming the Turkish occupation for this state of affairs.

But arguably his most sensational move was boasting that he had snatched a Turkish flag from an unmanned guard post in the buffer zone last November

He likened his action to the tearing down of the Nazi flag from the Acropolis during World War II.

“Send him away,” demanded a Turkish daily, whose editor had obviously had enough of Matsakis’ shenanigans.

Just look at how Cyprus Mail treats a person who dared to say the truth about the Turkish crimes. They give their full support to the Turks as if what Matsakis was saying is untrue.

How is this article helping Cyprus? By implying that the crimes of the Turkish army exist only in the imagination of some crazy guy?

Well, we had enough of Cyprus Mail. Should we also say "send them away"? This is a practice that Cyprus Mail apparently approves, along with all the other criminal and undemocratic practices of Turkey.

[Piratis]

Here is how Phileleftheros reports the event:

Κωνσταντινούπολη: Η παραμονή του Κύπριου Ευρωβουλευτή Μάριου Ματσάκη στην Τουρκία έληξε με άλλη μια αντιπαράθεση κατά την αναχώρησή του από το αεροδρόμιο Ατατούρκ της Κωνσταντινούπολης. Ο κ. Ματσάκης, o οποίος είχε γίνει πρωτοσέλιδο θέμα στις τουρκικές εφημερίδες όταν κατέβασε την τουρκική σημαία από φυλάκιο στην Πράσινη Γραμμή, συμμετείχε στην 56η συνάντηση της Μικτής Επιτροπής ΕΕ-Τουρκίας του Ευρωκοινοβουλίου που έγινε στην Άγκυρα αυτή την εβδομάδα. Ο κ. Ματσάκης εξόργισε τους Τούρκους όταν είπε ότι είναι υπερήφανος που κατέβασε την τουρκική σημαία και ότι η πράξη του αυτή μοιάζει με αυτή εκείνων που κατέβασαν την ναζιστική σημαία από την Ακρόπολη κατά το Δεύτερο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο.

Ο κ. Ματσάκης ήλθε συχνά σε φραστική αντιπαράθεση με Τούρκους βουλευτές, μοίρασε φωτογραφίες εκκλησιών στην Κύπρο που είπε ότι έχουν βεβηλωθεί από τους Τούρκους. Επίσης έκανε δηλώσεις που δημοσιεύτηκαν σε τουρκικές εφημερίδες, του τύπου «υποστηρίζω την Ευρωπαϊκή προοπτική της Τουρκίας, αλλά πηγαίνετε να ρωτήσετε τους στρατηγούς σας οι οποίοι δεν θέλουν να μπει η Τουρκία στην ΕΕ».

Ενώ αναχωρούσε την Παρασκευή, ο κ. Ματσάκης έδειξε φωτογραφίες στους δημοσιογράφους μιας ελληνικής οικογένειας από την Κύπρο λέγοντας ότι ο τουρκικός στρατός σκότωσε τον πατέρα το 1974 και ότι ένα από τα έξι παιδιά έχει χαθεί. «Νομίζω ότι το παιδί αυτό τώρα βρίσκεται στα χέρια του τουρκικού στρατού», είπε.

Ο Φερίτ Ασλάνογλου, βουλευτής του αντιπολιτευόμενου Ρεπουμπλικανικού
Λαϊκού Κόμματος που βρισκόταν επίσης στο σαλόνι αναμονής πλησίασε τον κ. Ματσάκη και του φώναξε «Σταματήστε αυτές τις ανοησίες και πηγαίνετε σπίτι σας».

Ο Κύπριος Ευρωβουλευτής δεν θέλησε να συνεχίσει τη συνομιλία του με τους δημοσιογράφους και πήγε στο σαλόνι αναμονής των VIP, γράφει ο σημερινός τουρκικός Τύπος.

Those that know greek can see the difference between the CM and the Phileleftheros article on the same event.

A foreigner (one of CM targets) who knows little about Cyprus would read the CM article and think "ha, there was this crazy guy that went to Turkey and said lies. Good thing that they kicked him out". And this is exactly what CM wants him to think.

[andri_cy]

Wow, I saw the CM article earlier today and I thought that it was a bit harsh on Matsakis. Glad to see someone else thinks that also.

[cypezokyli]

it is interesting to see how the "enemy" views matsakis

M.A.Birand argues :

We are falling to this man's trap:

The Turkish media is very masochistic.

Whenever a Greek Cypriot member of the European Parliament comes to Turkey, all eyes and cameras turn to him or her and the member starts the show. They do their utmost to make us angry and suddenly dominate the headlines.

Friends, colleagues, don't do it. This man, Marios Matsakis, is not taken seriously by anyone. Not even other Greek Cypriots listen to what he says. The only reason he's still a member of the European Parliament is the stories that appear in the Turkish media.

In other words, if we don't take him seriously, he will just disappear.

Why are we so gullible?

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/edit ... ali_birand


firstly , i hope you understand that there is no objective media out there. and this example is clear.

second let me remind you , that even his party and tpap himself said during his last "patriotic act" - when ofcource he didnot forget the greatest duty of a patriot : to call the channels. i honestly do not understand how you people are still paying attention to this guy. i mean ok , he has tricked the cyprus public for a while , but not anymore.
moreover had he had any respect for the cyprus public he wouldnt have "baught" from uknown sources ancient boxes from the occupied areas , confiscated by the police - if i may remind you . or - as a typical great patriot - blackmail a policeman demanding thousand of pounds for a rousfet.

once again , it is the actions who show how much a man loves his country and not his patriotic fireworks.

not to mention that these cases are not being tried bc :
1. his hiding behind his MP immunity (where his greekness should have told him : katharos ouranos astrapes den fovate )
2. by suing the (american paid - ofcource) newspaper for publishing his achievements.

he is a populist . and these are his last fireworks to try to stay in publicity.


the purpose of cyprus can be helped by people who are....how can i put it nicely ? .....hmmm.... from people in a healthy state of mind

Ο κ. Ματσάκης εξόργισε τους Τούρκους όταν είπε ότι είναι υπερήφανος που κατέβασε την τουρκική σημαία και ότι η πράξη του αυτή μοιάζει με αυτή εκείνων που κατέβασαν την ναζιστική σημαία από την Ακρόπολη κατά το Δεύτερο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο.
He likened his action to the tearing down of the Nazi flag from the Acropolis during World War II.

its a discrace for the two people who brought down the nazi flag to be compared with this guy.
firtly the two greeks , have put their lives in danger , and one of the two was killed by the nazis , where matsakis put a flag down from a post which was UNGUARDED! or to be honest . from a post , like a brave patriot which HE KNEW that it was unguarded.
second they didnot call the media. a typical matsakis patriotic tactic.

Well, we had enough of Cyprus Mail. Should we also say "send them away"?

i say , burn it.

This is a practice that Cyprus Mail apparently approves, along with all the other criminal and undemocratic practices of Turkey.

and this is ofcource your interpratation.

[Damsi]

CONTROVERSIAL MEP Marios Matsakis wrapped up his visit to Turkey in typically dramatic style, though he was made aware in no uncertain terms that he had outstayed his welcome.
FACT
He is controversial. His is dramatic and he was told by the Turks he was not welcome.

Matsakis had been attending Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission meetings in Ankara, but by the day of his departure he had managed to annoy his Turkish hosts on more than one occasion.
FACT. Yes he annoyed his Turkish hosts.

While talking to journalists at the waiting lounge of Atat?rk International Airport on Friday, the MEP reportedly flashed a picture of a Greek Cypriot family, claiming that the father had been killed by Turkish troops during the 1974 hostilities.
FACT. Yes he flashed pictures

Moreover, Matsakis pointed out, one of the family’s six children was probably in Turkish captivity.
FACT. Yes he said that too.

But according to the Turkish media, the antics did not impress a Turkish parliamentarian who had overheard the comments and rushed to the waiting lounge to admonish Matsakis.
FACT. This what the Turkish papers said.

“Enough of this nonsense. Go home,” the Turkish deputy reportedly told the MEP.
FACT. This was said

It was apparently the last straw for his Turkish hosts, who had put up with Matsakis’ sound bytes for several days. FACT. He was making sound bytes for several days.

In one instance, he declared that “there is no democracy in Cyprus.” He would also walk around showing people pictures of dilapidated Christian churches in the occupied areas, blaming the Turkish occupation for this state of affairs.
FACT. He said what he said.

But arguably his most sensational move was boasting that he had snatched a Turkish flag from an unmanned guard post in the buffer zone last November
FACT. He does boast about snatching the flag.

He likened his action to the tearing down of the Nazi flag from the Acropolis during World War II.
FACT. If the man said it, it must be a fact.

“Send him away,” demanded a Turkish daily, whose editor had obviously had enough of Matsakis’ shenanigans. FACT. Yes the Turks said that.

I don't see any opinion of the writer in this piece. News stories are not opinion pieces. They are about the correct facts. There is absolutely no implication there that Matsakis was lying about anything. The story clearly states that it was the Turks who thought he was crazy. What do you want from newspapers? To write: "The great patriotic hero Marios Matsakis stuck it to the Turks..." or "Poor misunderstood Marios Matsakis was treated badly by the Turks...".
On the other hand if CM had written: 'Crazy mad lunatic Marios Matsakis upset our dear Turkish brothers...", you might have a point
How would any of the above be sticking to the facts?

FYI Matsakis used to have his own column in the CM. Yes that's right, Matsakis used to WRITE for the CM a few years back.

And don't say the CM never defended Matsakis either...
"ANOTHER word of sympathy for Dr Marios Matsakis, who has been suspended for a year by the Cyprus Medical Association. This is one of the harshest decisions ever taken, out of all proportion to what the doctor actually did. In fact he didn't really do anything, he merely spoke unflatteringly about a few doctors.
The Cyprus Medical Association turns a blind eye to cases of blatant medical negligence, not even slapping culprits on the wrists, but is quite happy to suspend Matsakis for something he said. Don't worry, Super-Mario, we may have our political differences but we are on your side because we love a guy who kicks against the pricks."

[Damsi]

You managed to ignore this story from the same edition. Maybe you would like to read it and tell me how it supports Britain's positions, according to YOUR interpretation of course.

Britain witholds NG parts
By Elias Hazou
DAMAGED National Guard property that ended up in Britain is being withheld by authorities there, Defence Minister Koullis Mavronikolas said yesterday.
Mavronikolas was confirming press reports, according to which the British government is refusing to return weapons systems parts to the Cypriot military.
The malfunctioning equipment was initially retuned to the Swiss manufacturers for repairs, but the Swiss then forwarded it to London because one of the components is made in the UK.
But on learning that the parts were owned by Cyprus, British authorities refused to hand them back either to the National Guard or the Swiss company.
The explanation given was that returning the materiel would violate Britain’s arms embargo on the island.
However, it is well known that a large quantity of US and British arms make their way to the occupied territories via Turkey.

Let me help you. First off the reporter would not have bothered calling the Defence Minister to GET HIS SIDE OF THE STORY. He would only have called the Brits and got them to say Cyprus was violating an arms embargo and given the impression that Cyprus was at fault. Secondly the reporter would have conveniently omitted the fact that US and British weapons are illegally in the north. And thirdly he would have not used the term "occupied territories".
In fact if he was a foreign shill, he could have left that FACT out completely and the other innocent foreign readers would have the wrong impression.
Shucks. I guess the paper will now have its foreign funding cut for stating it like it is rather than how the Brits would like it.

[Bananiot]

For a start, I wonder why Piratis felt the need to start a new thead on the CM when there is one thread running that has been quite successful in atracting many comments from members.

Secondly, I find the way the CM reported the activities of Madsakis in Turkey, very objective. The CM has not condemned the populist doctor in any way close to the condemnation he received from his own party and Papadopoulos himself after his rambo style snatching of a Turkish flag from an unmanned station in the buffer zone. If Piratis thinks that the CM should be condemned for the way it reported Madsakis's visit to Turkey, then he must have something to say about the way Papadopoulos condemned him.

I thank god the CM exist. Its like an oasis in a desert ...

[miltiades]

I agree with Bananiot on this one , Damsi also clarified the role of a good journalist -Report facts not opinions .
I have read both reports and do not find the CM REPORT AS ANYTHING MORE THAN A REPORT.

[cypezokyli]

hehe
i will disagree with all of you.

as i said many times , objectivity doesnot exist. from the two above reports one can extrect the basic facts, but one has to admit that they both give a different impression when being read. and thats precisely the point i am trying to make the whole time. NO single newspaper reports "raw facts". bc both of the above reports are suppossed to be giving us "raw facts". but together with the raw facts they do give a feeling of approvement or disaprovement of the event.

thats is why when you read only the "raw facts" from phileleftheros for a whole year and from CM you will end up drawing different conclusions. bc NOBODY ever does report facts. none of them is objective , and the best thing one can do is to read more than one newspaper in order to perhaps come close to the raw facts.

the problem with following that position is that , when one has already identified half of the newspapers as "american paid" and ends up reading the raw facts of phileleftheros and simerini...then... suddenly 48% doesnot want to live next to tcs anymore , and the worst is : WE ARE SURPRISED!!! (i am mixing subjects right now.. )

thats why imo , it is better to read the "opinions" part. there you know that a person is promoting an opinion and accordingly you can judge. and besides , that is the purpose of journalism. to give an opinion on what caused an event and what concequences an event might have . and these can only be "opinions". besides , newspapers would have been really boring without that. would you ever bothered to buy a newspaper that said : the price of oil is 75$ ? first you listen to that already 15 times that day from radios and tv stations. what i am interested is which factors have caused that , and which of them are the most important ones and if theres anything that can be done against it , and what can we expect in the future , and all of the above are nothing less than mere BELIEFS.

[Kifeas]

Outspoken MEP fails to impress with his usual antics

CONTROVERSIAL MEP Marios Matsakis wrapped up his visit to Turkey in typically dramatic style, though he was made aware in no uncertain terms that he had outstayed his welcome.

Matsakis had been attending Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission meetings in Ankara, but by the day of his departure he had managed to annoy his Turkish hosts on more than one occasion.

While talking to journalists at the waiting lounge of Atat?rk International Airport on Friday, the MEP reportedly flashed a picture of a Greek Cypriot family, claiming that the father had been killed by Turkish troops during the 1974 hostilities.

Moreover, Matsakis pointed out, one of the family’s six children was probably in Turkish captivity.

But according to the Turkish media, the antics did not impress a Turkish parliamentarian who had overheard the comments and rushed to the waiting lounge to admonish Matsakis.

“Enough of this nonsense. Go home,” the Turkish deputy reportedly told the MEP.

It was apparently the last straw for his Turkish hosts, who had put up with Matsakis’ sound bytes for several days.

In one instance, he declared that “there is no democracy in Cyprus.” He would also walk around showing people pictures of dilapidated Christian churches in the occupied areas, blaming the Turkish occupation for this state of affairs.

But arguably his most sensational move was boasting that he had snatched a Turkish flag from an unmanned guard post in the buffer zone last November

He likened his action to the tearing down of the Nazi flag from the Acropolis during World War II.

“Send him away,” demanded a Turkish daily, whose editor had obviously had enough of Matsakis’ shenanigans.

Just look at how Cyprus Mail treats a person who dared to say the truth about the Turkish crimes. They give their full support to the Turks as if what Matsakis was saying is untrue.

How is this article helping Cyprus? By implying that the crimes of the Turkish army exist only in the imagination of some crazy guy?

Well, we had enough of Cyprus Mail. Should we also say "send them away"? This is a practice that Cyprus Mail apparently approves, along with all the other criminal and undemocratic practices of Turkey.

I fully agree with Piratis.

They way, yet again, that Cyprus Mail handles the above story is despicable!

G/C donkeys! Is it an antic and all the rest that CM had claimed, to demonstrate against the injustice that was committed and is being committed against your country by Turkey, in any way possible, or you do not believe that there was/is an injustice being committed?
Idiots! Shame on you!
Haivania!