Cyprus-Forum.com

[zan]

Minister: Cyprus-Greece defense pact defunct

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - Cyprus' defense minister said Monday that a military pact signed with Greece 15 years ago is defunct, a major policy shift seen as an attempt to boost reunification talks on the ethnically divided island.
The 1993 Joint Defense Pact, under which Greece would come to Cyprus' aid if Turkish troops crossed the


112-mile (180-kilometer) cease-fire line that splits the island, existed only in theory and lacked substance, Costas Papacostas said in a television interview.
His comments came as Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat try to reach a reunification deal that includes seeking to reduce the influence of Greece and Turkey on the island's affairs.
«It was just fireworks,» Papacostas said on state-run CyBC television of the pact that Greek and Cypriot officials had said as recently as last year remained in effect.
Papacostas said Greece could still help Cyprus in case of armed conflict, but did not elaborate. He also said that Greek armed forces would continue to help train the Greek Cypriot National Guard.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded in response to a coup by supporters of uniting the island with Greece. Cyprus gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960. Under its constitution, Greece, Turkey and Britain remained guarantors of its independence.
Christofias seeks a military-free Cyprus under a future peace accord and end the guarantee system. Talat favors the guarantees continuing but would agree to a cut in the Turkish military contingent providing security to the minority Turkish Cypriots.
Some 35,000 Turkish troops are deployed in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north compared with 10,000 Greek Cypriot conscripts in the internationally recognized

[DT.]

Are you congratulating the government of Cyprus for putting into action policies that encourage unification despite the risk being taken on our security?

This must be the most positive post you've ever made Zan. Well done!

[zan]

Are you congratulating the government of Cyprus for putting into action policies that encourage unification despite the risk being taken on our security?

This must be the most positive post you've ever made Zan. Well done!

We al get out what we want from these little political statements DT......I just like al to see which polar region people are on.....It seems that the GC game of trying to look whiter than white is still carrying on. People are not so easily fooled any more....Information is too fast for that to happen now. The UN can be informed on anything they might miss within minutes.....

[DT.]

Are you congratulating the government of Cyprus for putting into action policies that encourage unification despite the risk being taken on our security?

This must be the most positive post you've ever made Zan. Well done!

We al get out what we want from these little political statements DT......I just like al to see which polar region people are on.....It seems that the GC game of trying to look whiter than white is still carrying on. People are not so easily fooled any more....Information is too fast for that to happen now. The UN can be informed on anything they might miss within minutes.....

Can you ever stick to a point? You're all over the place spitting out slogans and cliches again.

Lets focus Zan, what bothers you with the post above?

[zan]

Are you congratulating the government of Cyprus for putting into action policies that encourage unification despite the risk being taken on our security?

This must be the most positive post you've ever made Zan. Well done!

We al get out what we want from these little political statements DT......I just like al to see which polar region people are on.....It seems that the GC game of trying to look whiter than white is still carrying on. People are not so easily fooled any more....Information is too fast for that to happen now. The UN can be informed on anything they might miss within minutes.....

Can you ever stick to a point? You're all over the place spitting out slogans and cliches again.

Lets focus Zan, what bothers you with the post above?

What bothers me DT is that you guys have been trying to tell us that you have no ties with Greece at all and Nikitas has called me a fool for even suggesting that you had a common defense policy. By saying the policy is defunct proves that there was one in place. By then trying to cover your backs by saying that it was not really a pact anyway is just another rouse as far as I am concerned.....This just shows how the policy of removing the Turks from our defense was so dangerous to us...Add the fact hat when there was a chance of Iran attacking Turkey and you moved your troops to the border makes my blood boil.....

[DT.]

Are you congratulating the government of Cyprus for putting into action policies that encourage unification despite the risk being taken on our security?

This must be the most positive post you've ever made Zan. Well done!

We al get out what we want from these little political statements DT......I just like al to see which polar region people are on.....It seems that the GC game of trying to look whiter than white is still carrying on. People are not so easily fooled any more....Information is too fast for that to happen now. The UN can be informed on anything they might miss within minutes.....

Can you ever stick to a point? You're all over the place spitting out slogans and cliches again.

Lets focus Zan, what bothers you with the post above?

What bothers me DT is that you guys have been trying to tell us that you have no ties with Greece at all and Nikitas has called me a fool for even suggesting that you had a common defense policy. By saying the policy is defunct proves that there was one in place. By then trying to cover your backs by saying that it was not really a pact anyway is just another rouse as far as I am concerned.....This just shows how the policy of removing the Turks from our defense was so dangerous to us...Add the fact hat when there was a chance of Iran attacking Turkey and you moved your troops to the border makes my blood boil.....

The mandate of the joint defense pact agreed to by Clerides and Papandreou was that any further attack on the ROC was a cassus belli for Greece. There is no reason to hide this and its objective is extremely honourable. To prevent further agression by Turkey on the island of Cyprus.

The pact however has been deteriorating since Karamanlis took power leading up the present day where Christofias would like nothing better than to elminate all trace of this plan due to his anti-Greece and pro-unification stance.

As for your Iran scenario, is this another 3 year old memory?

[zan]

Are you congratulating the government of Cyprus for putting into action policies that encourage unification despite the risk being taken on our security?

This must be the most positive post you've ever made Zan. Well done!

We al get out what we want from these little political statements DT......I just like al to see which polar region people are on.....It seems that the GC game of trying to look whiter than white is still carrying on. People are not so easily fooled any more....Information is too fast for that to happen now. The UN can be informed on anything they might miss within minutes.....

Can you ever stick to a point? You're all over the place spitting out slogans and cliches again.

Lets focus Zan, what bothers you with the post above?

What bothers me DT is that you guys have been trying to tell us that you have no ties with Greece at all and Nikitas has called me a fool for even suggesting that you had a common defense policy. By saying the policy is defunct proves that there was one in place. By then trying to cover your backs by saying that it was not really a pact anyway is just another rouse as far as I am concerned.....This just shows how the policy of removing the Turks from our defense was so dangerous to us...Add the fact hat when there was a chance of Iran attacking Turkey and you moved your troops to the border makes my blood boil.....

The mandate of the joint defense pact agreed to by Clerides and Papandreou was that any further attack on the ROC was a cassus belli for Greece. There is no reason to hide this and its objective is extremely honourable. To prevent further agression by Turkey on the island of Cyprus.

The pact however has been deteriorating since Karamanlis took power leading up the present day where Christofias would like nothing better than to elminate all trace of this plan due to his anti-Greece and pro-unification stance.

As for your Iran scenario, is this another 3 year old memory?

What sort of watch do you wear DT...Obviously one made on Greek time.....It not only stopped on 1974 but also has a special hand that moves fast past any Greek mistakes or plots and then comes to a screeching halt when anything negative about Turkey comes about...Iran doesn't threaten to attack Turkey every day so the relevance has to stay with when it happened and might happen again.....

And if you really are trying to convince the world that Greece has no intention of supporting the "RoC" in any conflict, especially with Turkey or that they have thrown all plans to do so out of the window then you guys really are taking the piss!!!

[DT.]

Are you congratulating the government of Cyprus for putting into action policies that encourage unification despite the risk being taken on our security?

This must be the most positive post you've ever made Zan. Well done!

We al get out what we want from these little political statements DT......I just like al to see which polar region people are on.....It seems that the GC game of trying to look whiter than white is still carrying on. People are not so easily fooled any more....Information is too fast for that to happen now. The UN can be informed on anything they might miss within minutes.....

Can you ever stick to a point? You're all over the place spitting out slogans and cliches again.

Lets focus Zan, what bothers you with the post above?

What bothers me DT is that you guys have been trying to tell us that you have no ties with Greece at all and Nikitas has called me a fool for even suggesting that you had a common defense policy. By saying the policy is defunct proves that there was one in place. By then trying to cover your backs by saying that it was not really a pact anyway is just another rouse as far as I am concerned.....This just shows how the policy of removing the Turks from our defense was so dangerous to us...Add the fact hat when there was a chance of Iran attacking Turkey and you moved your troops to the border makes my blood boil.....

The mandate of the joint defense pact agreed to by Clerides and Papandreou was that any further attack on the ROC was a cassus belli for Greece. There is no reason to hide this and its objective is extremely honourable. To prevent further agression by Turkey on the island of Cyprus.

The pact however has been deteriorating since Karamanlis took power leading up the present day where Christofias would like nothing better than to elminate all trace of this plan due to his anti-Greece and pro-unification stance.

As for your Iran scenario, is this another 3 year old memory?

What sort of watch do you wear DT...Obviously one made on Greek time.....It not only stopped on 1974 but also has a special hand that moves fast past any Greek mistakes or plots and then comes to a screeching halt when anything negative about Turkey comes about...Iran doesn't threaten to attack Turkey every day so the relevance has to stay with when it happened and might happen again.....

And if you really are trying to convince the world that Greece has no intention of supporting the "RoC" in any conflict, especially with Turkey or that they have thrown all plans to do so out of the window then you guys really are taking the piss!!!

Not trying to tell you that at all, I hope and pray Greece comes to help if Turkey attacks again although it will not be in the organised and solid manner the pact had envisaged since its demise.

As long as we are at war with Turkey we should be trying to enlist the help of us many countries in the world.

[zan]

Are you congratulating the government of Cyprus for putting into action policies that encourage unification despite the risk being taken on our security?

This must be the most positive post you've ever made Zan. Well done!

We al get out what we want from these little political statements DT......I just like al to see which polar region people are on.....It seems that the GC game of trying to look whiter than white is still carrying on. People are not so easily fooled any more....Information is too fast for that to happen now. The UN can be informed on anything they might miss within minutes.....

Can you ever stick to a point? You're all over the place spitting out slogans and cliches again.

Lets focus Zan, what bothers you with the post above?

What bothers me DT is that you guys have been trying to tell us that you have no ties with Greece at all and Nikitas has called me a fool for even suggesting that you had a common defense policy. By saying the policy is defunct proves that there was one in place. By then trying to cover your backs by saying that it was not really a pact anyway is just another rouse as far as I am concerned.....This just shows how the policy of removing the Turks from our defense was so dangerous to us...Add the fact hat when there was a chance of Iran attacking Turkey and you moved your troops to the border makes my blood boil.....

The mandate of the joint defense pact agreed to by Clerides and Papandreou was that any further attack on the ROC was a cassus belli for Greece. There is no reason to hide this and its objective is extremely honourable. To prevent further agression by Turkey on the island of Cyprus.

The pact however has been deteriorating since Karamanlis took power leading up the present day where Christofias would like nothing better than to elminate all trace of this plan due to his anti-Greece and pro-unification stance.

As for your Iran scenario, is this another 3 year old memory?

What sort of watch do you wear DT...Obviously one made on Greek time.....It not only stopped on 1974 but also has a special hand that moves fast past any Greek mistakes or plots and then comes to a screeching halt when anything negative about Turkey comes about...Iran doesn't threaten to attack Turkey every day so the relevance has to stay with when it happened and might happen again.....

And if you really are trying to convince the world that Greece has no intention of supporting the "RoC" in any conflict, especially with Turkey or that they have thrown all plans to do so out of the window then you guys really are taking the piss!!!

Not trying to tell you that at all, I hope and pray Greece comes to help if Turkey attacks again although it will not be in the organised and solid manner the pact had envisaged since its demise.

As long as we are at war with Turkey we should be trying to enlist the help of us many countries in the world.

OH! How about a show of good faith that you have asked us to show and get rid of Greece all together.....Not just in name......Put those generals training you up out of a job..Whats good for the goose and all that!!!!!

[DT.]

We're not the ones saying that after a solution we want to have a Greek army, Greek Generals and Greek guarantees interfering in our country.

Think you should now congratulate your President Christofias on this courageous move.