WE HAVE SEEN WHAT "PEACE" IN TURKEY’S TERMS MEANS: GIBRAHAYER

news.am
Oct 23 2009
Armenia

"I fear that the currently sizzling topic of the Armenia-Turkey
protocols will influence matters regarding the Cyprus problem, namely
the continuous occupation of 34,85% of Cyprus’ land by the Turkish
military since 1974, while at the same time about 1.500 people are
still missing, 142.000 Cypriots are refugees, and over 115.000 Turkish
settlers from Anatolia have illegally colonised the northern part of
our island," Armenian online e-magazine Gibrahayer reports referring
to analyst Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra.

"The diplomatic conjurers of Turkey may very easily exploit this
infamous agreement to trick the world into believing that Cyprus
is the real problem; they may project the illusion of peace with
Armenia to say that it is the Republic of Cyprus that poses the
problem to the illegal pseudo-state. Not only that, but this &’magic’
has unfortunately taken over segments of our society — firm believers
of a federal Cypriot state -, arguing that &’Since Armenia and Turkey
have patched things up, why can’t we too?’ the analyst says.

"Suppose we sign a protocol with Turkey or, to please the eyes of
the federalists, a solution to the Cyprus problem. A committee of
historians will be set up to re-evaluate the tumultuous 20th century
history of this island. Are we to deny the Turkish-Cypriot mutiny in
December 1963? Are we to deny the brutal and unlawful Turkish invasion,
in two phases, of summer 1974 and examine if it was an intervention
or even a "peace operation"? What are we going to say to the refugees
who lost their homes and villages? What are we going to say to the
relatives of the ones who were killed defending their homeland or
had been missing/are still missing for 35 years now? "And will the
dreadful Turkish flag on Pentadhaktylos be erased?"

"We have seen what &’peace’ in Turkey’s terms means for Armenia and
the Diaspora, let it not be repeated over Cyprus. I cannot possibly
imagine a solution to the Armenian issue that fails to recognize an
undeniable and unquestionable fact: the Armenian Genocide. Back to
Cyprus, the workable solution I envision is infeasible: Turkey will
never accept to take away its 35.000 troops, it will never accept to
take back the 115.000 settlers, it will never admit guilt for 1974
and will never give back the lands it took or, at least, a reasonable
compensation for them. I cannot accept a solution to the Cyprus
problem that does not meet these terms. A final point-question:
in 1975, Cyprus became the first European country to officially
recognize the Armenian Genocide," the analyst concludes.