Damien McElroy's contradictions on Cyprus - What does Telegraph say about it?

Here is a letter by Mr. Phoebus Sparos, exposing the contradictions of Damien McElroy. We ask, what does Telegraph say about this? You can ask the Telegraph and Mr. McElroy himself the same questions. Please make sure you send your copy, undersigned with your name, telephone number and address (they will remain confidential), to dtletters@telegraph.co.uk and telegrapheditorial@telegraph.co.uk. Remember to be polite and respectful.

 

Dear Sir,

In response to your report of 23 July 2010 titled “Northern Cyprus plans to become Mediterranean 'Las Vegas'” by Damien McElroy I would like to comment as follows:

Dear Mr. McElroy

Thank you for not using Girne for Kyrenia but I am afraid the rest of your article is a disgrace to journalism. It reminded me of another article you wrote back on 29 Dec 2009 (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/cyprus/6901089/Cyprus-peace-talks-Greek-and-Turkish-leaders-turn-to-kitchen-table-diplomacy.html).

Then you wrote:

“Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when the Turkish army invaded after a Greek-backed coup.”

Now you write:

“In 1974, the Turkish army drove all Greeks from towns and villages across the northern half of the island in a sudden strike precipitated by pogroms against the local Turks.”

So, what caused the Turkish invasion? The coup or the “pogroms”? Or are you going to say both? Of course the biggest worry is that in both cases, no matter what you say you present Turkey’s invasion as a more or less justified act. If you want to know about real facts read “Bloody Truth”; you can download it from http://www.freedomjustice.com.cy/. It is based on declassified documents of your very majesty’s government.

“Even if there was not a single Muslim Turk there [i.e. Cyprus], Turkey ought to maintain a Cyprus Issue. No country can remain indifferent to such an island which is situated in the heart of her vital space.” (“Strategic Depth, A. Davutoglu, Greek Translation p.279). 

In case you do not remember, Davutoglu is now the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey and the theoretician of the Neo-Ottomans.

Pogroms against the local Turks?

WHEN THE Cypriot Turk teacher Sevim Uflet found herself face to face with Denktash, in the full of dead and wounded, clinic of Dalbatoglu in 1958 (she was herself mourning her brother Ulus Uflet, who had just unwillingly blasted himself in Kaimakli with the bomb he was making and intending against the Greeks), she said to Denktash: 

 

“For God' s sake, give an order to finally stop all these killings”. He answered: “These dead are useful. With these we will make our voice heard in the world.” (A.H. Tachsin: “Denktash' rise to the top” pub. Diaphaneia, p.51).

“A tense standoff between the Parachute Regiment and Turkish tanks on one of Britain's sovereign bases is still the closest two Nato nations have been to war” you say. Are you trying to tell us that it is your “Parachute Regiment” that stops the Turkish tanks? I am afraid that your country, your various governments rather, has done a lot more than that but all in the opposite direction, i.e. making sure that Turkey gets what she wants. It is a cliché but is true “divide and rule”, applied masterfully by your majesty’s many governments.

I stop here, respecting the availability of space in your paper and my time. Otherwise, I could right several pages exposing your “inaccuracies”, which I believe are expressly designed to push a certain point of view. Just, please avoid expressions like “southern part” when you know it is the free or unoccupied part. As you should also know, there is but one Cyprus part of which is occupied, i.e. what you referred to as “Northern Cyprus”.

Phoebus Sparos