Mat Bryza’s pro-Turkish devotion incompatible with human rights principles
Honourable Members of the United States Senate,
We have heard that the US Senate Foreign Relations committee chairman John Kerry, in response to a request by Senator Barbara Boxer, has postponed the committee vote on the nomination of US Ambassador to Azerbaijan designate Matt Bryza.
We welcome this move and hope that enough time will be allowed and enough research will go into the preliminary work needed to establish the suitability or not of Mr. Bryza to this post.
We remember Mr. Bryza very well and his statements during 2006 when he toured our area.
In his July 21, 2006 press conference, Matt Bryza responded to a question from a Turkish reporter from the Anatolia News Agency asking "what does the U.S. Government plan to help these people [Turkish Cypriots] end their isolation?"
Mr. Bryza responded "that we have done a number of things. We are providing $30.5 million in assistance to the Turkish Cypriot community. So we are already actively working to end the isolation of Turkish Cypriots-or to ease the isolation of Turkish Cypriots."
That was an insult to us Greek Cypriots, victims of a brutal Turkish invasion and continued occupation of half of our country Cyprus, a member of the UN and the EU. The Turkish Cypriots are not in any isolation whatsoever. That is a fabricated myth by Turkish propaganda. The Cyprus issue is not “the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots” but the fact that Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and still holds under occupation half of a sovereign country.
The majority of Turkish Cypriots supported and welcomed the Turkish invading forces and joined them in their invasion against us the Greek Cypriots. To this day they condone Turkey in her violations of our human rights. It is us the Greek Cypriots who are isolated in that since the Turkish invasion in 1974 for 36 years Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots do not allow us to return to our land and properties. The Turks, Turkish Cypriots and the imported Turkish Anatolian population of settlers (purposely imported by Turkey in order change the demography of the occupied area and fill in the gap she created by the forceful uprooting of us the 200,000 Greek Cypriot refugees) are using however our stolen properties without our permission.
In total violation of our human rightsThe Turkish Cypriots enjoy the benefits of “both worlds”. Unlike us the victims and uprooted Greek Cypriot refugees, are free to travel anywhere in Cyprus, have been issued passports of the Republic of Cyprus, identity cards, they travel thus as citizens of the EU anywhere and their children enter European universities, they enjoy free medical, they come every day to the free part and work and get paid without paying taxes, whereas we the Greek Cypriots have to pay for our health cover [see APPENDIX I]. They are paid pensions, welfare, and all the benefits as citizens of the Republic of Cyprus without paying a penny in taxes and obligations. We the Greek Cypriots have in fact become second class citizens in our own country because it us the Greek Cypriots who subsidise them!
Furthermore Turkey in 1974 has murdered thousands of Greek Cypriots, 1619 are still missing presumed murdered as well and Turkey still does not reveal the whereabouts of these people in order relieve their families of the misery of waiting and dying without knowing what happened to their loved ones.
The Turkish invading army raped well over 800 Greek Cypriot women of all ages. The actual number to be precise reaches 2,000 and the 800 number represents those who had abortions.
At a press conference on July 21, 2006 on his return from a ten day trip to Turkey, Greece and Cyprus, in response to a question on the status of the Annan Plan and whether it's off the table, he stated:
"I would just repeat what I said, that the basic ideas that are-that became known as the Annan Plan reflect wisdom and hard work and a spirit of fairness, I would argue."
The Annan Plan was a monstrosity of the worst kind that provided Turkey 99% of all her demands over Cyprus i.e. giving her the control of the whole island on a platter. (Statement of admission by Turkish veteran journalist M.A. Birand). That plan excluded the 200,000 Greek Cypriots from returning to their homes, was that American “wisdom” and “fairness”? That plan opened Turkey an avenue to turkify the island in only few years after that. The people of Cyprus rejected that plan during the referendum on 24 April 2004. 76% of the Greek Cypriots rejected it and if one separates the vote of the illegal settlers from those of the Turkish Cypriot votes will find that even the indigenous Turkish Cypriots rejected that apartheid solution. Which favoured Turkey and only Turkey.
Mr. Bryza in his July 21 2006 statement found “wisdom” in it, “hard work” and “spirit of fairness”. Well, wisdom and fairness are two things that plan definitely did not reflect. What Mr. Bryza’s statement reflected though was his pro-Turkish stance which relates to his undisputable conflict of interest which stretches to his Turkish contacts. Starting from his Turkish born wife who is a major producer of Turkish invasion denial propaganda over the years.
Mr. Bryza is considered a major asset for Turkey but not for America.
We hope the Senate will use adequate judgement in taking the proper and right decision in respect and protection of the principles of human rights. To protect the victims and not those who offend.
Yours sincerely,
Fanoulla Argyrou
Refugee from occupied Nicosia, Cyprus.
London
APPENDIX I
According to information provided by the Cyprus Press and Information Office of the Republic of Cyprus Christofias Government up until December 2009 had given the Turkish Cypriots 167,28 million Euros! (And that is only from the present Government)
Break down figures:
22,62 million Euros for medical services
117,9 million Euros in social benefits
1,22 million Euros for child benefits and student grants
9,25 million Euros for agricultural purposes
4,35 million Euros for education
4,22 million Euros for electricity supply to the occupied
0,26 million Euros for telecommunications
7,46 million Euros in looking after the Muslim places of worship and houses in the free part of Cyprus, the Turkish language department at the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation and retaining the check points.
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