tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17424362605724729182024-03-13T20:41:23.166+02:00Hellenic Vanguard: Activism and CampaigningHellenic Vanguard is an initiative by the Efylakas.com Editorial Team for bringing together Greeks and Greek-sympathizing grass-roots activists, concerned everyday citizens, non-profit lobbyists and pressure groups from all over the world, and organizing and coordinating their actions and activities for the maximum possible benefit for Greece, Cyprus and the international Hellenic Diaspora. Activism Action Alerts issued in either English or Greek, or both.Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-74232429754554945932013-04-17T05:20:00.000+03:002013-04-17T05:22:34.026+03:00Cyprus’ Shock Doctrine<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4NHfOt-mKWM/UW4HDciQFFI/AAAAAAAAAJI/Pn0Qa6C7MpU/s1600-h/image%25255B29%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DsqNRdD_5Lw/UW4HFhl7ZJI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/z8-ngqMk3VQ/image_thumb%25255B16%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="337" height="264"></a> <p align="justify"><b><font size="4">Cyprus’ Shock Doctrine</font> </b> <p align="justify">Interesting findings are unveiled by exploring the recent crisis in Cyprus through the notion of Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine. It should not be mistaken for a theoretical preposition but rather a <em>narrative</em> tying torture to economic theory. The contrive outlines how economic prescriptions are implemented undemocratically upon exhausted economies with predatory behaviour. Whereby, global (IMF) and European “part- time lenders” of last resort (ECB), relish on the prospects of exploiting resource rich disaster-shocked nations. Under extreme stress, intimidation and th reats the Cypriot people have experienced techniques that draw surprising resemblance to the Kubark counterintelligence interrogation manual. The modus operandi of such methods make use of “shock and awe” approaches to economic warfare. First applied to mentally ill patients in covert CIA and US army funded experiments, sensory deprivation was then passed on to torture manuals. Used in a different context by the “new Chicago boys and girls” in Cyprus the similarities between the original shock therapy and economic shock doctrine are startlingly identic. Following the paradigms of 1973 Pinochet’s Chile, the Falklands War in 1982, the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the 1997 Asian Financial crisis and 2007 Iraqi Civil war, Cyprus now becomes a new experiment in the list. The application of these ideas in the contemporary economic history of Cyprus renders it another tragic persona in the global theatres of economic subjugation. It has become the latest victim of neo-liberal political economics of the eurocrats. The scheme of undermining the foundations of the Cypriot economy, serving the appetites of unelected career politicians, with dubious interests has been in place for the past year. The Cypriot economic construction has been torpedoed in a systematic manner creating multiple shocks to the establishment. All these were nothing more than a manmade crisis to justify predetermined prescriptions in an effort to avoid “disasters” or “upheavals”. <p><b><font size="3">Multiple shock stages</font></b> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-16_WZ5Z_4oA/UW4HIo5jK6I/AAAAAAAAAJY/ES1D-IDFREI/s1600-h/image%25255B15%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WNDAwULwUHc/UW4HKxFfynI/AAAAAAAAAJg/CKjogqXtRO4/image_thumb%25255B9%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="333" height="218"></a> <p><b>Kneeling the banks</b> <p align="justify">Cyprus got knee-capped twice in 2011 under a private sector involvement (PSI) plan where the largest banks in Cyprus have been effectively bankrupt ever since. This was widely received by analysts as a eurocratic euphemism for kneeling the Cypriot banking sector and promoting a Greek debt default that would only hit private sector creditors, but not the ECB or other public sector creditors; a position strongly supported by Mr. Schäuble at the time. One would not be surprised to find out that the eurocratcs went for an exclusion of public and private sector involvement in bond restructuring for Cyprus considering the 5.4 billion exposure of German banks. Coupled with money laundering accusations and dirty blackmailing to abandon an attractive investment environment through higher corporate tax levels (a matter of national sovereignty falling outside EU’s exclusive competencies) destroyed the trust to the Cypriot banking sector.<a href="file:///C:/Users/SteamEngine/Downloads/#_ftn1_4521" name="_ftnref1_4521">[1]</a> This has successfully deflected in early 2013 foreign capital to other offshore destinations. What is more, the unwillingness of the ESM to directly recapitalise Cypriot banks (regarded as the most orthodox way to resolve the banking issue) raises questions on what were the true intentions of the troika. <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-d0iSk8Atwsc/UW4HOOO0yZI/AAAAAAAAAJo/hIcstSZNyqQ/s1600-h/image%25255B25%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AR6zRc4Cw-M/UW4HQbVQyTI/AAAAAAAAAJw/C_bF6XGUFZM/image_thumb%25255B15%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="371" height="277"></a> <p align="justify"><b>Stress Positioning</b><b></b> <p align="justify">Insisting on huge confiscations from wealthy savers and common depositors the Eurogroup representatives and ECB, have triggered a mass capital flight <a href="file:///C:/Users/SteamEngine/Downloads/#_ftn2_4521" name="_ftnref2_4521">[2]</a>and shaken the Cypriot banks. This has been the toughest line over more than three years of the eurozone crisis as Angela Merkel was keen to avoid footing too much of the bailout bill just before running for a third term. The European Commission alongside its gang of undemocratically appointed technocrats prescribed a medicine that would kill rather than cure the patient. Olli<a href="file:///C:/Users/SteamEngine/Downloads/#_ftn3_4521" name="_ftnref3_4521">[3]</a> Rehn overpowered by the Germans and their allies, the Finns, Dutch and Slovaks took on board this idea. This procrustean method has emphatically fractured the vital organs of the Cypriot financial system; trust and security<a href="file:///C:/Users/SteamEngine/Downloads/#_ftn4_4521" name="_ftnref4_4521">[4]</a>. It resulted in an unstructured deflation of the Cypriot banking system by exerting extensive stress to bring the system to its limits precluding at the same time any possible revival. The ECB’s role to this was also striking. It threatened to bring down the Cypriot banking system if a deal was not reached by doing “whatever it takes”<a href="file:///C:/Users/SteamEngine/Downloads/#_ftn5_4521" name="_ftnref5_4521">[5]</a> to this end, while preserving the eurozone’s integrity (a pledge that accounts for much of the subsequent support of the euro by the ECB). Furthermore the ECB knuckled under the pressure of German interests taking a much harder stance compared to the cases of Ireland and Greece. Where before deliberate “constructive ambiguity” was preferred it became clear that Cyprus was put under more stress left instead with the option of “destructive assurance” of a no-deal. Although an EU member, its calamitous situation and stressful position left Cyprus with no negotiating power by eliminating the Russian factor. This left Cyprus with no meaningful voice with EU finance ministers. <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XM28TSv0Phw/UW4HT-fsdGI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/_1jayBAGYkY/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4qwRkYTJ5Dc/UW4HWoWxkUI/AAAAAAAAAKA/tvEQ8i90kLU/image_thumb%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="325" height="211"></a> <p align="justify"><b>Suffocation stage</b> <p align="justify">The position of the ECB through the mouth of Jörg Asmussen, member of the ECB executive board and Schäuble's former deputy at the German finance ministry acted as the executioner that put the rope around the neck. The pressure to Cypriot banks reached a turning point when he warned that the ECB will withdraw emergency liquidity support within days to Cypriot banks if no deal was struck. This translated to asphyxiation of the economy triggering the collapse of the Cypriot system with unforeseeable impacts. It turned into a high-stakes game to see who blinks first. The Cypriot government blinked. The economic devastation makes Cyprus lose a card game with marked cards. What is at stake here is in fact more than just the economy. <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rWtWCWEZnGU/UW4HYBV-OfI/AAAAAAAAAKI/T7MZ6EQGHK4/s1600-h/image%25255B33%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WwogWFVpSXQ/UW4HZ9oQtcI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/jc7BCMQUZ3Q/image_thumb%25255B17%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="350" height="306"></a> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <p><a href="file:///C:/Users/SteamEngine/Downloads/#_ftnref1_4521" name="_ftn1_4521">[1]</a> http://www.acting-man.com/?p=21284 <p><a href="file:///C:/Users/SteamEngine/Downloads/#_ftnref2_4521" name="_ftn2_4521">[2]</a> http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/financial-services/rich-russians-reel-as-eu-bailout-targets-cypriot-accounts-1.1329230 <p><a href="file:///C:/Users/SteamEngine/Downloads/#_ftnref3_4521" name="_ftn3_4521">[3]</a> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/20/cyprus-six-parties-take-months-get-nowhere <p><a href="file:///C:/Users/SteamEngine/Downloads/#_ftnref4_4521" name="_ftn4_4521">[4]</a> http://www.marketwatch.com/story/countries-most-exposed-to-their-banks-2013-03-19 <p><a href="file:///C:/Users/SteamEngine/Downloads/#_ftnref5_4521" name="_ftn5_4521">[5]</a> http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b790219a-909b-11e2-a456-00144feabdc0.html Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-36482525427484241482013-04-01T21:20:00.000+03:002013-04-01T21:20:01.037+03:00Cyprus WAKE UP!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tgoB7BHhM_w?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-32509796713101427652013-03-31T09:30:00.000+03:002013-03-31T09:30:01.067+03:00Love Cyprus!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-90899150210081719412013-03-29T14:00:00.000+02:002013-03-29T14:00:11.311+02:00BE the change you want to see in Cyprus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mwUCBqNpxgY/UVR2mPb_P3I/AAAAAAAAAI0/0cCh-bY6kZw/s1600/559235_10200643087136543_1342041219_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mwUCBqNpxgY/UVR2mPb_P3I/AAAAAAAAAI0/0cCh-bY6kZw/s640/559235_10200643087136543_1342041219_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-52190075879803855412013-03-28T15:43:00.000+02:002013-03-28T15:43:08.822+02:00Proud Cypriot youth against the economic dictatorship of the New World Order<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The proud Cypriot youth resist against the economic dictatorship of global and domestic bankers. New World Order purpose is the enslavement of all nations by implementing an economic genocide. Their cruel plan will not stay unpunished! Cypriots sparked the flame of resistance and they invite the rest of Europeans in awakening in order to fight for their rights. </div>
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Wake Up Cyprus! Wake Up Greece! Wake up Italy! Wake up Spain! Wake up Portugal! Wake Up Europe!</div>
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Η περήφανη Κυπριακή νεολαία αντιστέκεται ενάντια στην οικονομική δικτατορία των παγκόσμιων αλλά και εγχώριων τραπεζιτών. Οι σχεδιασμοί της Νέας Τάξης Πραγμάτων που επιχειρούν να επιβάλουν στο νησί με σκοπό την οικονομική γενοκτονία του έθνους δεν θα περάσει ατιμώρητη! Οι Κύπριοι άναψαν την φλόγα της αντίστασης καλώντας τους υπόλοιπους Ευρωπαίους σε αφύπνιση για διεκδίκηση των δικαιωμάτων τους. </div>
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Ξύπνα Κύπρος! Ξύπνα Ελλάδα! Ξύπνα Ιταλία! Ξύπνα Ισπανία! Ξυπνα Πορτογαλλία !Ξύπνα Ευρώπη</div>
<br />Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-56005637064353620192013-03-27T15:40:00.000+02:002013-03-28T15:41:05.139+02:00Hate to say, but we told you so!<br />
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<b>Jeroen Dijsselbloem Says Cyprus Is A 'Template' For EU Bailouts, Sends Markets Tumbling </b><br />http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/03/25/jeroen-dijsselbloem-sends_n_2949358.html </blockquote>
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<b>Germans doubt Merkel's vow on saving deposits - poll</b><br />http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/03/26/uk-eurozone-germany-merkel-idUKBRE92P11H20130326 </blockquote>
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<b>Italy, Spain ETFs Tank On Cyprus Bailout</b><br />http://www.nasdaq.com/article/italy-spain-etfs-tank-on-cyprus-bailout-cm230960</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">We hate to say, <a href="http://hellenicvanguard.blogspot.com/2013/03/fellow-europeans-do-not-vilify-cyprus.html">but we told you so</a>.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What is happening in Cyprus and Greece is the blueprint of a a pan-European disaster. More centralized banking and financial systems is not a solution. More EU is not a solution, more Europe is the solution.</span><br />
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Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-80053869843790317992013-03-26T02:52:00.000+02:002013-03-26T02:52:55.410+02:00Keep on pushing us...!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-32031611032297526872013-03-21T13:19:00.000+02:002013-03-28T15:51:02.880+02:00Fellow Europeans: Do not vilify Cyprus!<br />
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Fellow Europeans in the North-West of our continent need to fully comprehend that the vicious economic attacks against Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Hellas and now Cyprus have nothing to do with raw economic reality. Cyprus had financial problems, but nothing even close to what the international media present. Talking about Cyprus, which I feel more confident to talk about, we have just discovered vast reserves of natural gas, we have a thriving tourism, pharmaceutical, agricultural and construction industry and we have been an important knot for international trade and investment. A few billion euros of damage by some irresponsible PRIVATE banks based in Cyprus is NOT a "systemic danger" for Europe. This is political war disguised as "economic crisis" and this war is not a classic nation-state attack against another nation-state: These are international financial centers that have as an objective to eradicate the very idea of nation-state, welfare, industry and good, honest commerce. </div>
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Take heed of what is happening in Cyprus. The outrageous demand for a haircut on people's deposits (which is utterly illegal and unconstitutional) is nothing more than a social experiment. It definitely sets a nightmarish precedent for all of us. If it "works", sooner that you might think such manufactured "crises" might hit you at home, yes, in North, central and Western Europe. The EU, in tandem with these financial centers, has created a transnational elite (with politicians from all EU member-states) in Brussels and elsewhere that already behaves with the arrogant attitude of every unelected bureaucracy. So support our NO and don't believe what they say about "lazy Mediterraneans" and "backward Southerners" just because we live under the sun. Tomorrow they will find something to say about you. This is the time for the people of this ancient continent to be in solidarity. If you love your country, then love my country as well, so I can love your country back!</div>
Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-59142181186141768292013-03-20T02:20:00.000+02:002013-03-20T02:21:39.609+02:00From the Greek-Cypriots with love<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">Because the international media only report a fraction of the story, it has to be fully understood that it was NOT the governments of Cyprus (neither the current Neo-Liberal nor the previous Marxist) who rejected the EU-IMF plan. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">The plan was rejected by the MPs (even those of the coalition government) <b>after the Greek-Cypriot people FORCED them to do so. </b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">This is a development of Pan-European importance.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-43883458677151253782012-07-27T12:55:00.002+03:002012-07-27T12:56:24.579+03:00Files reveal brutal treatment meted out by British forces in 1950s Cyprus<div id="box">
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<i>Note: We disagree with the term "terrorist" used by the newspaper. EOKA was a national-liberation movement with the purpose of establishing self-determination for the Cypriots. EOKA has not been involved in atrocities against non-military personnel, even the families of soldiers and officers. </i> </div>
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<b>Files reveal brutal treatment meted out by British forces in 1950s </b></div>
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Documents released by the National Archives describe incidents of abuse by British forces against opponents of colonial rule
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<a class="contributor" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/richardnortontaylor" rel="author">
Richard Norton-Taylor</a> </div>
</li>
<li class="publication">
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/">guardian.co.uk</a>,
<time datetime="2012-07-27" pubdate="">Friday 27 July 2012</time>
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Fresh evidence of brutal treatment meted out by British forces
to opponents of colonial rule in the 1950s has been revealed in secret
files showing how they attacked and killed with impunity in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/cyprus" title="More from guardian.co.uk on Cyprus">Cyprus</a>, where their victims included a blind man and a 17-year-old youth.<br />
<br />
The incidents are among many disclosed in hitherto highly classified documents released at the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/nationalarchives" title="More from guardian.co.uk on National Archives">National Archives</a> in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/16/mau-mau-veterans-secret-documents" title="">the
wake of a court case relating to the other contemporary anti-colonial
struggle – the violent repression of Mau Mau rebels in Kenya</a>.<br />
<br />
They
describe how in July 1958, on a dark night but "with a bright moon", a
patrol of soldiers from the Royal Ulster Rifles came across a group of
Greek Cypriots, who started throwing stones. Two of them grabbed one of
the soldier's guns and "hand-to-hand fighting took place", according to a
report on the incident.<br />
"A shot was fired … the fallen man was
shot through the head." The Cypriots backed away but apparently ignored
orders to stop. "This had no effect. One man, who was urging the others
to attack the patrol and was obviously the ringleader, was selected and
four shots were fired at him." The man was blind.<br />
At the
subsequent inquest, the coroner, James Trainor, said the corporal who
killed "these two unfortunate people … had no other choice". He had
showed "courage and very commendable restraint … At the least, he would
have lost his company's arms and there was a grave possibility that they
might have been all killed had he acted otherwise," the coroner stated.<br />
<br />
He
added: "There seems to be no doubt that one of the deceased was blind,
but the fact that he got where he did get [moving across rugged
countryside and over a ridge] suggests a fanaticism which would fully
explain the description given to me of his standing in front of the
crowd and waving it forward."<br />
<br />
Andreas Louca, a 17-year-old Greek
Cypriot, was fatally wounded when a soldier fractured his skull in
clashes following the death of the wife of a British sergeant. Catherine
Cutliffe was shot in the back in a Famagusta street in October 1958.<br />
<br />
A
young British army officer recorded seeing 150 soldiers
indiscriminately "kicking Cypriots as they lay on the ground and beating
them in the head, face, and body with rifle butts".<br />
<br />
The officer
described how he "forcibly restrained several such groups of soldiers
who had completely lost their heads. Many of them were screaming abuse
and the whole area resembled a hysterical mob … Several [Cypriots]
appeared to be unconscious and bleeding profusely."<br />
<br />
One report describes how a group of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/military" title="More from guardian.co.uk on Military">military</a>
police were seen "wantonly damaging windows and furniture" of the local
"Communist Club". Even allowing for propaganda and exaggeration British
troops behaved "brutally", a confidential official report noted.
Trainor, who was also a judge, this time described the degree of force
used by British soldiers as "entirely unjustified".<br />
<br />
These
incidents stand out from voluminous reports suggesting that most of the
complaints made against British troops were indeed exaggerated and used
as propaganda. However, the files show that the colonial authorities
were seriously concerned about the number of genuine incidents of abuse
by British forces.<br />
London tried to brush them aside expressing the
hope in a 1957 white paper on reports of brutality by British forces
that it could "rely on the worldwide knowledge of their traditions of
humanity and decency to convince the public of the free world of the
falsity of allegations".<br />
<br />
The documents released on Friday show how
the colonial authorities covered up incidents by blocking visits to
detention camps by MPs and journalists.<br />
<br />
"I think that the best
thing will be to refuse all permission for as long as we can," noted
Hugh Foot, the governor of Cyprus (and father of the radical journalist
and campaigner Paul Foot) in 1958.<br />
<br />
The files show how the colonial
administration in Cyprus played down the significance of a visit to the
camps by the International Committee of the Red Cross and blocked
independent inquiries.<br />
<br />
A note from the governor's office in 1957
shows how British officials chose to regard the conflict in Cyprus. A
senior official described it as "a hard and bitter struggle between the
forces of law and order and an utterly ruthless terrorist movement and a
political movement run by a church that is prepared to use any means to
secure its political ends".<br />
<br />
The terrorist movement was EOKA, led
by Georgios Grivas whose aim was Enosis (Union with Greece. The church
was the Cypriot Orthodox led by Archbishop Makarios. The files include a
note by Foot about how Barbara Castle, a leading radical MP and future
Labour cabinet minister, told him that Makarios had said at a meeting in
Athens that he had decided to renounce Enosis but press for an
independent Cyprus. The archbishop did so soon after in a move that
finally led to the island's independence in 1960.<br />
<br />
Many of the
files, including those believed to refer to Cypriots who were informers
for the colonial forces, have been withheld. Colonial files released at
the National Archives also include papers relating to Basutoland (now
Lesotho), the Cameroons, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Fiji, the Gambia, Gilbert
and Ellice Islands (Kiribati and Tuvalu) and Gold Coast (Ghana). Many
files were destroyed by British officials shortly before these countries
gained independence.</div>
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</div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-45695250646986001002012-07-18T20:34:00.002+03:002012-07-18T20:34:46.924+03:00Apology demanded from the `Daily Mail`<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Greek-Cypriot journalist Fanoulla Argyrou demands an apology from the ´Daily Mail´ for an article on Cyprus. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>The original article by Paul Bentley (17/07/2012) here: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174877/Its-poison-help-Holiday-mothers-final-words-drinking-water-bottle-filled-cleaning-fluid.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174877/Its-poison-help-Holiday-mothers-final-words-drinking-water-bottle-filled-cleaning-fluid.html</a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EGeO0pdM7IM/UAbznIhaTUI/AAAAAAAAAHU/O4lfin_AAbU/s1600/dailymail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EGeO0pdM7IM/UAbznIhaTUI/AAAAAAAAAHU/O4lfin_AAbU/s400/dailymail.JPG" width="313" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dear Editor,<br /><br />“Northern Cyprus” is non existent and under Turkish invasion and occupation since 1974<br />I refer to your item “It's poison, help me! Holiday mother's final words after drinking from a water bottle filled with cleaning fluid” of July 17/18, 2012. At a time when a Public Inquiry is still ongoing, so much is being focused for the need of proper and accurate reporting, I find your misrepresentation of facts in this report suspicious the least. This is grossly offending to the Republic of Cyprus. The so called “Northern Cyprus” is an illegal area under Turkish invasion and continued occupation since July and August 1974. The hotels and the ancient ruins you mention are stolen land of the Republic of Cyprus and properties belonging to their Greek Cypriot owners who were uprooted and forced to abandon them by the use of armed force by the advancing Turkish invading army in 1974.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Your reference “A mother died on a five-star holiday to Cyprus after she drank from…” is misleading and despicable. You give the false impression that the death and negligence occurred in the Republic of Cyprus promoting bad reputation to the otherwise excellent conditions existing in the free part of the Republic of Cyprus, whilst you consciously conceal from the reader the information that the occupied area of Famagusta (part of the 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus) is under Turkish occupation since 1974. g</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I expect you to publish a proper apology and correction to this end.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yours sincerely,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Fanoulla Argyrou, </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Researcher/journalist/author, </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
London.</div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-16641330981042178432012-06-08T21:11:00.000+03:002012-06-08T21:11:03.645+03:00Cancel the "Sailing with Paul" tour of the Biblical Archaeology Society<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vz3DVoHOgKI/T9I_0rzm9VI/AAAAAAAAAHI/XpBjR1JIfZs/s1600/tutku.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vz3DVoHOgKI/T9I_0rzm9VI/AAAAAAAAAHI/XpBjR1JIfZs/s320/tutku.JPG" width="241" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We are writing concerning the trip that
you organize to Turkey and then Cyprus (June 1-15, 2012), entitled
“Sailing with Paul in the Mediterranean”.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It appears from the documentation that we have seen that you may not
be aware of certain facts that are important to bring to your attention.
The reference to “Northern Cyprus” constitutes, in fact, the area of
Cyprus under Turkish military occupation since 1974. It is recalled that
the secessionist entity in the occupied areas of Cyprus was condemned
by the United Nations Security Council, in its resolutions 541 (1983)
and 550 (1984), as “legally invalid” and is not recognized by any
international organization or country, other than Turkey which is the
occupying power.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, we wish to respectfully bring to your attention that the
airport through which you intend to arrive in Cyprus has been declared
by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus as an illegal point of entry
into and exit from the Republic. The legal points of entry into the
Republic of Cyprus to which visitors should use are Larnaka and Paphos
airports and the ports of Larnaka and Lemesos.<br />
<br />
Moreover, this illegal airport is not recognized by the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and its illegal operation causes
serious risks to flight safety in the region.<br />
<br />
It is also important to stress that this illegal airport is located
on property belonging to a significant number of Greek Cypriot refugees
who were forcibly expelled from the property by the invasion forces in
1974.<br />
These refugees remain the legal owners of their properties, as it has
been confirmed by numerous relevant Judgments of the European Court of
Human Rights, and have not consented to the construction of the illegal
airport.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, the organization of such a trip by an archaeological
society is particularly offensive to the local and international
community of archaeologists working in Cyprus, due to the destructive
consequences that the Turkish occupation has caused to the tangible and
intangible cultural heritage of the island.<br />
In the occupied area, archaeological sites and monuments, including
churches, have suffered severe destruction and violation, museums have
been looted and destroyed, and antiquities continue to be illegally
exported.<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
PETITION:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We wish to express our opposition and disappointment with the planned trip to the occupied areas.
We sincerely hope that with the explanations outlined in this letter
you will reconsider your planned visit to the occupied areas and arrival
into Cyprus through the illegal ports of entry.<br />
We also hope that you will show greater sensitivity toward issues that have such legal and ethical ramifications.<br />
<br />
If your decision is still to proceed with your visit, we would ask
that you enter the island through the international and recognized
airports of the Republic of Cyprus.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
SIGN THE PETITION: <a href="http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-biblical-archaeology-society-s-trip-to-occupied-cy.html" target="_blank">http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-biblical-archaeology-society-s-trip-to-occupied-cy.html</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<strong>BACKGROUND</strong><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Biblical Archeology Society (BAS)
supports a travel program that will enter the Republic of Cyprus via
illegal ports of entry located in the illegally Turkish-occupied
territory of the Republic of Cyprus. The specific travel program in
question is “Sailing with Paul in the Mediterranean” which takes place
June 1-15, 2012. The tour will travel from Antalya Airport in Turkey to
the Turkish-occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus, continue its
route to the areas under the control of the Government of Cyprus, and
return back to the occupied territory before departing for Turkey.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>The legal ports of entry into the
Republic of Cyprus are the airports of Larnaca and Paphos and the ports
of Larnaca, Limassol, Latsi and Paphos,</strong> which are situated in the area under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><a href="http://ahiworld.com/pdfs/BiblicalArchaeologySociety_May10.pdf">Click here to download AHI’s letter to the Biblical Archeology Society.</a></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>STATUS</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To date, BAS continues to support the
travel program “Sailing with Paul in the Mediterranean” and its current
travel itinerary which has the tour entering the Republic of Cyprus via
illegal ports of entry.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>ACTION</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>We urge you to contact Mr.
Hershel Shanks, founder, Biblical Archeology Society, to convey the
severe effects that this kind of illegal activity can bring to the
overriding goal of reunification and respect of international law.</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>CONTACT BY PHONE</strong><strong><br />
</strong><br />
Place a concise and courteous phone call to BAS Founder Hershel Shanks
at 202-364-3300 utilizing the talking points listed below.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>CONTACT BY MAIL OR FAX</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr. Hershel Shanks<br />
Founder<br />
Biblical Archaeology Society<br />
4710 41st Street NW<br />
Washington, DC 20016<br />
FAX: 202-364-2636</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>TALKING POINTS</strong></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Cyprus has been illegally divided and occupied since 1974 when
Turkey invaded the island in violation of international law, including
the U.N. Charter.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>The invasion and continuing occupation of 37% of the northern part
of Cyprus’ sovereign territory by a force of 43,000 Turkish troops has
resulted in:
<ul>
<li>the mass violation of the human rights of the Cypriot people;</li>
<li>the forcible expulsion of approximately 200,000 Greek Cypriots from
their homes; massive colonization through the illegal implantation of
more than 300,000 Turkish mainland settlers in the occupied areas of
Cyprus;</li>
<li>trespassing and illegal exploitation of property belonging to Greek Cypriot refugees;</li>
<li>cultural destruction and religious desecration;</li>
<li>suffering of a great number of families whose relatives remain missing since 1974 and whose fate is still unknown; and</li>
<li>forcible ethnic segregation and division of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>No country other than Turkey recognizes the so-called illegal “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>A trip <em>conducted in this illegal manner</em> undermines the
sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus and disrespects international law
and relevant UN Resolutions instead of highlighting the archaeological
significance of the region.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><strong>The legal ports of entry into the Republic of Cyprus are the
airports of Larnaca and Paphos and the ports of Larnaca, Limassol,
Latsi and Paphos,</strong> which are situated in the area under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF) designated Turkey a “country of particular concern” in its 2012
annual report due in part to the restriction of religious freedom and
religious and cultural destruction that has occurred in Turkish-occupied
Cyprus.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>An estimated 500 churches and religious sites belonging to Christian
and Jewish communities have been desecrated, pillaged, looted and
destroyed in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>QUESTIONS?</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For further information or questions, please contact AHI, (202) 785-8430, or email <a href="mailto:demetra@ahiworld.org">demetra@ahiworld.org</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
THANK YOU!<em> </em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>source: <a href="http://www.ahiworld.com/legislation/action-alerts/2012/1621-contact-the-biblical-archeology-society-to-convey-severe-effects-of-travel-programs-entry-into-republic-of-cyprus-via-illegal-ports-of-entry-in-turkish-occupied-area.html" target="_blank">American Hellenic Institute (11/05/2012)</a>
«Contact the Biblical Archeology Society to convey severe effects of
travel program’s entry into Republic of Cyprus via illegal ports of
entry in Turkish-occupied area»</em></div>
</div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-46985021400463517372012-02-01T03:47:00.001+02:002012-02-01T03:47:43.844+02:00Bankers are the dictators of the West<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZtT6YMU0nQ0/TyiZfAndbRI/AAAAAAAAAHA/mMYxKrGFW2A/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" alt="" width="203" height="299" /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Robert Fisk</strong><br /> source: London Independent (10 December 2011)<strong></strong></em></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Writing from the very region that produces more clichés per square foot than any other "story" – the Middle East – I should perhaps pause before I say I have never read so much garbage, so much utter drivel, as I have about the world financial crisis.</p><div><p style="text-align: justify;">But I will not hold my fire. It seems to me that the reporting of the collapse of capitalism has reached a new low which even the Middle East cannot surpass for sheer unadulterated obedience to the very institutions and Harvard "experts" who have helped to bring about the whole criminal disaster.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Let's kick off with the "Arab Spring" – in itself a grotesque verbal distortion of the great Arab/Muslim awakening which is shaking the Middle East – and the trashy parallels with the social protests in Western capitals. We've been deluged with reports of how the poor or the disadvantaged in the West have "taken a leaf" out of the "Arab spring" book, how demonstrators in America, Canada, Britain, Spain and Greece have been "inspired" by the huge demonstrations that brought down the regimes in Egypt, Tunisia and – up to a point – Libya. But this is nonsense.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The real comparison, needless to say, has been dodged by Western reporters, so keen to extol the anti-dictator rebellions of the Arabs, so anxious to ignore protests against "democratic" Western governments, so desperate to disparage these demonstrations, to suggest that they are merely picking up on the latest fad in the Arab world. The truth is somewhat different. What drove the Arabs in their tens of thousands and then their millions on to the streets of Middle East capitals was a demand for dignity and a refusal to accept that the local family-ruled dictators actually owned their countries. The Mubaraks and the Ben Alis and the Gaddafis and the kings and emirs of the Gulf (and Jordan) and the Assads all believed that they had property rights to their entire nations. Egypt belonged to Mubarak Inc, Tunisia to Ben Ali Inc (and the Traboulsi family), Libya to Gaddafi Inc. And so on. The Arab martyrs against dictatorship died to prove that their countries belonged to their own people.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And that is the true parallel in the West. The protest movements are indeed against Big Business – a perfectly justified cause – and against "governments". What they have really divined, however, albeit a bit late in the day, is that they have for decades bought into a fraudulent democracy: they dutifully vote for political parties – which then hand their democratic mandate and people's power to the banks and the derivative traders and the rating agencies, all three backed up by the slovenly and dishonest coterie of "experts" from America's top universities and "think tanks", who maintain the fiction that this is a crisis of globalisation rather than a massive financial con trick foisted on the voters.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The banks and the rating agencies have become the dictators of the West. Like the Mubaraks and Ben Alis, the banks believed – and still believe – they are owners of their countries. The elections which give them power have – through the gutlessness and collusion of governments – become as false as the polls to which the Arabs were forced to troop decade after decade to anoint their own national property owners. Goldman Sachs and the Royal Bank of Scotland became the Mubaraks and Ben Alis of the US and the UK, each gobbling up the people's wealth in bogus rewards and bonuses for their vicious bosses on a scale infinitely more rapacious than their greedy Arab dictator-brothers could imagine.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I didn't need Charles Ferguson's Inside Job on BBC2 this week – though it helped – to teach me that the ratings agencies and the US banks are interchangeable, that their personnel move seamlessly between agency, bank and US government. The ratings lads (almost always lads, of course) who AAA-rated sub-prime loans and derivatives in America are now – via their poisonous influence on the markets – clawing down the people of Europe by threatening to lower or withdraw the very same ratings from European nations which they lavished upon criminals before the financial crash in the US. I believe that understatement tends to win arguments. But, forgive me, who are these creatures whose ratings agencies now put more fear into the French than Rommel did in 1940?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Why don't my journalist mates in Wall Street tell me? How come the BBC and CNN and – oh, dear, even al-Jazeera – treat these criminal communities as unquestionable institutions of power? Why no investigations – Inside Job started along the path – into these scandalous double-dealers? It reminds me so much of the equally craven way that so many American reporters cover the Middle East, eerily avoiding any direct criticism of Israel, abetted by an army of pro-Likud lobbyists to explain to viewers why American "peacemaking" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be trusted, why the good guys are "moderates", the bad guys "terrorists".</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Arabs have at least begun to shrug off this nonsense. But when the Wall Street protesters do the same, they become "anarchists", the social "terrorists" of American streets who dare to demand that the Bernankes and Geithners should face the same kind of trial as Hosni Mubarak. We in the West – our governments – have created our dictators. But, unlike the Arabs, we can't touch them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Irish Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, solemnly informed his people this week that they were not responsible for the crisis in which they found themselves. They already knew that, of course. What he did not tell them was who was to blame. Isn't it time he and his fellow EU prime ministers did tell us? And our reporters, too?</p></div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-70562124143068161962011-08-05T17:20:00.001+03:002011-08-05T18:05:01.421+03:00Multi-dimensional crisis in Cyprus: Christofias's government bears total responsibility for the tragedy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kw_UnxX1QHk/Tjv8GhvmepI/AAAAAAAAAG0/LjWeZFtbojE/s1600/Zygi%252520explosion6-leveled%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kw_UnxX1QHk/Tjv8GhvmepI/AAAAAAAAAG0/LjWeZFtbojE/s400/Zygi%252520explosion6-leveled%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b>by Nikolas Stylianou<br />
Research Associate & Security Analyst<br />
Research Institute for European and American Studies, rieas.gr</b><br />
<br />
<br />
On the July 11th a tragic incident took place at the Navy Base of Mari (Limassol). 98 containers of gunpowder, explosives, rockets and guns exploded resulting to the death of 13 people from the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus Fire Service.<br />
<br />
The current article aims to highlight the background of the catastrophe and underline the personal responsibilities of the President of Cyprus, Mr. Demetris Christofias, the Minister of Defense, Costas Papacostas as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marcos Kyprianou.<br />
<br />
<b>Background of the Tragedy </b><br />
The Cypriot-flagged ship “Monchegorsk”, started its journey from Iran with Syria as its final destination. USS San Antonio boarded the ship which was ordered to port in Cyprus where Cypriot authorities, in collaboration with UN experts found 1,980 boxes of powder for 130mm guns and 1,320 cases of powder and powder pellets for 125mm guns, according to a Cypriot government report. Additionally, anti-tank rockets used at the Russian-made Cornet anti-tank complexes used by Hezbollah, were found on the afore-mentioned cargo. Under the Resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007) of the Security Council of the United Nations, arms exports from Iran are strictly prohibited. The 98 containers were stored at the National Guard’s Navy Base at Mari (Limassol) and remained there for 30 months despite the warnings from the United Nations Sanctions Committees which had been warning the Cypriot government that the exposure of the containers to extreme weather conditions over extended period of time might have been extremely dangerous. Unfortunately the government paid no attention to the warnings. <br />
<br />
To continue with, it needs to be mentioned that the 98 containers were stored right next to the Vasilikos Power Station, the largest in Cyprus. Consequently, the explosion resulted to the wrecking of the Power Station and thus causing major blackouts all over the island. <br />
<br />
<b>Chronicle of a Death foretold<br />
</b>This section of my analysis will address the main key-points that led us to the July 11th catastrophe:<br />
<br />
- The United Nations Sanctions Committee, as well as Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom, would repeatedly ask the government of Cyprus to deliver the containers to a country, member-state of the United Nations, which held the expertise and experience to destroy and/or neutralize the content – The government of Cyprus remained indifferent to the suggestions of the United Nations and the afore-mentioned countries.<br />
<br />
- The government of Cyprus would fear severe diplomatic retaliation from Syria and Iran as a response to the retention of the containers and thus did absolutely nothing towards the destruction/neutralization of the containing material.<br />
<br />
- The leadership of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Cyprus would express its deep concerns over the Navy Base security due to the possible instability of the containing military material that would be exposed to extreme weather conditions over an extended period of time. President Christofias’ decision was to keep hold of the material due to “political reasons”. Despite the deep concerns on behalf of the Ministry of Defense as well as the leadership of the National Guard, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcos Kyprianou himself as well as the executive branch of the Republic would agree entirely over the storage of the military material at the Navy Base at Mari.<br />
<br />
<b>Questions that demand answers</b><br />
A number of questions arise in regards to the way that the government of Cyprus handled the situation over the past 30 months:<br />
<br />
- Why didn’t the government pay attention to the recommendations of the state’s Auditor General / Chief of the National Guard / Commander of the Navy concerning the extrication of the containing material as well as its conveyance to a country which had previous expertise in conventional arms destruction/neutralization?<br />
<br />
- Why wouldn’t the government (especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Ministry of Defense) insist on the immediate transportation of the hazardous material to a third country?<br />
<br />
- Why didn’t the government accept the U.S demand which provided for the transportation and controlled destruction of the hazardous material to Malta or to another base which comes under the United States European Command (EUCOM)?<br />
<br />
- Why didn’t the government ask for the assistance of the EU competent services concerning the handling of the situation especially when the government was in knowledge that it had neither the expertise nor the experience to handle the situation?<br />
<br />
- Why doesn’t the President of Cyprus, Mr. Demetris Christofias assume full responsibility for the tragic incident and the death of 13 people since he was in full knowledge (through his Diplomatic Office and specifically the Ambassador Leonidas Pantelides?<br />
<br />
- Why would the resigned Minister of Defense, Costas Papacostas claim that the military material would be safe to store “even in a residential area” and plus, next to the largest Power Supply Station of the Republic?<br />
<br />
<b>Observations<br />
</b>- <b><u>The government must resign and declare early elections.</u></b> The handling of the situation by the government of Mr. Demetris Christofias was leniently deplorable. The government has exhibited criminal negligence which led to the death of 13 people, dozens of injured, the wrecking of the largest Power Station on the island as well as the extended psychological damage suffered by the Cyprus people.<br />
<br />
- The drastic cuts in defense budget especially over the last three years have led to the wrecking of the military security infrastructure, as well as the maintenance of the existing military hardware and material.<br />
<br />
- Tens of thousands of Cypriot people went out on the streets protesting against the government asking for its resignation. It is worth noting that despite the fact that one week has passed since the explosion and yet, the government has not apologized to the families of the victims. </div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-67755774624709089932011-08-05T17:16:00.000+03:002011-08-05T17:16:06.430+03:00Larnaca: Important finds at Late Bronze Age site<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>Whatever they say, whatever they do, no matter how much they alter history to fit their political prejudices, the land of Cyprus keeps giving out evidence of the centuries-old Greekness of this island.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-glSNmbXsZPs/Tjv6t04djLI/AAAAAAAAAGw/kxECmSzOpzo/s1600/swedish%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-glSNmbXsZPs/Tjv6t04djLI/AAAAAAAAAGw/kxECmSzOpzo/s400/swedish%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>A LARGE building dating as far back as 1200 BC and a female goddess figurine were only some of the fascinating finds following five-week long excavations at the Late Bronze harbour city of Hala Sultan Tekke in Larnaca.<br />
<br />
Inside the 30 by 20m building were both living and working spaces containing spindle whorls and loom weights, which indicate the production of textiles, as well as a plethora of high-quality pottery imported mainly from the Mycenaean world. Jugs, bowls and jars were among the pottery uncovered.<br />
<br />
“It’s evidence of the tight contact with the Greek mainland,” said Professor Peter M. Fischer of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, who headed the excavations, referring to the contents of the building.<br />
The excavations took place from April to May.<br />
<br />
The Mycenaean civilisation dates from 1600 to 1100 B.C, during the late Bronze Age in Greece and the Greek archipelago.<br />
<br />
“The pottery is Mycenaean therefore imported,” Fischer confirmed stressing that its importance lies in the fact that it is not locally made but was very popular in Cyprus at the time.<br />
<br />
According to Fischer some of the findings were imported from Egypt. This was made clear in some of the findings as they were seen to have Egyptian traits.<br />
<br />
Questions have been raised as to the origins of some other important findings such as a figurine of a female goddess. “I guess it was produced in Cyprus, we’re not sure though due to its Egyptian traits,” said Fischer adding that it was used as a pendant.<br />
<br />
Another significant find was a haematite cylinder seal which Fischer is convinced is Cypriot as another one was found at Kition. “These are used as a kind of stamp and can be put in dye to make a print and it is also a kind of identity card for a person,” said Fischer.<br />
<br />
The assemblage also includes locally produced hand-made White Slip bowls and jugs which were exported to Egypt and Greece among other nearby areas, which Fischer explained they were so skilled at hand-making looked wheel made. White Slip is a type of pottery decorated with bright colours and patterns.<br />
<br />
The Late Bronze Age harbour city is one of the biggest in Cyprus at 25 hectares, according to Fischer, dating between the 12th and 13th centuries BC. There were also three occupational layers, meaning that the city was destroyed twice, however the foundations of the city go even further back.<br />
<br />
Fischer said that he would like to come back as he would be interested in digging further down to see when the city was founded.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, archaeological excavations at the Bronze Age site of Politiko-Troullia uncovered a 40cm stone plank figure, which is female. Its highly abstract form is typical of Cypriot plank figurines, which are normally ceramic and much smaller. The deposits reach up to 4m below the modern surface, making this one of the most deeply stratified sites on the island.<br />
<br />
source: <a href="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/">'Cyprus Mail' 05 August 2011, Natalie Hami</a></div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-48669779984271059042011-04-20T18:18:00.001+03:002011-04-20T18:34:26.515+03:00Turkish soldiers opened fire against Greek-Cypriot fishermen in Famagusta area<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B34EqP4PSmA/Ta73DJqgUiI/AAAAAAAAAGs/_BDBUfxYMhQ/s1600/fishingboats-546x387%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B34EqP4PSmA/Ta73DJqgUiI/AAAAAAAAAGs/_BDBUfxYMhQ/s400/fishingboats-546x387%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday afternoon two Greek Cypriot fishermen sailed their boat near Kappari area in the free areas of Famagusta (South-East of: Cyprus) when Turkish soldiers from the occupied area fired at them six shots forcing them to leave.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This was not the first time an incident like this happened, where the Turkish troops fire against innocent fishermen trying to make their living. Also few months ago a Turkish vessel unsuccessfully attempted to sink a fishing boat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and until today the Turkish army illegally occupies the northern part of Cyprus, implementing a policy of ethnic cleansing and apartheid. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A <a href="http://famagusta-gazette.com/shots-fired-at-fishermen-p11045-69.htm">similar incident took place in early December 2010 in Kokkina area</a> (North-West of Cyprus):</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Στα ελληνικά: <a href="http://www.efylakas.com/archives/8759">Τούρκοι στρατιώτες πυροβόλησαν ψαράδες στο Παραλίμνι</a></i></b></div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-69003629836523890482011-04-14T17:24:00.001+03:002011-04-14T17:31:03.398+03:00After Kenya's Mau-Mau, Greek Cypriot EOKA fighters to sue Brits over torture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v1q-RCkVNgU/TacCtVn8RdI/AAAAAAAAAGk/JP3z3rR3KX0/s1600/eoka2%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v1q-RCkVNgU/TacCtVn8RdI/AAAAAAAAAGk/JP3z3rR3KX0/s400/eoka2%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">VETERAN EOKA members are planning lawsuits against British authorities after the UK High Court revealed secret foreign office files detailing the systematic torture of Kenyans in the 1950s.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The court released the files after four elderly Kenyans sued the British government for their brutal suppression of Mau-Mau rebels, and after a Times investigation the EOKA Veteran’s Association is following suit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The association claims 14 Cypriots died and hundreds more could have been tortured during interrogations by the British during the 1955-1959 armed struggle against colonial rule. Two of those who died during interrogation were 17.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is understood that the British government has up to 9,000 documents from 37 colonial administrations, including Cyprus, and the veterans association’s lawyer is now in communication with a London law office.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Former EOKA leader and association head Thassos Sophocleus, 78, told the Times: “We will pursue cases for all those who were tortured. It could be hundreds.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sophocleus said: “The truth is we have a similar case to the Kenyans. We are not doing this for the money. It is for the satisfaction of presenting to the international community what the British did to us...instead of giving us our freedom, they tortured and killed us.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Times said the existence of Foreign Office files detailing Britain’s brutal response to anti-colonial struggles emerged this month, and that British and Cypriot accounts from the same time document numerous cases of torture on the island.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For example, the Times said, a post-mortem examination on one of the 14 who died in custody, Andreas Panayiotou, 26, found that he had been beaten to death. British police, however, claimed that he had died trying to escape custody: a common cover-up, EOKA veterans say.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sophocleus, who led a contingent of guerrillas in the Pentadactylos mountains at the age of 24, told the Times that he was tortured for 16 days after his arrest in 1956.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He alleges that his back was flayed with a rope embedded with iron shards and that he was kicked in the head, body and testicles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sophocleus was sentenced to life imprisonment for possessing firearms but was released when Cyprus won independence in 1960.</div><br />
<i>Source: <a href="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/">Cyprus Mail, 14 April 2011, Patrick Dewhurst</a></i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>- - - - - </i><i></i><i>- - - - - </i><i>- - - - - </i><i>- - - - - </i><i>- - - - - </i><i>- - - - - </i><i>- - - - - </i><i>- - - - - </i></div><i><br />
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QPTl43YWGRU/TacEN6DsEdI/AAAAAAAAAGo/z_KZGTklrc0/s1600/Kenyans-protest-at-the-hi-007%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QPTl43YWGRU/TacEN6DsEdI/AAAAAAAAAGo/z_KZGTklrc0/s320/Kenyans-protest-at-the-hi-007%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div id="article-body-blocks"><div style="text-align: justify;">Hiding behind legal contortions, the government is refusing to apologise or pay compensation for appalling abuses done in the name of and with the knowledge of the British state, with the intent of preserving a system of racist privilege for white settlers in the east African colony.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/5332.html" title="Human Rights House: Kenya Human Rights Commission">Kenya Human Rights Commission</a> says about 160,000 black people were held in dire conditions in camps run by the British colonial authorities and tens of thousands were tortured to get them to renounce their oath to the Mau Mau rebellion against British rule in the 1950s.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Foreign Office doesn't deny there was torture and killings in the camps. How could it? Many of the abuses are documented in files discovered in its own archives. They including a telegram from the British governor of Kenya, Sir Evelyn Baring, documenting torture allegations against colonial district officers including "the burning alive of detainees".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Instead the Foreign Office is deploying an array of legal barriers to argue that it is not required to pay compensation. Among the arguments is that Britain's responsibility for its colonial crimes ceased to exist when Kenya became independent in 1963 – a legal convenience that apparently does not apply in Libya where Britain has willed it that responsibility for Gaddafi's crimes has been transferred to the people as a whole and their representatives in the struggle for freedom.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Foreign Office also argues that these crimes are historic. But they are not history to those who live with the consequences, including the four claimants at the high court such as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/23/ndiku-mutua-castrated-pliers" title="Guardian: Ndiku Mutua">Ndiku Mutua</a> and Paulo Nzili, who say they were castrated in a British camp. Or to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/oct/13/kenya.foreignpolicy" title="Guardian: Shameful legacy">Jane Muthoni Mara</a> who I spoke to in Nairobi several years ago and who described to me how as a 15-year-old she was arrested as a Mau Mau spy and, among other things, tortured under the supervision of a British army officer by being raped with a bottle filled with hot water.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other prisoners told of being beaten, starved, anally raped and flogged. The official documents found at the Foreign Office acknowledge that prisoners were used as forced labour. Some detainees were tortured so badly they died.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">More than 1,000 Kenyan men met their death at the end of a hangman's noose, many after confessions they said were tortured from them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">All of this led a Kenyan colonial judge, Arthur Cram, who was appointed to examine the role of British officials in torture and killings, to draw comparisons with infamous Nazi camps.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"They [British colonial officials] not only knew of the shocking floggings that went on in this Kenya Nordhausen, or Mathausen [sic], but must be taken to be the men who were said to have carried them out. From the brutalising of flogging it is only a step to taking life without qualm," he said in his judgment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Germany is still apologising and paying compensation for the crimes of the Nazi state in Nordhausen and Mauthausen. It has not tried to say that responsibility dissolved with the collapse of the Third Reich.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><i>Full article: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/08/torture-killing-kenya-britain-mau-mau">Guardian 08/04/2011 "Torture and killing in Kenya – Britain's double standards", Chris McGreal</a></i> <br />
<br />
</div><i></i>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-90886124527680218612011-03-04T03:51:00.002+02:002011-03-04T13:20:20.764+02:00Greek-Cypriot refugees reach out to their Turkish-Cypriot compatriots: Together, we can end Turkish occupation!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fb4qC5i3r1s/TXBE99VztRI/AAAAAAAAAGg/mjF1mv_v-RQ/s1600/turkish-cypriots-3march2011-cyprus-flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fb4qC5i3r1s/TXBE99VztRI/AAAAAAAAAGg/mjF1mv_v-RQ/s400/turkish-cypriots-3march2011-cyprus-flag.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Turkish-Cypriots holding the flags of the Republic of Cyprus, a clear act of defiance of Turkish, military occupation. <i>The message is clear:</i> Turkey has to get out, the Turkish-Cypriots want to live in peace with their Greek-Cypriot compatriots. </span> </b></div><br />
<b>KYRENIA REFUGEES ASSOCIATION</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">"ADOULOTI KERINIA", 7 Agiou Ioannou, Strovolos, P.O. Box 23940, 1687, Nicosia - Cyprus<br />
Tel 22-668464, fax 22-668882<br />
e-mail: <a href="mailto:adouloti.kerinia@cytanet.com.cy">adouloti.kerinia@cytanet.com.<wbr></wbr>cy</a><br />
website:<a href="http://adoulotikerinia.com/" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>adoulotikerinia.com</a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">OPEN LETTER TO THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS, ΑΚ/2011, 2/03/2011</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In view of the Turkish Cypriot demonstration today against Turkey in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus.<br />
<br />
<i> Turkish Cypriot compatriots,</i><br />
<br />
We have been following with interest your reaction against the Turkish hegemony which is strangling the Turkish Cypriot identity and oppressing the Turkish Cypriot community.<br />
<br />
We agree with the conclusion arrived at, by the Turkish Cypriot Secretary of the Teachers Union of Elementary Schools, particularly to his reference that the strangling of the Turkish Cypriot identity and the oppression of the Turkish Cypriot community goes back to the 1960s, during which period, <b>Turkey forced the Turkish Cypriots to stop their co-habitation with the Greek Cypriots and began to cultivate the division and the separation on the basis of race and religion.</b><br />
<br />
It was contemptible for our silent majorities of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots to allow at the time foreign interests and foreign interventions to lead us to the situation we face today. At this moment the obstacle to the restoration of constitutional order in Cyprus, as you have realised and denounce with your mobilisations, is Turkey, which occupies part of the Republic of Cyprus. We call upon you to respond to a joint, general mobilisation for the termination of the Turkish occupation and its consequences. It is only with <b>a common struggle of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots against the Turkish occupation</b> with the following objectives, that your mobilisations will have some value and prospect:<br />
<br />
· To get rid of the Turkish continued occupation with the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation forces.<br />
<br />
· To get rid of the Turks and other settlers with their return back to Turkey.<br />
<br />
· To liberate our common homeland. The solution of Bizonal Bicommunal Federation does not provide for the liberation of our land. It rewards the occupation, rewards TMT and its activities that had as their common aim our geographical separation.<br />
<br />
· For all of us, you and we, to return to our homes and properties and with all of our Human Rights fully restored without limitations and restrictions.<br />
<br />
· Once this is achieved, all of us, together, being wiser of past events, to shape the Constitutional structure of our European country, on the basis of democratic principles and values, respecting each other and taking into consideration both our race and national origin as well as our religion.<br />
<br />
<b> It is only under these conditions that we will safeguard our identity.</b><br />
<br />
<b> With the solution of Bizonal Bicommunal Federation both our identities will have an expiry date.</b><br />
<br />
Compatriots,<br />
<br />
We do not want to believe that you will insist or that you will allow, for the creation of a Turkish state built on our properties and to expect at the same time that peace and normal life can be build on such an embezzlement.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Refugee Association Adouloti Kyrenia.</b></i></div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-6137484146632962872011-01-24T04:44:00.002+02:002011-01-24T04:51:41.474+02:00Boy George remembers Cyprus, Archbishop Dimitrios forgets<b><i>"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."</i></b> –Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, former inmate at Auschwitz, author of “Night”.<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TTzovpkW0fI/AAAAAAAAAGY/N_4LhD5ehlk/s1600/article-1348955-0CD7B73D000005DC-64_634x423%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TTzovpkW0fI/AAAAAAAAAGY/N_4LhD5ehlk/s400/article-1348955-0CD7B73D000005DC-64_634x423%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="imageCaption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #666666;">Gilt-edged occasion: Boy George and composer John Themis with the token of gratitude given them by the Church of Cyprus after the return of the icon, held by an unnamed official with Bishop Porfyrios [photo by <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1348955/Boy-George-returns-stolen-picture-Christ-Cyprus.html">'Daily Mail' 21/01/2011</a>]</b></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1348955/Boy-George-returns-stolen-picture-Christ-Cyprus.html#ixzz1BuvxP0a7" style="color: #003399;"></a></div><b>BOY GEORGE REMEMBERS CYPRUS, ARCHBISHOP DIMITRIOS FORGETS</b><br />
<b>For Immediate Release: January 23, 2011</b><br />
<a href="http://cyprusactionnetwork.org/boy_george_remembers_cyprus_archbishop_dimitrios_forgets" target="_blank">http://cyprusactionnetwork.<wbr></wbr>org/boy_george_remembers_<wbr></wbr>cyprus_archbishop_dimitrios_<wbr></wbr>forgets</a><br />
<br />
When talking about the Turkish invasion and ongoing occupation of Cyprus and its denial, I am reminded of what Elie Wiesel once said "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." In the upcoming days Archbishop Dimitrios as spiritual leader of some 3 million Greek Americans will be attending the annual Holocaust Remembrance Days at the UN in New York and at the marbled halls of the Consulate General of Greece in New York, to make his annual remarks about the human struggle to remember a religious minority that was tormented in a death camp in Poland called Auschwitz and to mark its liberation close to seventy years ago. Meanwhile, another religious minority, not seventy years ago, but today, the Greek Cypriots of occupied Cyprus this past Christmas had Christmas liturgy denied to them, when the brutal tormentors who have raped, massacred and diminished a population in a slow motion Holocaust in Karpasia shut down their few remaining churches on Christmas day. These people have seen their cemeteries desecrated, their churches turned into houses of prostitution and their religious and cultural artifacts stolen by the tormentors and sold on the black markets to the highest bidders.<br />
<br />
This week a glimmer of hope was raised for our people when world reknown celebrity Boy George returned a stolen icon and made press around the world by breaking the silence and condemning the Turkish occupation of Cyprus . This week Archbishop Dimitrios has a choice: to continue to remain silent about those who awarded the Turkish Minister and racist Bagis, and thus try to remain a silent neutral, or to be a good man and to help the tormented. We must continue this week to send protest letters to Archbishop Dimitrios to remind him to find it in his heart to remember Cyprus, for the sake of our people Archbishop Dimitrios "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."<br />
<br />
This week is filled with irony whilst Boy George is returning the stolen icon and the Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus is honored by the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russians Kyrillos for his efforts with the Prize of the International Foundation for the unity of Orthodox Christian Nations, the Patriarchate and his Archons headed by Archbishop Demetrios honored racist Bagis who does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and whose country is responsible for the desecration of our occupied churches and violations of religious freedom of our enclaved Greek Cypriots.<br />
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Below follows A Big Thank You to Boy George from distinguished Greek-Cypriot journalist and researcher Fanoulla Argyrou and related news links of interest. Please forward to all you media contacts.<br />
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--Nikolaos Taneris, Press officer, Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA)<br />
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A big thank you to Boy George<br />
<br />
The news that popular singer Boy George has returned a looted icon he had in his possession after buying it in good faith from a shop in King’s Road in London almost 26 years ago, after being informed by the Church of Cyprus of its real origin and fate, is highly appreciated by the Greek nation. George’s decision to return the looted precious icon to the Church of Cyprus has once again brought to the front line news the barbaric Turkish crimes committed since and after the two bloody Turkish invasions of Cyprus in 1974.<br />
<br />
A bulk of barbaric crimes, murders, rapes, bombardment and executions in cold blood also included the destruction and looting of hundreds of Christian churches and religious places in occupied Cyprus where in the process thousands of priceless icons and other religious artefacts have been systematically looted. And smuggled out of the island ruthlessly sold in the black market. They even tried to sell some of these in reputable Auction Houses.<br />
<br />
Readers are referred to “The Guardian” report “The rape of northern Cyprus ”, of 6th May 1976 which published horrific details of the desecration, looting and vandalism of our occupied churches in the occupied by Turkey part of Cyprus . The article referred to an ITV (Independent Television) documentary of those days. It said “As UNESCO suppressed an expert report on Turkish treatment of the churches of northern Cyprus , a TV team slipped away from surveillance and brought back grim evidence of looting and desecration for ITV’s This Week Tonight, Thames TV correspondent John Fielding reports…”<br />
<br />
Readers are also referred to Michalle A Vu’s report published in “The Christian Post”, 28 April 2008 titled “The last church standing in occupied Cyprus ”. The following are extracts: “… According to the Republic of Cyprus , in the span of three decades under Turkish control, more than 530 churches and monasteries have been pillaged, vandalized, or destroyed in the occupied areas. “ I cannot say that the destruction of churches is encouraged openly by the Turkish government. All I can say is that it is taking place in the area that is under direct control of the Turkish military, and I leave you to make your own conclusions from that “. (Statement by Andreas Kakouris ex Cyprus Ambassador to the United States to CHRISTIAN POST. See “Bloody Truth” pages 360-365 <a href="http://www.freedomjustice.com.cy/" target="_blank">www.freedomjustice.com.cy</a> and <a href="http://www.cyprusactionnetwork.org/" target="_blank">www.cyprusactionnetwork.org</a> downloading of the whole book is absolutely free).<br />
<br />
According to statistics of the Republic of Cyprus : “… About 133 churches, chapels and monasteries have been converted to military storage facilities, stables and night-clubs, a further number of 78 churches have been converted to mosques, Agia Anastasia church, in occupied Lapithos, was converted into a casino hotel, while Sourp Magar Armenian monastery, founded in the medieval period, was converted into a Cafeteria…” (Christian Post).<br />
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“This is not a Muslim-Christian issue… I don’t think the Cyprus problem has ever been a religious issue between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots… If the Turkish government hadn’t given the ‘green light’ on the destruction of churches and artefacts, they have not given the ‘red light’ either…So it is, either directly taking place or with their blind eye or whatever you want to call it. But they are responsible for what is taking place there”. (Andreas Kakouris to Christian Post. See “Bloody Truth” pages 360 – 365).<br />
<br />
Looting and Smuggling<br />
<br />
“Michael Van Rijn, the self-confessed art smuggler who worked undercover for Scotland Yard, has never been shy about his dubious activities in the art world. His claims about the millions he made through his links with the Yard are typical of his passion for causing embarrassment… Michael Van Rijn plans to use his website to reveal years of undercover operations for Scotland Yard and others. He wants his disclosures to embarrass the British Museum , Sotheyby’s, Christies and other leading art dealers as well as the security services.… A dentist’s son from Amsterdam , who owns several houses around the world, admits smuggling icons out of Russia , Cyprus , Greece and elsewhere. “ I have made millions…”, wrote “The Times” of London on 29 January 1990.<br />
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Michael van Rijn, a self confessed art smuggler indeed… has also been a very close associate of A. Dikmen, the Turkish smuggler, who stole the famous Kanakaria frescoes from occupied Lithrangomi in Cyprus . In his autobiography Michael van Rijn describes vividly how large amounts of antiquities from occupied Cyprus were loaded on vehicles of the Finnish UN contingent in Cyprus and transferred to the free part of the Republic of Cyprus from where they were, in the process smuggled out of the island (After a long and hard legal battle led by the Church of Cyprus (court case took place in America) the latter won the return of the Kanakaria frescoes to Cyprus…”. (All these have been covered in detail in my book (but unfortunately exhausted only to be found in libraries) “Conspiracy or Blunder?” issued in Nicosia 2000 published by Refugee Association “Adouloti Kyrenia”).<br />
<br />
“ … Haven’t you heard that the 2000 year old Christchurch in Cyprus , St. Barnabas Church, has been robbed? Haven’t you heard that 35 icons were stolen, 11 of them were found in Kythrea, that 11 were retrieved in Ankara airport while being smuggled out and that the rest are lost? Haven’t you heard what’s happening in Varosia ( Famagusta )? Haven’t you heard that figurines belonging to the Catholic period and kept in the Archaelogical Museum have been stolen and smuggled to London ?<br />
<br />
What about the icons in the other churches: the mosaics, the private collections the illegal digs? Haven’t you heard of these? Why have they stopped the digs started before 1974 at the city of Gastria , which belongs to the geometric age? Do you know what has happened since then? The “government” (refers to the occupied regime) has issued permits to certain businessmen from Turkey to set up a gypsum factory there. The tombs were destroyed and plundered”. (‘Perishing Cyprus in the Turkish Cypriot Review’ by Mehmet Yasin. ‘ Olay’ April 1982 – from Public and Information Office publication “They make a desert and they call it peace”). (Quoted in my book “Conspiracy or Blunder?” pages 93 – 96).<br />
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A big thank you to Boy George who through his commendable decision to return the stolen icon to the Church of Cyprus (obviously not able to return it to the actual Church of origin due to the continued Turkish invasion and occupation of that part of our homeland) has offered immense service to our cause in promoting to the eyes of the world the ongoing Turkish religious crimes committed in Cyprus since 1974…<br />
<br />
God Bless you George.<br />
<br />
Fanoulla Argyrou<br />
Researcher/Journalist<br />
London<br />
23.1.2010<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thelondondailynews.com/exclusive-george-handing-over-christ-icon-highgate-church-p-5014.html?osCsid=3hrdit5mqle20f4kbmlphatp13" target="_blank">http://www.thelondondailynews.<wbr></wbr>com/exclusive-george-handing-<wbr></wbr>over-christ-icon-highgate-<wbr></wbr>church-p-5014.html?osCsid=<wbr></wbr>3hrdit5mqle20f4kbmlphatp13</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12228059" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/<wbr></wbr>entertainment-arts-12228059</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1348955/Boy-George-returns-stolen-picture-Christ-Cyprus.html" target="_blank">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/<wbr></wbr>news/article-1348955/Boy-<wbr></wbr>George-returns-stolen-picture-<wbr></wbr>Christ-Cyprus.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sigmalive.com/simerini/news/local/347872" target="_blank">http://www.sigmalive.com/<wbr></wbr>simerini/news/local/347872</a><br />
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Related News Links of interest:<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Archbishop of Cyprus meets with Dmitry Medvedev in Russia<br />
<br />
<a href="http://news.pseka.net/index.php?module=article&id=11645" target="_blank">http://news.pseka.net/index.<wbr></wbr>php?module=article&id=11645</a><br />
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<br />
<br />
See also:<br />
<br />
- “We were butchered by the same barbarian”<br />
<a href="http://ditord.com/2011/01/19/president_sargsyan_greece_cyprus/" target="_blank">http://ditord.com/2011/01/19/<wbr></wbr>president_sargsyan_greece_<wbr></wbr>cyprus/</a><br />
<br />
- Sarkisian Slams Turkey During Cyprus , Greece Visits<br />
<a href="http://asbarez.com/91863/sarkisian-slams-turkey-during-cyprus-greece-visits/" target="_blank">http://asbarez.com/91863/<wbr></wbr>sarkisian-slams-turkey-during-<wbr></wbr>cyprus-greece-visits/</a><br />
<br />
- Karolos Papoulias: both Armenians and Greeks suffered at the hands of Turkey<br />
<a href="http://sports.phantis.com/news/karolos-papoulias-both-armenians-and-greeks-suffered-hands-turkey" target="_blank">http://sports.phantis.com/<wbr></wbr>news/karolos-papoulias-both-<wbr></wbr>armenians-and-greeks-suffered-<wbr></wbr>hands-turkey</a><br />
<br />
Of related interest:<br />
<br />
- The Greek Genocide 1914-1923<br />
<a href="http://www.greek-genocide.org/index1.html" target="_blank">http://www.greek-genocide.org/<wbr></wbr>index1.html</a> & <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_genocide" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<wbr></wbr>Greek_genocide</a><br />
<br />
- Le Genocide Grec 1914-1923<br />
<a href="http://armeniantrends.blogspot.com/2010/06/genocide-grec-1914-23-temoignage-1-21.html" target="_blank">http://armeniantrends.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2010/06/genocide-<wbr></wbr>grec-1914-23-temoignage-1-21.<wbr></wbr>html</a><br />
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Download «Από την Ένωση στην Κατοχή» by distinguished Greek-Cypriot journalist and researcher Mrs. Fanoulla Argyrou. This book is the comprehensive record from the British Archives on how they destroyed Cyprus: <a href="http://cyprusactionnetwork.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Apo_ten_Enosis_ten_Katochi.348153720.pdf" target="_blank">http://cyprusactionnetwork.<wbr></wbr>org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/<wbr></wbr>docs/Apo_ten_Enosis_ten_<wbr></wbr>Katochi.348153720.pdf</a><br />
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ΑΙΜΑΤΗΡΗ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ - BLOODY TRUTH (Download the Greek and English PDF book) Learn the Truth about the Turkish terrorist organizations Volgan and TMT and the Turkish-British racist Bizonal Bicommunal Federation plan. Volunteer for our information tables to distribute the book.<br />
<a href="http://cyprusactionnetwork.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/BLOODY_TRUTH__The_Book.266130049.pdf" target="_blank">http://cyprusactionnetwork.<wbr></wbr>org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/<wbr></wbr>docs/BLOODY_TRUTH__The_Book.<wbr></wbr>266130049.pdf</a><br />
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Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA)<br />
2578 Broadway #132<br />
New York, NY 10025<br />
New York: Tel. 917-699-9935 9935 Email: <a href="mailto:cana@cyprusactionnetwork.org">cana@cyprusactionnetwork.org</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cyprusactionnetwork.org/" target="_blank">www.cyprusactionnetwork.org</a></div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-30438611783857075942011-01-07T01:33:00.000+02:002011-01-07T01:33:28.778+02:00Protest award to racist Turk Minister Egemen Bagis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TSZQ_CHfkhI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/CXmRpjq6rIg/s1600/091203_Egemen_Bagis_969478a%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TSZQ_CHfkhI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/CXmRpjq6rIg/s320/091203_Egemen_Bagis_969478a%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">ACTION ALERT PROTEST AWARD TO RACIST TURK MINISTER BAGIS</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">For Immediate Release: January 5, 2011<br />
by Cyprus Action Network of America: <a href="http://cyprusactionnetwork.org/action_alert_protest_award_to_racist_turk_minister_bagis">http://cyprusactionnetwork.org/action_alert_protest_award_to_racist_turk_minister_bagis</a></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">CURRENT STATUS: The current, Minister for European Union Affairs and Chief Negotiator of the Republic of Turkey , the racist Mr. Egemen Bagis was awarded by the “Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate” this Greek-American group representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate awarded the Turkish official “commending him for his efforts on behalf of religious minorities in Turkey .” <a href="http://www.archons.org/news/detail.asp?id=433" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.archons.org/news/detail.asp?id=433</a></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">The award was bestowed on the representative of criminal Turkey in Brussels on November 16-17, 2010 days before the EU assessment on Turkey’s human rights record and was attended by Archbishop Dimitrios of America and Greek-Cypriot immigrant Panicos “Peter” Papanicolaou the “Supreme President” of the Cyprus Federation of America. Mr. Papanicolaou walked out of the room in protest during the honoring.</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">The Greek-American organized conference in Brussels the capital of the EU was titled, ironically “RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: TURKEY ’S BRIDGE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION: INTERNATIONAL ARCHON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONFERENCE”</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/" target="_blank">http://www.archons.org/conference/</a></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">For Greeks to bestow an award commending Mr. Egemen Bagis for “religious freedom” is to make a mockery of all that religious freedom and human rights stand for, it's akin to Jews awarding a Nazi Minister “commending him for his efforts on behalf of religious minorities in Hitler’s Germany .” </div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">Mr. Egeman Bagis, 39, is one of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's closest advisors. Since 2009, he has served as Turkey 's Minister for European Union Affairs and is the country's chief negotiator in EU accession talks. Bagis refuses to recognise the Republic of Cyprus . In a very recent statement (<a href="http://www.eleftheria.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>www.eleftheria.co.uk</strong></a> 6.1.2011) provocatively said the government of Cyprus “does not constitute a state” and that Turkey says to the world that the Greek Cypriots “ cannot constitute a state, not even a race”!. Bagis repeatedly and in detail publicly denied Turkey ’s responsibility for the Armenian Genocide, in a recent interview to Spiegel in Germany he made reference to the possibility of throwing Americans off of Incirlik airbase in Turkey in retaliation for any possible recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the US Congress. When the parliament of Sweden in March 2010 recognized that Armenians, Assyrians,Syrians, Chaldeans and Pontic Greeks - had suffered genocide, Bagis with bravado expressed “disappointment” and threatened Sweden with economic and diplomatic retaliation for basically recognizing also the truth of the genocide of Pontic Greeks by criminal Turkey. Bagis was quoted in the Turkish Press in calling for efforts in Sweden against the recognition of the resolution that recognized the genocide of Pontic Greeks, the Turkish Cumhuriyet cited Bagis, the Turkish diplomat reminded what happened in Swedish parliament: “Shame on us what happened in Swedish Parliament. Our brothers for whom Turks cast ballots passed the resolution which smeared us. It’s unacceptable.” </div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">During Christmas liturgy in occupied Cyprus Turkish occupation forces desecrated Greek Cypriot churches by attacking Priests during Christmas liturgy and forcing Greek-Cypriot worshipers out of their churches ultimately padlocking shut the church on Christmas Day. These barbaric crimes against religious freedom by Turkey in occupied Cyprus have been answered by official letters of protest <strong>and condemnation by the Cyprus Government, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs,the Archbishop of Cyprus, by European politicians and numerous other organisations worldwide but also by none other than the “Archons” the same group that awarded the Turk Bagis in a press release on their site titled “Order of St. Andrew Condemns Religious Freedom Violations in the northern Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus” (1-4-2011)</strong> <a href="http://www.archons.org/news/detail.asp?id=456" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.archons.org/news/detail.asp?id=456</a></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">Protests to Turkey’s crimes against religious freedom on Christmas Day in occupied Cyprus also came from The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in its report titled “Cyprus: USCIRF Faults Turkish Cypriot Authorities for Closing Church on Christmas” (1-3-2011)</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><a href="http://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/press-releases/3489--cyprus-uscirf-concerned-about-denial-of-christmas-service.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/press-releases/3489--cyprus-uscirf-concerned-about-denial-of-christmas-service.html</a></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">In the wake of these Turkish Crimes against Religious Freedom , Mr. Bagis in recent days has made racist statements to the Turkish Press, openly denying the existence of the Greek-Cypriot nation, as well as calling for the EU to “punish” Greek-Cypriots following the next round of negotiations if the “spoiled Greek-Cypriots “ again say no to Turkish demands. These remarks together with his history of Genocide denial shows that Mr. Bagis is an anti-Greek-Cypriot racist emboldened by Turkey’s cycle of impunity for its past crimes of Genocide and its ongoing HOLOCAUST of the Greek-Cypriots that began on July 20, 1974.</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal">The story of how the Archons bestowed an award for religious freedom to the racist Turkish Minister Bagis would have basically gone by unnoticed, except by the Turkish press, had it not been for a report in the Greek language daily Ethnikos Kirix, A FULL MONTH AFTER THE AWARD, the story came out on Ethnikos Kirix on December 23<sup>rd</sup>, two days before Christmas Day, and was followed up with stories in the Greek-Cypriot dailies Simierini and Phileleftheros. Widely quoted in this late story is the protest of Mr. Philip Christopher President of PSEKA and Panicos “Peter” Papanicolaou the Supreme President of Cyprus Federation of America. Had it not been for the Ethnikos Kirix and the follow up press in Cyprus , this story would have remained in the ghetto of Astoria and the four walls of Cyprus , reported during Christmas week when most news items are quickly not spotlighted. This week distinguished Greek-Cypriot author and researcher Fanoulla Argyrou discussed this story on major Greek-Cypriot media, and wrote about it in London community newspapers TA NEA and Eleftheria, the story was also posted on the popular human rights website Agora-dialogue.</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><strong>We still do not know why it took the officials over a month to report this case through Ethnikos Kirix and why a strong and public protest was not delivered there and then in Brussels together with the walk out of the room. But we agree with Philip Christopher’s demand as quoted in Ethnikos Kirix:</strong></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Calibri;">The President of the International Coordinating Committee for Justice for Cyprus Mr. Philip Christopher in a statement to the “National Herald” (23 December 2010) said: “</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">We ask of Archbishop Dimitrios and the board of the </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Archons of the EP to tell us who and with what criteria come up with Awarding Minister of Turkey , Egmen Bagis</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Calibri;">”. Mr. Christopher also expressed his strong disapproval to this decision. </span></span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Thus far there is no explanation for who made the decision, but sources have informed us that a “a wealthy powerful man who can move waves in America ” made the decision…..</span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">WHAT YOU CAN DO:</span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Calibri;">Call, write, email the Archbishop Dimitrios of America and the Archons the following statement “</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">We ask of Archbishop Dimitrios and the board of the</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Archons of the EP to tell us who and with what criteria come up with Awarding Minister of Turkey , Egemen Bagis</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Calibri;">”.</span></span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Please take the time to personalize your letter, and as always please be polite and courteous.</span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">CONTACT INFO FOR ARCHBISHOP DIMITRIOS:</span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339msonormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">8 East 79th Street</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">, New York , NY 10075-0106</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">• Telephone: <span class="skype_pnh_print_container">(212) 570-3500</span><span class="skype_pnh_container"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common"><span class="skype_pnh_left_span"> </span><span class="skype_pnh_dropart_span"><span class="skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style="background-position: -4499px 1px;"> </span> </span><span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span"> (212) 570-3500</span></span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span"> </span></span> <span class="skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span><strong> <span class="skype_pnh_print_container">(212) 570-3500</span><span class="skype_pnh_container"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common"><span class="skype_pnh_left_span"> </span><span class="skype_pnh_dropart_span"><span class="skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style="background-position: -4499px 1px;"> </span> </span><span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span"> (212) 570-3500</span></span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span"> </span></span> <span class="skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span> </strong> • Fax: (212) 570-3569</span></span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: RequiemText-HTF-Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;">• e-mail: </span><a href="http://us.mc573.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=archdiocese@goarch.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">archdiocese@goarch.org</span></a></span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: RequiemText-HTF-Roman; font-size: small;">CONTACT INFO FOR ARCHONS:</span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><strong><strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;">The Order of Saint Andrew</span></strong></strong><strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana;"><br />
<strong><strong>Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate</strong></strong></span></strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana;"></span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">8 East 79th Street<br />
New York, NY 10075<br />
Phone: <span class="skype_pnh_print_container">212 570 3550</span><span class="skype_pnh_container"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common"><span class="skype_pnh_left_span"> </span><span class="skype_pnh_dropart_span"><span class="skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style="background-position: -4499px 1px;"> </span> </span><span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span"> 212 570 3550</span></span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span"> </span></span> <span class="skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span><strong> </strong>Fax: 212 774 0214<br />
Email: </span><a href="mailto:archons@goarch.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">archons@goarch.org</span></a></span></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
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</div><u><div class="yiv2006621987yiv675225799msonormal"><a href="http://cyprusactionnetwork.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/EK12232010.4162224.pdf" type="4"><u>ETHNIKOS KIRIX December 23, 2010 <strong>Λάθος των Αρχόντων η βράβευση Τούρκου </strong><strong>Του Δημήτρη Τσάκα </strong><strong>ΝΕΑ ΥΟΡΚΗ. </strong><strong>(pgs 1 and 7) Click on PDF</strong></u></a></div></u><br />
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<div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://agora-dialogue.com/?p=16363">http://agora-dialogue.com/?p=16363</a></div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><h2 class="entry-title">Ποίοι ευθύνονται για την βράβευση του Ε. Μπαγίς;</h2><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="entry-meta entry-header"><a class="url fn" href="http://agora-dialogue.com/?author=5" title="View all posts by Agora"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Agora</span></a> on <abbr class="published-time" title="January 3, 2011 - 4:56 am">January 3, 2011</abbr> — <a href="http://agora-dialogue.com/?p=16363#comments"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Leave a Comment</span></a> </div><div class="yiv1274055551yiv1671232339yiv312236677msonormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="entry-content"><em>Να ονομαστούν οι υπεύθυνοι </em><br />
<a href="http://agora-dialogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Bagis-troffy.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-16364" height="133" src="http://agora-dialogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Bagis-troffy-150x133.jpg" title="Bagis troffy" width="150" /></a>Στις 18 Νοεμβρίου 2010 με πρωτοβουλία κάποιων (ή κάποιου) επιτήδειων στις ΗΠΑ βραβεύθηκε στις Βρυξέλλες, ειρωνικά σε συνέδριο για «θρησκευτικές ελευθερίες», ο Τούρκος υπουργός Επικρατείας Εγκεμέν Μπαγίς. Δύο στελέχη της Ελληνοαμερικανικής κοινότητας ο πρόεδρος της ΠΣΕΚΑ κ.Φίλιπ Κρίστοφερ και ο κ. Π. Παπανικολάου της Ομοσπονδίας Κυπρίων Αμερικής διαχώριζαν την θέση τους κάνοντας γνωστή την διαφωνία τους με την απόφαση αυτή και ζητούν δημόσια εξηγήσεις από τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αμερικής Δημήτριο και το διοικητή του Τάγματος των Αρχόντων του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου να δώσουν εξηγήσεις με ποια κριτήρια βραβεύτηκε ο Τούρκος υπουργός Ε. Μπαγίς (Ο κ. Παπανικολάου αποχώρησε από το συνέδριο εις ένδειξη διαμαρτυρίας).<em>(Εθνικός Κήρυκας 23/12/2010, Φιλελεύθερος 29/12/2010, Σημερινή, 28/12/2010 και </em><em>h</em><em><a href="http://www.greeknewsonline.com/?p=14074" title="http://www.greeknewsonline.com/?p=14074"><span style="color: purple;">ttp://www.greeknewsonline.com/?p=14074</span></a></em><em>).</em><br />
<a href="http://agora-dialogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Egemen-Bagis1.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-16368" height="150" src="http://agora-dialogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Egemen-Bagis1-150x150.jpg" title="Egemen Bagis" width="150" /></a>Πιο συγκεκριμένα, όμως, και σύμφωνα με τις ειδήσεις και τις αναφορές στις ηλεκτρονικές διευθύνσεις των «Αρχόντων» (βλέπε συνδέσμους πιο κάτω) το συνέδριο στις Βρυξέλλες που είχε τον χαρακτηριστικό τίτλο <strong>« Διεθνής συνέδριο Αρχόντων με κύριο θέμα « Θρησκευτικές Ελευθερίας: Η γέφυρα της Τουρκίας στην Ευρωπαική Ένωση</strong>» διοργανώθηκε από τους Άρχοντες του Τάγματος του Απ. Ανδρέα, του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου στην Αμερική και Ευρώπη οι οποίοι και βράβευσαν τον Ε. Μπαγίς. Επομένως η διοργάνωσή του στην καρδιά του Ευρωπαικού Κοινοβουλίου ειδικά τις μέρες εκείνες (16-17 Νοεμβρίου 2010), έχοντας υπόψη και τον αριθμό Τούρκων αξιωματούχων που παρευρέθηκαν, αποκλειστικό στόχο είχε την εξυπηρέτηση τουρκικών στόχων. Σε σχέση με την ενταξιακή της Τουρκίας υπό την κάλυψη του τάχατες «διεθνούς συνεδρίου…» εις βάρος των εθνικών Ελληνικών συμφερόντων και κυρίως της μαρτυρικής Κύπρου.<br />
Θέλουμε να πιστεύουμε ότι ο ίδιος ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής δεν είχε χέρι στην σκευωρία αυτή εναντίον του Ελληνισμού της Κύπρου. Συμφωνούμε πλήρως με την στάση των Ελληνοκυπρίων παραγόντων και συμμεριζόμαστε την αγανάκτηση τους ενόσω 550 Ελληνο-ορθόδοξες εκκλησίες μας στα κατεχόμενα εδάφη της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας έχουν λεηλατηθεί, καταστραφεί, συληθεί και μετατραπεί ειδωλολατρικά σε σταύλους, αποχωρητήρια, κέντρα αναψυχής και αποθήκες από τους Τούρκους κατακτητές και άλλους στα κατεχόμενα και η μισή Κύπρος βρίσκεται για 36 χρόνια υπό τουρκική βάρβαρη εισβολή και κατοχή από την κατοχική Τουρκία του Ε. Μπαγίς. Με 200,000 Ελληνοκύπριους πρόσφυγες να περιμένουν καρτερικά να επιστρέψουν στις κλεμμένες από τους Τούρκους περιουσίες τους.<br />
Το γεγονός ότι η βράβευση του Μπαγίς δεν συμπεριλήφθηκε στο επίσημο πρόγραμμα, αποκαλύπτει και το ύποπτο της όλης σκευωρίας προς όφελος της Τουρκίας, μάλιστα τις μέρες που θα εκδιδόταν και το πόρισμα της Επιτροπής Προόδου για τις ενταξιακές της Τουρκίας.<br />
<a href="http://agora-dialogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Bagis-3-three.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-16370" height="150" src="http://agora-dialogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Bagis-3-three-150x150.jpg" title="Bagis 3 three" width="150" /></a>Πριν ο αλέκτωρ λαλήσει τρίς, ο βραβευθείς Ε. Μπαγίς με θράσος που μόνο οι Τούρκοι διαθέτουν δήλωσε προκλητικά ότι η κυπριακή Δημοκρατία « δεν αποτελεί κράτος» και ότι η Τουρκία διακηρύττει παντού ότι οι Ε/κ «δεν μπορούν να αποτελέσουν κράτος, ούτε καν φυλή». (<em>Σημερινή 28/12/2010).</em><br />
Τι αντιπροσωπεύει ο Ε. Μπαγίς; Το απάνθρωπο εκείνο καθεστώς που ανήμερα των Χριστουγέννων, της μεγαλύτερης γιορτής της Χριστιανοσύνης, καταδέχθηκε να πατήσει το πόδι του στην Εκκλησία στο κατεχόμενο Ριζοκάρπασο και την Αγία Τριάδα όπου ζουν οι λιγοστοί (500 περίπου) ΄Ελληνες ήρωες εγκλωβισμένοι και να τους πετάξει έξω από την Εκκλησία διακόπτοντας την Θεία Λειτουργία. Και το χειρότερο διέταξαν τους ιερείς να ξεντυθούν αμέσως και τους πέταξαν έξω. Καταδεικνύοντας την αδυναμία των Τούρκων να σεβαστούν τις στοιχειώδεις θρησκευτικές ελευθερίες των Χριστιανών μάλιστα εγκλωβισμένων Ελλήνων. Μια άκρως καταδικαστέα επαχθής πράξη καταπάτησης στοιχειώδους ανθρώπινου δικαιώματος, ιεροσυλίας, όπως είναι η άσκηση των θρησκευτικών καθηκόντων που καθιστά την κατοχική Τουρκία ακόμα περισσότερο ανίκανη να γίνει μέλος της Ευρωπαικής Ένωσης. Και αυτόν τον άνθρωπο, που αντιπροσωπεύει αυτό το καθεστώς, κάποιοι στις ΗΠΑ, κάποιοι επιτήδειοι (ή κάποιος) που διοικούν το λεγόμενο Τάγμα Αρχόντων του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου στις ΗΠΑ, διευθέτησαν όπως βραβευθεί σε συνέδριο για «θρησκευτικές ελευθερίες»! Ο «Αττίλας» της Κύπρου! Και ακόμα μια ερώτηση: Εφόσον το «διεθνές» τους συνέδριο ήταν για τις μειονότητες στην Τουρκία και πόσο τις σέβεται η κατοχική Τουρκία γιατί δεν κάλεσαν και αντιπροσωπεία των λιγοστών μας Ελλήνων ηρωικών εγκλωβισμένων να μιλήσουν για το πως τους «σέβονται» οι κατοχικές δυνάμεις στην Κύπρο; Εφόσον και το διεθνές ευρωπαικό δικαστήριο σε πόρισμά του έχει χαρακτηρίσει την κατεχόμενη περιοχή της Κύπρου ως εξαρτώμενη από την κατοχική Τουρκία;<br />
Αναμένουμε να ονομαστούν και να ντροπιαστούν οι υπεύθυνοι της αποτρόπαιας αυτής πράξης. Θα γίνει όμως;<br />
<a href="http://www.archons.org/news/detail.asp?id=431" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/news/detail.asp?id=431"><span style="color: purple;">http://www.archons.org/news/detail.asp?id=431</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.archons.org/photos/index.php?setID=72157625309325179" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/photos/index.php?setID=72157625309325179"><span style="color: purple;">http://www.archons.org/photos/index.php?setID=72157625309325179</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.archons.org/photos/index.php?setID=72157625278062377" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/photos/index.php?setID=72157625278062377"><span style="color: purple;">http://www.archons.org/photos/index.php?setID=72157625278062377</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/"><span style="color: purple;">http://www.archons.org/conference/</span></a><br />
<strong>Φανούλα Αργυρού</strong><br />
<strong>Ερευνήτρια/συγγραφέας</strong><br />
<strong>Λονδίνο 29.12.2010</strong><br />
<em>( Συμπληρωματικές πληροφορίες: </em><br />
ΒΡΥΞΕΛΛΕΣ – Το Τάγμα του Αποστόλου Ανδρέα και το Τάγμα των Οφφικιάλων Αρχόντων «Παμμακάριστος», Άρχοντες του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου στις Η.Π.Α. και Ευρώπη αντίστοιχα, αναγνώρισαν με αναμνηστική πλάκα τον Εγκεμέν Μπαγκίς, υπουργό Ευρωπαϊκών Υποθέσεων και κύριο διαπραγματευτή της Τουρκίας με την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση για τις προσπάθειες του υπέρ των θρησκευτικών μειονοτήτων στην Τουρκία. Η παρουσίαση έγινε την Τρίτη 16 Νοεμβρίου στο Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο κατά τη διάρκεια της πρώτης Διεθνούς Διάσκεψης των Αρχόντων για τις Θρησκευτικές Ελευθερίες.<br />
<strong>Archon news </strong><br />
<h2>International Archon Conference to focus on, “Religious Freedom: Turkey’s Bridge to the European Union”</h2>New York, NY<br />
11/12/2010<br />
The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, will hold an International Religious Freedom Conference entitled “<a href="http://www.archons.org/conference" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conferenceInternational Conference"><span style="color: purple;">Religious Freedom: Turkey’s Bridge to the European Union</span></a>,” on November 16-17, 2010 at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.<br />
The two-day conference will bring together scholars, religious freedom and human rights advocates, journalists, diplomats, parliamentarians, religious leaders, representatives of the Government of Turkey, lawyers and members of minority communities that will focus on religious freedom. Speakers will analyze issues of religious freedom confronting the religious minorities in Turkey and propose answers.<br />
“Religious freedom constitutes a most valuable gift from God, since it affects directly and substantively our relationship with Him. It is the open way of communication with our Creator. Therefore, a conference dedicated to religious freedom becomes a bridge between humanity and God and by extension a bridge connecting people, nations, cultures and religions,” said His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, talking about the upcoming conference.<br />
The conference is sponsored by the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America and the Pammakaristos Brotherhood of Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Europe, in cooperation with the Patriarchal Liaison Office of the Orthodox Church to the European Union.<br />
Archbishop Demetrios will offer an introductory address at the opening dinner at the Conrad Brussels Hotel, the evening of Monday Nov. 15. The Conference will be held in the European Parliament and will begin Tuesday, November 16. Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Order of St. Andrew will welcome the participants along with Rodi Kratsa Tsagaropoulou, vice-president of the European Parliament. Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, director of the Liaison Office of the Orthodox Church to the European Union will read the Patriarchal Exhortation, and Archbishop Demetrios will follow him with the keynote address.<br />
Additionally, the list of the distinguished speakers includes: <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-bagis.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-bagis.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Egemen Bagis</span></a>, Republic of Turkey, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-akyol.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-akyol.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Mustafa Akyol</span></a>, Journalist and Political Commentator — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-ateshian.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-ateshian.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Archbishop Aram Ateshian</span></a>, Armenian Church, Archbishop of the Armenians in Turkey — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-bermek.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-bermek.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Dogan Bermek</span></a>, President, AVF Federation of Alevi Foundation — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-cengiz.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-cengiz.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Orhan Kemal Cengiz</span></a>, Lawyer, Human Rights Defender, and News Paper Columnist — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-durham.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-durham.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Cole Durham</span></a>, BYU Law School, Susan Young Gates University Professor of Law and Director, International Center for Law and Religious Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-ealy.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-ealy.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Steven Ealy</span></a>, Senior Fellow, Liberty Fund — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-ekonomou.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-ekonomou.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Andrew Ekonomou</span></a>, Senior Counsel to the American Center for Law and Justice, Washington, D.C. and to the European Center for Law and Justice, Strasbourg, France — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-hatemi-h.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-hatemi-h.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Huseyin Hatemi</span></a>, Professor, Istanbul University School of Law and Maltepe University — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-hatemi-k.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-hatemi-k.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Kezban Hatemi</span></a>, Attorney — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-kurban.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-kurban.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Dilek Kurban</span></a>, Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation, Program Officer Democratization Program, Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-limberakis.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-limberakis.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Anthony J. Limberakis</span></a>, National Commander, Order of St. Andrew, Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-messo.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-messo.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Johny Messo</span></a>, Syriac Universal Alliance, President — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-monge.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-monge.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Claudio Monge</span></a>, DoSt-I (Dominican Study- Institute) — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-ndulo.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-ndulo.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Muna B. Ndulo</span></a>, Professor of Law, Cornell Law School, Director of Cornell’s Institute for African Development, Human Rights Advocate and Humanitarian — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-oehring.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-oehring.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Otmar Oehring</span></a>, Director, Human Rights Office, Missio Society — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-oktem.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-oktem.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Emre Oktem</span></a>, Professor, Galatasaray University — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-omtzigt.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-omtzigt.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Pieter Omtzigt</span></a>, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-oreja.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-oreja.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Jaime Mayor Oreja</span></a>, Member of the European Parliament, Spain — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-prodromou.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-prodromou.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Elizabeth Prodromou</span></a>, Vice Chair, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-puppinck.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-puppinck.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Patrick Gregor Puppinck</span></a>, Director, European Center of Law of Justice — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-rockas.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-rockas.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">George C. Rockas</span></a>, Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-sahin.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-sahin.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Bican Sahin</span></a>, Assistant Professor, Hacettepe University, and President of Association of Liberal Thinking — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-sassayiannis.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-sassayiannis.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Odysseus F. Sassayiannis</span></a>, Administrateur, EFG Bank (Monaco) — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-schneier.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-schneier.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Rabbi Arthur Schneier</span></a>, President, Appeal of Conscience Foundation — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-silk.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-silk.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">James J. Silk</span></a>, Lawyer, Human Rights Defender — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-sommer.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-sommer.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Renate Sommer</span></a>, Member of the European Parliament, Germany — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-szymanski.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-szymanski.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Konrad Szymanski</span></a>, Member of the European Parliament, Poland — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-tarhan.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-tarhan.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Metin Tarhan</span></a>, Chairman, Alevi Association — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-tsagaropoulou.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-tsagaropoulou.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Rodi Kratsa Tsagaropoulou</span></a>, Vice President of the European Parliament — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-turmen.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-turmen.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Riza Turmen</span></a>, Former Judge, European Court of Human Rights — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-vingas.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-vingas.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Lakis Vingas</span></a>, Representative of the Minority Foundations at the General Directorate of Foundations Assembly — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-wu.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-wu.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Angela Wu Howard</span></a>, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, International Law Director, Washington, D.C. and — <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-yildirim.asp" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conference/bio-yildirim.asp"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Mine Yildirim</span></a>, Researcher at the Institute for Human Rights at Abo Akademi University.<br />
For more information, visit <a href="http://www.archons.org/conference" target="_blank" title="http://www.archons.org/conferenceInternational Conference"><span style="color: purple;">archons.org/conference</span></a> )</div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-26375190713825827432011-01-01T19:55:00.000+02:002011-01-01T19:55:10.375+02:00Alexander Downer exposed: a report from Cyprus Indymedia<div class="content has-terms"> <i>Below is an article produced by a member of the Cyprus Indymedia collective specifically for publishing on the Australian Indymedia site on the destructive role that former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is playing in Cyprus in his current role with the UN.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TR9qW3i7sHI/AAAAAAAAAGM/jzGATv8QE1o/s1600/PM_downer-200x0%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TR9qW3i7sHI/AAAAAAAAAGM/jzGATv8QE1o/s1600/PM_downer-200x0%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Alexander Downer on the Global Scene<br />
Radical and Mainstream Press: a Convergence?</b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Source: <a href="http://indymedia.org.au/2010/11/06/alexander-downer-exposed-a-report-from-cyprus-indymedia">Indymedia.org.au (06/11/2010)</a></b><br />
<br />
Cyprus is under military occupation being subjected to ethnic cleansing, genocide and illegal settlement and is now in grave danger of being plunged by the Imperialist powers into another round of mayhem, war and murder.<br />
<br />
The "final solution" that our island is being threatened with, is the setting up of a new Apartheid State (just like South Africa and Israel) comprised of two ethnically identified zones replete with a Bizonal Race Law that will be the highest law of the land determining every feature of the entire structure of the new republic: from the Race Law that will govern the Constitution all the way to property rights, electoral quotas and education, civic administration, commerce, etc. All these are to be determined by the new Race Law. Alexander Downer is at the head of the Bizonal Race Law choir in recent years, using overt and covert manipulations to actualize the above Imperialist agenda.<br />
<br />
Our population is recently becoming more aware of his personal role in all this, and pressuring the politicians to do something about it. Giant scandals have errupted on the island and on the regional/global diplomatic scene with Downer in the epicenter: leaked documents; back-room deals; sleight of hand; political extortion and political favouritism... all of these methods that are routinely used by organized crime seem to be on agenda now.<br />
<br />
Daily newspapers on the island are full of stories detailing Alexander Downer's role in fixing our country on the path of destruction through his special powers as a United Nations representative here. The Parliament has even been pressured by popular anger into opening an investigation of whether Downer has been violating the codes of professional ethics and protocols that are supposed to be observed by diplomats such as him.<br />
The article by a mainstream newspaper below, and the links following it, give a flavour of the turmoil that has errupted in Cyprus with Al Downer in the center of the scene.<br />
<br />
Cyprus IndyMedia has been on the forefront of these popular mobilizations against Downer, having helped to spread and popularize the "Persona Non Grata" slogan. Our most recent publication, here,<br />
"Alexander Downer ~ Αλεξάντερ Ντάουνερ"<br />
<a href="http://cyprusindymedia.blogspot.com/2010/10/alexander-downer.html" title="http://cyprusindymedia.blogspot.com/2010/10/alexander-downer.html">http://cyprusindymedia.blogspot.com/2010/10/alexander-downer.html</a><br />
is simply a creative extension of that campaign. Very few words, indeed, but they convey the bitter sentiments of a betrayed and slaughtered people well enough.<br />
<br />
As a group of activist journalists and editors, the Cyprus IndyMedia Collective has been on the forefront of the struggle to unveil the fact that the local United Nations mission in Cyprus is fully entangled with the Foreign Policy arms of the UK/US alliance, and operates as an extension of the United States' CIA, Pentagon and State Department. We were targeted by these forces in the year 2004 when we revealed more of their connections, resulting in another major scandal here in Cyprus:<br />
<br />
"Government Admits Investigation Against Indymedia and Petros Evdokas Initiated by US Intelligence"<br />
<a href="http://www.indymedia.org/en/2004/07/111547.shtml" title="http://www.indymedia.org/en/2004/07/111547.shtml">http://www.indymedia.org/en/2004/07/111547.shtml</a><br />
<br />
This was the original article that triggered the illegal actions against us:<br />
"Spies, Murderers, and Creeps<br />
- Management of the 'free dialogue' on the Annan plan"<br />
<a href="http://cyprusindymedia.org/spies-murderers-and-creeps.html" title="http://cyprusindymedia.org/spies-murderers-and-creeps.html">http://cyprusindymedia.org/spies-murderers-and-creeps.html</a><br />
<br />
Some more on that case:<br />
Update on our Political/ Legal situations<br />
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kalimerhaba_HellenoTurkish_Community/message/1176" title="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kalimerhaba_HellenoTurkish_Community/message/1176">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kalimerhaba_HellenoTurkish_Community/messa...</a><br />
<br />
Our people are awakening again, and forcing all the political parties to deal with a new reality: self-organized patriots, socialists, anarchists, feminist greens, independent communists and autonomists are re-mobilizing the population to resist the Bizonal Race Law regime that the Imperialists are trying to enforce on our tiny country.<br />
<br />
Alexander Downer shall pass, just as the offending air from a bad fart passes on, eventually, no matter how foul. But two forces will remain. What remains is the willingness of our local ruling class and its politicians to do anything to serve global Imperialism. Also what remains is the will of the self-organized people to oppose them, and to struggle for new and old definitions of equality, freedom and liberty.<br />
<br />
These two forces will remain, and will fight it out, eventually, on all fronts, and by all means necessary.<br />
<br />
"And don't speak too soon<br />
For the wheel's still in spin<br />
And there's no tellin' who<br />
That it's namin'.<br />
For the loser now<br />
Will be later to win<br />
For the times they are a-changin'." - Bob Dylan<br />
<br />
Petros Evdokas, <a href="mailto:petros@cyprus-org.net">petros@cyprus-org.net</a><br />
Volunteer, founding member,<br />
Cyprus IndyMedia Collective<br />
<a href="http://petros-evdokas.cyprus-org.net/Another-sort-of-Introduction.html" title="http://petros-evdokas.cyprus-org.net/Another-sort-of-Introduction.html">http://petros-evdokas.cyprus-org.net/Another-sort-of-Introduction.html</a><br />
<br />
~~~~~~~~~~<br />
<br />
AKEL: Downer grilling akin to ‘public tribunal’<br />
By Stefanos Evripidou Published on October 21, 2010<br />
<br />
PARLIAMENT IS set to scrutinise the role of UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer and his team today in what AKEL boss Andros Kyprianou has labelled a “public tribunal” that will harm the national interest.<br />
The motion to discuss the leaked UN documents referred to in the recently published book “Simademeni Trapoula (Marked Cards)” was tabled by DIKO, EVROKO and EDEK deputies Andreas Angelides, Rikkos Erotokritou and Marinos Sizopoulos respectively.<br />
<br />
The documents are believed to contain the private email correspondence of the UN negotiating team with property experts and others, written during the period when President Demetris Christofias and former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat were discussing the property chapter.<br />
<br />
While the UN has not publicly commented on its internal investigation into the documents, in private, officials have let it be known they consider the documents stolen property.<br />
<br />
Ruling party leader Kyprianou warned on Tuesday that any effort to create friction with the UN during a critical phase of the negotiations would be “harmful to the national interest”.<br />
<br />
If complaints exist about the role of UN representatives, these should be discussed through diplomatic channels and not by setting up “public tribunals” in parliament, he said.<br />
<br />
Chairman of the House Institutions Committee, Erotokritou, yesterday hit back, saying that Kyprianou’s statement was an “insult to the legislature, an attempt to gag parliament and undermine democratic institutions”.<br />
<br />
“The purpose of the meeting is to safeguard the institutions of the President of the Republic, state officials, politicians, journalists and even top priests from the improper characterisations and improper actions of Mr Downer and his team as revealed in the so-called Downer documents, which have not been denied,” he said.<br />
Erotokritou suggested that the AKEL leader had confused his history, adding, “Whatever his beliefs and wishful thinking, the Cyprus Republic is a fully functioning state where the separation of powers is clear”.<br />
He also indicated that Kyprianou was “protecting and covering for Mr Downer”, describing this as an “irresponsible political act to cover the actions of Downer instead of protecting the institutions and people from neo-colonial mentalities”.<br />
<br />
Angelides accused Kyprianou acting in a way that was “irresponsible and detrimental to the Cyprus cause”, hinting that he did not respect the wishes of the majority.<br />
<br />
Kyprianou responded yesterday saying that his positions were known and “anyone can judge whether or not they are improper”.<br />
<br />
He added: “Right now, our priority should be how to handle the issues in the best possible way for Cyprus.”<br />
According to Erotocritou, all parties bar AKEL are in favour of having the discussion today, meaning that if deputies from the ruling party propose a postponement, they will be outnumbered by eight to three. The EVROKO deputy confirmed that House President Marios Garoyian has also asked for a postponement. If deputies from his party DIKO follow suit, this takes the vote to six to five.<br />
<br />
The three authors of the book in question, Achilleas Aimilianides, Michalis Kontos and Giorgios Kentas have been invited to the committee to discuss the UN documents<br />
<br />
From:<br />
<a href="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/un/akel-downer-grilling-akin-public-tribunal/20101021" title="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/un/akel-downer-grilling-akin-public-tribunal/20101021">http://www.cyprus-mail.com/un/akel-downer-grilling-akin-public-tribunal/...</a><br />
<br />
~~~~~~~~~~<br />
<br />
Further Links about the current situation:<br />
‘Downer inquisition’ to go ahead<br />
<a href="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/alexander-downer/downer-inquisition-go-ahead/20101022" title="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/alexander-downer/downer-inquisition-go-ahead/20101022">http://www.cyprus-mail.com/alexander-downer/downer-inquisition-go-ahead/...</a><br />
Al. Downer: "...as I have explained, contrary to conspiracy theories which suggest that the UN has a secret plan to impose a solution on Cyprus..."<br />
<a href="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/un/downer-un-only-sounding-board/20101014" title="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/un/downer-un-only-sounding-board/20101014">http://www.cyprus-mail.com/un/downer-un-only-sounding-board/20101014</a><br />
More:<br />
<a href="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/taxonomy/term/19798/all" title="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/taxonomy/term/19798/all">http://www.cyprus-mail.com/taxonomy/term/19798/all</a><br />
</div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-56861798183321832042010-12-24T23:36:00.001+02:002010-12-24T23:37:28.352+02:00Sign the petition: War crimes committed by Turkey against the people of Cyprus in 1974 and ever since<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TRUSY60IiwI/AAAAAAAAAGE/X44cNK5CXTs/s1600/adouloti_kyrenia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TRUSY60IiwI/AAAAAAAAAGE/X44cNK5CXTs/s320/adouloti_kyrenia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
To: The National Parliaments of countries Members of the United Nations, and the U.S. Congress.<br />
<br />
We the undersigned, hereby Petition THE NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS OF ALL COUNTRIES MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS to condemn Turkey for the crimes of war it committed in Cyprus following a military invasion and occupation in 1974. The serial war crimes Turkey is accountable for, are: <br />
<br />
- Ethnic cleansing of all Greek Cypriots from the occupied areas of Cyprus. 200000 people in 1974 were brutally expelled from their homes and property. <br />
- Torture, rape, murder, ill treatment, humiliation, disappearance, of innocent civilians and prisoners of war, premeditated and on a vast scale. <br />
- Influx of Turkish settlers, following the Ethnic cleansing of all the Greeks, who were settled on the properties of the Greek Cypriots. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b> RELEVANT FACTS: </b><br />
<br />
In 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus, an independent, sovereign country, Member of the United Nations, on false pretenses and occupied 37% of its territory. <br />
<br />
6500 people were killed during the invasion. <br />
<br />
1600 people went missing. <br />
<br />
<b>200000 people, 33% of the population, were ethnically cleansed from the occupied areas.</b> The dimension of the criminal human tragedy for Cyprus, a country with a population of half a million in 1974 can be seen from the following comparison with the population of other countries: <br />
- Equivalent to 48 million Russians <br />
- Equivalent to 100 million Americans <br />
- Equivalent to 27 million Germans <br />
- Equivalent to 20 million Britons <br />
- Equivalent to 21 million French people <br />
<br />
The Turkish war crimes against Turkey were verified, judged, and Turkey condemned by the European courts in the Cyprus Vs Turkey court actions 1, 2, 3, and 4. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b> LAW/CONVENTIONS/STATUTES VIOLATED: </b><br />
<br />
- Geneva convention for prisoners of war. <br />
- United Nations Charter <br />
- European Aquis <br />
- European Conventions on Human Rights. <br />
- Universal Declaration for Human Rights. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b> THE UNDERSIGNED RESPECTFULLY REQUEST: </b><br />
<br />
- The condemnation of Turkey as war criminal <br />
- Turkey to be called to remove unconditionally all troops and the Turkish settlers from the occupied areas of Cyprus. <br />
<br />
We appeal for the solidarity of the citizens of the World in order to restore faith in justice and the respect of Law and Order, being the cornerstone of World order and the guarantee for peace and stability around the World. <br />
<br />
Sincerely, <br />
<a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?wcrime74">The Undersigned</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION: <a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/wcrime74/">http://www.petitiononline.com/wcrime74/</a></b></span>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-44371506134366382282010-12-16T20:54:00.000+02:002010-12-16T20:54:00.646+02:00Theresa Villiers condems call for partition of Cyprus<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: 5.4pt; width: 672px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 205.5pt;" valign="top" width="274"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Impact; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Impact; font-size: 22pt;">Theresa Villiers MP </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Impact; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Impact; font-size: 12pt;"><span>Press Release</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Tel:<span> </span>020 8449 7345</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Fax:<span> </span>0208 449 7346</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">email: <a href="mailto:theresa@theresavilliers.co.uk" target="_blank">theresa@theresavilliers.co.uk</a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="IT" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.theresavilliers.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.theresavilliers.co.uk</a></span></span></b><b><span lang="IT" style="font-weight: bold;"></span></b></div></td> <td rowspan="2" style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 298.5pt;" valign="top" width="398"> <div style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="IT" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Ref : </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Date: 11<sup>th</sup> November 2010</span></span></div></td> </tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TOL90fyBDRI/AAAAAAAAAF0/m_a6RBXrmmc/s1600/_DSC0071%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TOL90fyBDRI/AAAAAAAAAF0/m_a6RBXrmmc/s320/_DSC0071%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;">VILLIERS CONDEMNS CALL FOR PARTITION OF CYPRUS</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">MP for Chipping Barnet, Theresa Villiers, has condemned comments made by senior Labour MP and former Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, in The Times this week. Mr Straw called on the UK Government to consider a formal partition of Cyprus into two separate states. He also criticised former President of Cyprus, the late Tassos Papadopoulos for campaigning for a ‘no’ vote in the referendum on the Annan V proposals.<span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Theresa said, “Jack Straw’s comments go against a political consensus that has lasted for decades – namely that the island is Cyprus is one country in international law and that its people should be reunited. The Conservatives have made it very clear that we strongly oppose partition. We have always supported the efforts being made by Cypriots to find a just, lasting and peaceful settlement that sees Cyprus reunited with its people living together again in one country with a single international personality and single citizenship.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“Mr Straw’s article fails to recognise the pain caused by the invasion and the continuing impact it has on thousands of Cypriots who lost homes and loved ones. His comments about the stance of the late Tassos Popadopoulos during the referendum show a fundamental misunderstanding on the key to the success of any settlement in Cyprus – that Cypriots should be free to make their own decisions on their future after a full and frank debate in a referendum.” </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
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</div><div style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">“Jack Straw is a very senior member of the Labour Party and held office for many years in the Governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. His latest statement shows that Labour cannot be trusted on Cyprus<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">”, concludes Mrs Villiers.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans"; font-size: 9pt;">ENDS. For further information please contact Claire Dowson on 0208 449 7345 or email <a href="mailto:theresa@theresavilliers.co.uk" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: windowtext;">theresa@theresavilliers.co.uk</span></span></a></span></span></div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-69765945941277163432010-11-17T00:09:00.001+02:002010-11-17T00:16:39.938+02:00Fanoulla Argyrou and Leonidas Leonidou reply to Jack Straw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TOMBXXJdgYI/AAAAAAAAAF4/GNaIzFlAb4M/s1600/jstrawMS2508_468x429%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TOMBXXJdgYI/AAAAAAAAAF4/GNaIzFlAb4M/s320/jstrawMS2508_468x429%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Mr Jack Straw, MP <br />
House of Commons <br />
London SW1A 00A<br />
Dear Mr Straw <br />
<br />
In your letter to The Times (8.11.2010) you presented no tangible arguments for your support of Turkey’s accession to the European Union. <br />
<br />
The spirit of your letter and your subsequent radio threat of partition unless the Republic of Cyprus withdraws objections to Turkey’s EU accession amount to a gross blackmail reminiscent of colonial times practices. <br />
<br />
In pursuing your strong pro-Turkish stance, during your time as Foreign secretary and currently as an MP, not only you undermine issues such as the military invasion and occupation of 40% of Cyprus, the ethnic cleansing and 36 years of violations of fundamental human rights and liberties by Turkey, but you also suggest a reward for the instigator of these injustices. <br />
<br />
I hope you reflect on these points and reconsider your one-sided, biased and unjust viewpoint. <br />
<br />
<br />
Yours sincerely, <br />
<br />
<br />
Leonidas Leonidou <br />
President of EKEKA <br />
(Federation of Cypriot Refugees in the UK) <br />
3 Elmwood Avenue <br />
London N13 4HG <br />
10.11.2010<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">-----------------------<wbr></wbr>------------------------------<wbr></wbr>------------------------------<wbr></wbr>------------------------------</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">Mr Jack Straw, MP</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">House of Commons</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">London</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;"> SW1A 00A</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Dear Mr. Straw,<span> <wbr></wbr> </span>London 10.11.2010</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">Your article in <span>The</span> Times 8 November 2010</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">There are indeed <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">no ifs and no buts i</span></b>n Turkey’s accession negotiation process.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Your despicable article is in contempt of Law and Justice as we know it in order to appease Turkey. From one hand you are actually calling upon the British Government to commit illegal acts in defiance and violation of United Nations resolutions (541 of 1983 and 550 of 1984) which is unthinkable especially coming from a Member of <span>Parliament<span> </span>through</span> a national newspaper, and from the other you are indeed “forgetting” that Cyprus is no longer a British colony to mess about as you please, your jurisdiction and free hand to cut and join has long gone since 1959… </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Turkey</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">’s accession negotiations are a totally separate issue. If Turkey wishes her application to proceed smoothly she has to abide with the rules of the game. Turkey has not fulfilled her obligations expected of her and the EU will not <span>proceed</span> with her entry negotiations unless she does fulfil in full those obligations. <span><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">As simple as that</span></b>.</span> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">No ifs and no buts</span></b>. Therefore it is not Cyprus’s fault, another member of the EU, if Turkey is stubbornly refusing to meet those demands one of which is the paramount need and obligation to recognise the Republic of Cyprus. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">There are no two stories to the Cyprus situation as you wrongly claim. But only one and very clear one – Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and still is there occupying half of the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member, depriving 200,000 Greek Cypriot refugees from returning to their stolen land and properties and in violation and contempt of numerous UN and EU resolutions calling for her to withdraw her troops and 160,000 (or so) settlers she imported into the occupied area.<span> </span>No solution without restitution of our properties in the occupied. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Your article is full of prejudice against the Greek Cypriots and their plight for justice. It is a venomous outburst which has its roots back in 2004 when you were furious with the 76% NO of the Greek Cypriots who overwhelmingly and DEMOCRATICALLY rejected through the referendum imposed on them, the racist apartheid solution of the so called “Annan Plan”. <span>Which was based on the Turkish demand of <span>bizonal</span> <span>bicommunal</span> federation.</span><span> </span>And you vowed at that<span> </span>meeting in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the 26 of April 2004 to revenge the Greek Cypriots, late President <span>Tassos</span> Papadopoulos and the Republic of Cyprus for not bowing to your and to Turkish demands to commit suicide to please Turkish interests and ambitions. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Your article also appear with disrespect to two major London Court of Appeal decisions a) <span>Apostolides</span> v <span>Orams</span> and b) the very recent one (published The Times 9 November 2010) “Flight refusal justified”<span> </span>when Lord Justice Richards rejected the Turkish appeal for direct flights to the occupied area in Cyprus. Lord Justice Richards said that the granting of permits sought by the “<span>Kibris</span> Turk <span>hava</span> <span>Yollari</span> and Another” would constitute a breach of the United Kingdom’s obligation to respect the rights of the Republic of Cyprus and would be unlawful. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Finally no need to repeat the Cyprus Spokesman’s response that your pro-Turkish article will affect the very existence of the British military bases in Cyprus.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Yours faithfully,</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Fanoulla Argyrou</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Researcher/Journalist and refugee from occupied Nicosia </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">London</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">c.c</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">. Rt. Hon David Cameron MP, Prime Minister</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">c.c</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">. Rt. Hon William Hague MP, Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Cyprus</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> High Commission </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Press</span></span></div>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1742436260572472918.post-39550696728114892732010-11-16T23:45:00.000+02:002010-11-16T23:45:43.680+02:00Reply to Financial Times for promoting Turkey's accession to the EU<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TOL7cxEo6fI/AAAAAAAAAFw/SpBPWbOCgOU/s1600/financial_times_logo%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UF0sw_aqMcc/TOL7cxEo6fI/AAAAAAAAAFw/SpBPWbOCgOU/s200/financial_times_logo%255B1%255D.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Dear Sir,</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">It seems that you (i.e. FT newspaper) have taken it upon yourselves to promote Turkey to EU membership. And in doing so, you find it necessary to dismember Cyprus permanently.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">A couple of examples from your relevant articles:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black;">David Lidington MP</span></i><span style="color: black;"> : </span><span style="color: blue;">"we are the strongest supporter of Turkey’s accession to the European Union and are proud to be a leading advocate for Turkey in the EU." </span>Nov. 13 2010</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">In the same article he refers to his prime minister in Turkey who said:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">“…to make the case for Turkey’s membership of the EU. And to fight for it”.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">“And it is not just the UK cheerleading for Turkey – on November 9 the Italian and Turkish foreign ministers published an article in Italy’s La Repubblica in support of Turkey’s EU ambitions.” </span>continues Lidington.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black;">Editorial:</span></i><i><span style="color: blue;"> “</span></i><span style="color: blue;">If the Turkish Cypriots asked for recognition of their state, it would be difficult for the UK to oblige, because London is bound by a 1960 treaty of guarantee not to promote partition. Other EU countries would also hesitate. But many states are impatient with the constant Greek Cypriot disruption of EU business on account of the Cyprus dispute. They believe Turkey’s rising geopolitical and economic importance makes it imperative to show Ankara that the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e62670a6-e421-11de-bed0-00144feab49a.html#axzz157YUTd6W" target="_blank" title="FT - Cyprus adds obstacles to Turkey EU accession">EU will not be hostage to the Greek Cypriots</a> for ever. Even Russia, a long-time friend of the Greek Cypriots, is signalling a possible change of course on account of its newly blossoming ties with Turkey.”</span><span style="color: black;"> </span>November 12 2010</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black;">Editorial:</span></i><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">“They should be making its case more forcibly. Pushing for the unblocking of more chapters would help. Ultimately, though, a way must be found to deal with the Cyprus problem, the chief obstacle. Admitting that country before it had resolved its dispute with Turkey was a grave error.” </span>November 9 2010<span style="color: black;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">The </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2010/package/tr_rapport_2010_en.pdf" target="_blank">TURKEY 2010 PROGRESS REPORT</a> of the European Commision is more than 100 pages long. It mentions a series of “progress” points made but with a very large number of qualifications on why Turkey is still not ready.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">It contains about ten introductory sections the longest of which are </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">2.1. Democracy and the rule of law, 2.2. Human rights and the protection of minorities of about ten pages each. The rest are one or at most two pages long. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just about one page is devoted on Cyprus within 2.3. Regional issues and international obligations. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Further, section 4. Ability to assume the obligations of membership consists of thirty-three chapters. Each of these is usually one or two pages long; occasionally three pages. Exceptions, however, form the following:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapter 19: Social policy and employment and Chapter 23: Judiciary and fundamental rights four and five pages respectively.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Various problems are mentioned quite frequently through the whole text, notably the Kurdish issue, the Armenian genocide, rights of children, human rights in general and of course the Cyprus issue. However, one would hardly conclude that this is the major problem Turkey faces vis-à-vis her ascension to the EU.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">To what then do we Cypriots owe your venom against us?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Well, there is a revealing footnote on p. 5 of this report:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%;">“The decision sets out that negotiations will not be opened on eight chapters relevant to Turkey's restrictions regarding the Republic of Cyprus and no chapter will be provisionally closed until the Commission confirms that Turkey has fully implemented the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Cyprus, despite its tiny size is a member of the EU and can block Turkey’s ascension forever. And the mighty Alvion – mind you toothless by now – cannot stand that. She – toothless and almost demented – perceives her interests to lie with Turkey. And she sheds crocodilian tears about the “isolated Turkish Cypriots”. Well, you should recall that Turkey invaded in the name of the Turkish Cypriots but today they are a minority within the occupied areas. About half of them refused the benevolence of mother Turkey. Just about eighty thousand remain, plus about forty thousand troops plus at least two hundred thousand settlers from Turkey. What kind of isolation is it then? why would people choose to come and live in isolation? or do they not choose, maybe?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">As far as the other reasons, correctly mentioned in thee report but grossly underemphasized, none of the “great powers” really care. There is no Kurdistan to block Turkey’s entrance into the EU and the little Armenian state is not a member. Amnesty International and othe human rights organizations can give advice, can shout, can issue reports but they have no veto right.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Of course you are interested in the emerging markets of Turkey, but …well, did you read Mr. Davutoglu’s book? In Turkish it is called “Stratejik Derinlik. Türkiye uluslarasasi konumu” and it means “Strategic Depth. Turkey’s international position”. If you know Turkish or Greek you can read it, otherwise make sure it is translated into English. It is enlightening about what your favorite Neo-Ottoman islamists. You may draw the same conclusion I did: Turkey is more likel to become another Iran rather than a shield against it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Her arrogance is, of course, greatly enhanced by the likes of you (e.g. Jack Straw and any other Foreign Office former or present official).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Mr. Davutoglu approves what the Kemalist have done in Cyprus (pp 278 -280 of the Greek translation):</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%;">“Even if there was not even a single Muslim Turk there, Turkey ought to maintain a Cyprus Issue. N country can remain indifferent to such an island which is situated in the heart of her vital space.”</span><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">On p. 200 he informs us of what the plans are for the Balkans. You do not have to guess, he spells it out himself, the same as in Cyprus:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%;">“The two short-term and middle-term targets of the foreign policy of Turkey in the Balkans are the strengthening of Bosnia and Albania into a framework of stability and the creation of an international legal framework which will set the national minorities under its protection. In this international legal framework Turkey must continually seek to safeguard guarantees that would give her the right of intervening in the matters pertaining to the Islamic minorities in the Balkans. <b>The legitimacy of the intervention in Cyprus, which constitutes an impressive example in contemporary times, was made possible within such a kind of legal framework.”</b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> (By the latter “legal framework” he means the Zurich-London Agreements of 1959 that created the Republic of Cyprus</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Many European countries are skeptical about Turkey and do hide behind little Cyprus, but that does not mean that your arguments are correct. On the contrary, any Turkish policy against Cyprus was originated in your Foreign Office.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">As an epilogue I want to mention that if any country became by mistake an EU member, that is your country and not Cyprus (have a look <a href="http://www.expeltheuk.com/" target="_blank">expel the UK</a>).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Yours sincerely,</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">F. Genas</span></span>Σ.Ο. «Εμπροσθοφύλακας»http://www.blogger.com/profile/09693644000362208282noreply@blogger.com0