For Immediate Release: July 26, 2009
Contact: Georgia Maratheftis, New York, Tel. (917) 699-9935
The Sunday, July 26, 2009 weekend edition of The Washington Times, one of the most widely circulated political newspapers in America, published Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) Executive Director, Georgia Maratheftis’ letter to the editor “Time for Turkey to talk turkey”, responding to (second secretary of the unrecognized TRNC) Buket Kop’s letter “Settling Cyprus”. Maratheftis’ published letter to the editor highlights the Pontian Greek Genocide and the Genocide in Cyprus, and will be read by thousands of Americans from political commentators to Washington insiders, think-tanks, foreign embassy workers and opinion makers. This is the caliber of smart activism that proves how pivotal CANA is for public relations of the Cyprus Cause to Americans.
The text of the letter appears below, followed by The Washington Times letter to which the letter responds. To see the Letter to the Editor online, visit (www.washingtontimes.com) and click on the ‘Letters to the Editor’ section, or try this link:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/26/time-for-turkey-to-talk-turkey/
LETTER TO EDITOR: Time for Turkey to talk turkey
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Letters to the Editor
The Washington Times
3600 New York Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
To the Editor:
Buket Kop’s Monday letter, “Settling Cyprus,” neglects to mention the major setback to any real hope of a settlement or solution to the division of the island of Cyprus — the bullying presence of many thousands of Turkish soldiers, the most blaring reminder of Turkey’s military legacy on the island.
The Turkish military invasion of Cyprus, launched on the orders of the Bulent Ecevit government of Turkey on July 20, 1974, was an attack by land, sea and air on a relatively small, defenseless island. Those forces, which under the rejected Annan Plan would have been allowed to sit on the island, forced hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes, towns and villages and killed thousands of Cypriots — acts that could be considered ethnic cleansing or even genocide.
On July 10, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted to the killing of 150 ethnic Turks, the Uighurs, in China by calling it an act of genocide. “These incidents in China are as if they are genocide,” he said. “We ask the Chinese government not to remain a spectator to these incidents. There is clearly a savagery here.”
Turkish military forces killed more than 150 people in Cyprus, even by official Turkish statistics. “Instead of pointing the finger at others,” to borrow Mr. Kop’s phrase, Turkish officials should take the time to look in the mirror and ask themselves: With the legacy of the Pontian Greek genocide and the genocide in Cyprus, why would the victims of such savagery want to live under Turkish military rule?
GEORGIA MARATHEFTIS
Executive director
Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA)
New York
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Washington Times
Letter to editor published July 20, 2009
Settling Cyprus
July 20, 2009
The article “Cyprus envoy blames division on Turkey” (World, Friday) repeats the same rhetoric we often hear from the Greek Cypriot side regarding the Cyprus issue.
If the Greek Cypriots had accepted the U.N.-sponsored settlement plan in April 2004 instead of rejecting it by a staggering 76 percent of the vote, the island would be united today. Soon after the Greek Cypriot rejection, the U.N. secretary-general himself described it as a “major setback.” He went on to say, “What was rejected was the solution itself rather than a mere blueprint.” He also asked the Greek Cypriots to reflect on a “bi-communal, bi-zonal federation which means not just two constituent states, but also political equality and the sharing of power.” He finally called upon them to demonstrate “not just by word, but by action” if they were ready to share power with the Turkish Cypriots in a federal structure.
Even Nikos Rolandis, a former Greek Cypriot foreign minister, lists 15 occasions when the Greek Cypriot side rejected proposals for a settlement.
Instead of pointing the finger at others, the Greek Cypriot side should display the sincerity and determination that is truly needed to achieve a comprehensive and fair Cyprus settlement.
BUKET KOP
Second secretary
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Washington Office
Washington
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Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA)
2578 Broadway #132
New York, NY 10025
New York: Tel. 917-699-9935
Email: [email protected]
www.cyprusactionnetwork.org
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