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Turkey rejects decision to invite Cyprus into EU
The EU Observer ^ | December 19, 2002 | Lisbeth Kirk

Posted on 12/19/2002 6:24:45 AM PST by WaterDragon

Turkey has rejected as unacceptable the European Union's decision last week in Copenhagen to invite the divided island of Cyprus to be member of the Union by 1 May 2004.

In breach of international agreements

''The EU does not have the right to take unilateral decisions about the future of Cyprus by violating international agreements and to create international obligations,'' the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement stressing that Turkey does not accept the Copenhagen Summit's final declaration on Cyprus.

The statement pointed to the 1959-60 agreements, which established the Republic of Cyprus and authorised Turkey, Greece and Britain to guarantee the new state. "A single state, government and parliament authorized to represent the whole of the island does not exist since the demolition of the partnership state by the Greek Cypriots by gun force in 1963,'' the statement said. In response to a Greek Cypriot coup, backed by Athens, Turkey invaded the north of Cyprus in 1974. Turkey still has some 30,000 troops stationed there, but it is the only country in the world to recognise the breakaway of the Turkish Cypriot part in the north...(snip)

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TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cypriots; cyprus; eu; greece; turkey

1 posted on 12/19/2002 6:24:45 AM PST by WaterDragon
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To: WaterDragon
Turkey is certainly one to talk about interfering in Cypriot affairs.

Why oh why did Britain not simply hand Cyprus over to Greece in 1960?

2 posted on 12/19/2002 6:28:54 AM PST by Hermann the Cherusker
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To: WaterDragon
There are two opinions about what happened. The Turks believe what is written above. Greeks believe differently.

In the Greek point of view, Turkey was the first to violate the international agreements. When they invaded in'74, to protect their minority from the mainland-Greece backed coup, they captured 37% of the island and formed a breakaway state. In doing that they forced 200,000 Greek-Cypriots, (most of them victims of the coup in the first place) out of their homes and land for ever. The U.N has many resolutions that condemn this action.

Their invasion nulls all agreements and the constitution between the greeks and the turks. This is no time for policies like these. Both sides have to put the past behind them and sit down and talk.
3 posted on 12/19/2002 6:35:00 AM PST by aristotleman
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To: aristotleman
Does Turkey really expect to be invited to join the EU if it takes this position?
4 posted on 12/19/2002 9:24:00 AM PST by RobbyS
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To: RobbyS
Does Turkey really expect to be invited to join the EU if it takes this position?

The stalling by the EU is NOT because of Cyprus, but because of elitist euro-bigotry, pure and simple (IMHO), and sucking up to Greece, the most socialistic state in all of Europe (which is saying a lot). The best thing the EU could do would be to REPLACE commie infested Greece with Turkey (again, IMHO).

5 posted on 12/19/2002 10:59:44 AM PST by Stultis
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To: Stultis
There is something you are forgetting. One thing that the Europeans share, however attenuated, is their Christian past. Turkey, on the other hand, is not necessarily free of of a very Muslim present. Remotely, it is possible that an Islamic state might be established in Turkey. Anyway, the CDU was always opposed to Turkey for that reason, and given the weakness of the Schroeder government, that may again be German policy.
6 posted on 12/19/2002 11:34:43 AM PST by RobbyS
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To: Stultis
Turkey slaughters the Kurds using gas and helicopter gunship, and we look the other way, because they are our friends. Turkey has no business to occupy part of Cyprus, or dictates what type of government it should have. Where are the allies’ forces that kicked Saddam out of Kuwait; and did nothing about Turkey's invasion and occupation of Cyprus?

For Turkey to be accepted as a civilized country, and for it to be part of Europe, it must first acknowledge its holocaust against the Armenians, and let Cyprus, and the Kurds be free.

7 posted on 12/19/2002 11:39:37 AM PST by philosofy123
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To: philosofy123
Reparations Now for Armenian Genocide!

Turkey Out of Cyprus NOW!

Return Hagia Sophia to Christians NOW!

8 posted on 12/19/2002 11:44:17 AM PST by crystalk
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To: philosofy123
Turkey slaughters the Kurds using gas and helicopter gunship

Good grief, you sound like a puling "down with the oppressors" leftist. Turkey fought, and won, a civil WAR against Kurd seperatists (who used terrorist tactics), and magnanimously concluded a just peace giving Kurds considerable local autonomy, right to cultural preservation (teaching in their own language) and etc.

Get over it!

9 posted on 12/19/2002 12:03:19 PM PST by Stultis
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To: Stultis
.There is no left and right to this issue. Turkey is our ally, and hence whoever they fight would be labeled LEFT? That is nonsense. Just look at Iraq, and our no fly zone to protect the Kurds, yet we let Turkey kill all the Kurds that they like? Fairness and integrity is something that transcend left, and right
10 posted on 12/19/2002 12:26:08 PM PST by philosofy123
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To: crystalk
Reparations Now for Armenian Genocide!

Turkey Out of Cyprus NOW!

Return Hagia Sophia to Christians NOW!

Who are you? I did not know that I have a twin?

God bless you

11 posted on 12/19/2002 12:28:24 PM PST by philosofy123
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To: philosofy123
What people are known for answering a question with a question?

If you said this is the Socratic method, of what ethnic group was Socrates?

If all else fails, of what linguistic origin are "philo" and "sophy"?

12 posted on 12/19/2002 12:31:28 PM PST by crystalk
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To: philosofy123
There is no left and right to this issue. Turkey is our ally, and hence whoever they fight would be labeled LEFT?

I'm not saying the Kurds are leftists, I'm saying YOU sound like a leftist whining about the Kurds who fought, and lost, a civil/separatist war. Moaning about Turks "slaughtering" Kurds when they were fighting a WAR to defend their sovereignty is leftist style agit-prop of the same class as claiming the Israelis are "slaughtering" Palestinians or Americans are "slaughtering" Afghans. It is every bit as much out of touch with reality considering that at present Turkey is at peace with their Kurdish population, have extended them considerable local control, have legalized use of the local language, and etc.

Again, get over it!!!

13 posted on 12/19/2002 1:16:49 PM PST by Stultis
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To: Stultis
So when Serbs were fighting Kosovo Albanians seperatist who used terrorist tactics they were bombed by the NATO.

When Turkey does the same thing one should get over it?

If Turkey keeps this up then no chance they will get into EU.

Even if they NATO members. NATO is dead and soon to be replaced by EU Army.

NATO will be left with states like US, UK and Turkey.

14 posted on 12/19/2002 2:33:00 PM PST by bobi
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To: bobi
If Turkey had imploded in the same stupid (largely self-inflicted) way that Yugoslavia/Bosnia did; if under these conditions the Kurds had fought and won their separatist war, gained recognition for their state, and so on; then I would likewise be telling any pro-Turkish whiners to "get over it."
15 posted on 12/19/2002 3:10:42 PM PST by Stultis
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To: Stultis
You see it is not that simple.

Yugoslavia did some stupid things but there are some rules to the seperatist game.

A rebel group does not start a war if it does not get support from outside the coutry political, arms or logistics.

A seperatist group can't fight an endless war if it is not promised a recognition BEFORE they start fighting.

You can not create a state unless you have the army (peacekeeping troops) to back it with.

In Yugoslavia the Albanians were promised support and recognition of a state BEFORE one shot was fired. The whole thing was over in 1 year. Tell me one seperatist group that achieves that in 1 year without external support.

The Tamil Tigers, the Kurds, the Karen in Burma, the Christians in Sudan have been fighting for decades and still have not achieved anything.

In 1991 within 9 months of war in Yugoslavia Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia were regonised as Independent States. Isn't that amazing. So Yugoslavia did not implode in a self-inflicted way it had a plenty of support to implode.

As for Cyprus there were more issues in 1974 at the time of the Turkish invasion than just Greek-turkish hatred. Some of these issues like fear of Greek socialism by United States and the possibility of Greek Socialist state so close to Israel and that part of the Mediterean are just coming up again.

16 posted on 12/19/2002 4:59:26 PM PST by bobi
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To: crystalk; philosofy123
You ladies make me laugh :^D
17 posted on 12/19/2002 8:22:43 PM PST by a_Turk
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