KeghartDr. Minas Kojayan, Los Angeles, July 15. 2022
Հայերէն բնագիրը ընթերցելու համար խփեցէք ԿԻՊՐՈՍ բառը
Today is a dark day in the history of the Republic of Cyprus. On July 15th, 1974, the extreme right-wing military dictatorship (junta) of Greece ordered the National Guard of Cyprus to carry out a coup against the democratically elected president Makarios III. The archbishop barely escaped from the presidential palace in a helicopter sent from the British military base.
The Greek junta’s action was a misadventure, but it was argued that the goal was in the interest of the Greek nation to promote the unification of the Greek island of Cyprus with its mother country, Greece. Five days later, on July 20th, NATO’s ally, Turkey capitalized on this misadventure and invaded northern Cyprus. Following failed negotiations, Turkey launched a second invasion occupying one-third of the country.
The occupation was followed by an ethnic cleansing of an estimated 150,000 Greek Cypriots, including Armenian families, who were forcibly displaced to the south of the island. The beautiful coastal cities of Famagusta (Amokhostos), Kyrenia and Morphou fell into the hands of the Turkish invaders. Hundreds of villages and towns, and many country houses, apartments, farms and businesses were abandoned. Hardly a few years passed when Atatürk’s famous slogan, “Blessed is the one who says I am a Turk!” written in huge letters and the newly installed self-proclaimed Turkish republic’s flag were plastered on the Kyrenia mountains. Several clashes and attacks of vengeance on Turkish villages ensued. The Turkish inhabitants of the south of the island were in turn forced to move to north. It was a veritable human tragedy.
Armenians also suffered heavily in the course of these events. For many Armenian Cypriots the invasion of 1974 was the second or third deportation that they had experienced in a lifetime. The renowned Melkonian Educational Institute — the boarding school that had then served the Middle Eastern Armenian communities for 48 years — was bombarded. The Armenian Makaravank monastery was damaged and left neglected for decades along with several Armenian churches, schools, cemeteries, and community centers that were abandoned on the Turkish side following the occupation.
The Turks seized the abandoned estates of the displaced Greek Cypriots, the island was divided by a Green Line (the UN Buffer Zone); the capital, Nicosia, was divided into Turkish and Greek sections.
In 1983, the Turkish leaders of Northern Cyprus officially declared the establishment of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which is recognized by…Turkey.
Questions that remain unanswered:
- Who instigated the Greek junta to undertake this idiotic operation?
- Why didn’t the USA and/or the USSR intervene? Were they unable or unwilling to?
- What is the benefit of British two bases continued presence when they provided no help to Cypriot Greeks when needed?
- Why has the West failed to address this injustice to this day?
- Why has the Russian Federation remained silent on this matter?
- Until when will Turkey get away with such acts of recklessness, and, like the parasitic cuckoo, continue to build its home in the nests of others?
ԿԻՊՐՈՍ. ԹՇՆԱՄԻՆ ԴԱՐԱՆԱԿԱԼ ԿԸ ՍՊԱՍԷՐ…ԵՒ ԿԸ ՍՊԱՍԷ
Մինաս Գոճայեան, 15 Յուլիս 2022
Կիպրոսի Հանրապետութեան պատմութեան մէջ այսօր սեւ թուական մըն է: 15 Յուլիս 1974-ին Յունաստանի ծայրայեղ աջակողմեան զինուորական բռնապետութիւնը (Խունտա) հրամայեց Կիպրոսի Ազգային Պահակագունդին որ պետական հարուածով մը վար առնէ Կիպրոսի հանրապետութեան ժողովրդավարականօրէն ընտրուած Նախագահ՝ Մակարիոս Գ. Արքեպիսկոպոսը, որ հազիւ կրցաւ ազատիլ նախագահական պալատէն՝ անգլիական ռազմախարիսխէն ղրկուած ուղղաթիռի մը օգնութեամբ…
Կատարեալ բեմադրութիւն մը:
Զինուորական խունտային ըրածը քաղաքական արկածախնդրութիւն մըն էր, թէեւ նպատակը «բարի էր»՝ յունական կղզի Կիպրոսի միացումը մայր երկրին՝ Յունաստանին:
Արդիւնք. ՆԱԹՕ-ի դաշնակից Թուրքիան իր հզօր բանակով առիթը յարմար նկատելով առաջին արշաւանքով գրաւեց կղզիէն հատուած մը հիւսիսային տարածքներէն, ապա, յետ ձախող բանակցութեանց, երկրորդ արշաւանքով մը գրաւեց երկրին 36%:
Գրաւուեցաւ ԲԱՌԻՍ ԲՈՒՆ ԻՄԱՍՏՈՎ եւ յունաթափուեցաւ: Հիւսիսէն հարաւ բռնի կերպով տեղահանուեցան 150,000 յոյներ, որոնց մէջ կային նաեւ հայ ընտանիքներ: Գրաւուեցան գեղեցիկ ծովափնեայ քաղաքներ Ֆամակուստան (Ամոխոստոս), Քայրինիան, Մորֆուն: Հարիւրաւոր գիւղեր ու աւաններ, ամառանոցներ, բնակարաններ, ագարակներ եւ գործատուներ զրկուեցան իրենց բնիկ տէրերէն, իսկ քանի մը տարի ետք Քայրինիոյ լեռնաշղթային վրայ երեւցաւ հսկայական տառերով մէկ քիլոմեթր երկարութեամբ «Երանի թուրք եմ ըսողին» թուրքական յայտնի լոզունգը եւ ինքնակոչ «հանրապետութեան» դրօշակը:
Հայերուս ալ ծանր բաժին հասաւ ի հարկէ: Շատ մը կիպրահայերու համար 1974-ի ներխուժումը եղաւ երկրորդ եւ երրորդ տեղահանութիւն…: Ռմբակոծուեցաւ 48 տարիէ ի վեր լոյս ջամբող Մելգոնեան Կրթական Հաստատութիւնը, «թուրքաց կողմը» մնացին Հայոց Մակարավանքը, մի քանի եկեղեցի, նախակրթարան, գերեզմաններ, ակումբներ…
Թուրքը նստեցաւ տեղահանուածներուն կալուածներուն վրայ: Կղզին բաժնուեցաւ Կանաչ գիծով մը ( UN Buffer Zone կամ Green Line): Մայրաքաղաք Նիկոսիան նոյնպէս կիսուեցաւ:
Հարցումներ՝
Ա) Ո՞վ հրահրեց զինուորական խունթան, որ ձեռնարկէ այսպիսի յիմար գործողութիւն մը։
Բ) Ինչո՞ւ ԱՄՆ-ը եւ ԽՍՀՄ-ն բան մը չկրցան ընել: Չկրցա՞ն թէ՞ չուզեցին…
Գ) Ի՞նչ է օգուտը անգլիական երկու ռազմախարիսխներու ներկայութեան Կիպրոսի մէջ, երբոր ոչ մէկ օգուտ տուին կիպրայոյն բնակչութեան։
Դ) Ինչո՞ւ մինչեւ օրս Արեւմուտքը չզբաղիր այս անարդարութեամբ:
Ե) ԽՍՀՄ իրաւայաջորդ նկատող Ռուսական Դաշնութեան պետութիւնը ինչո՞ւ լուռ կը մնայ:
Զ)) Մինչեւ ե՞րբ թուրքը պիտի գործէ այս սանձարձակութեամբ եւ կկուի նման ուրիշի կառուցած բոյնին մէջ պիտի տեղաւորուի…
Keghart
Keghart
Keghart
6 comments
The best person to answer your questions is Henry Kissinger, the US secretary of state at the time. He covertly gave Turkey the green light to invade Cyprus.
Yet another example of treachery by the modern day Machiavelli.
The invasion of Cyprus was encouraged by the US and Henry Kissinger. Makarios had forbidden US weapon shipments to Israel over the airspace of Cyprus, which was a typical refueling stopover. This policy was in support of the Palestinian cause. Instead, the US planes had to fly all the way from the Azores to bring the weapons shipments. So, Kissinger encouraged a coup by Samson, who as a politician had only gotten about 1% of the vote in the most recent election. This was a man who later the US press reported had been on the CIA payroll for something like 20 years. Samson and some of his military backers in the Cypriot army declared unification with Greece being their intent of the junta coup. In reality, there was almost zero possibility that this would happen for a variety of reasons, including geography. Since Turkey was one of the guarantors of the independence of Cyprus (along with Greece and the UK), Turkey exercised its legal right to invade Cyprus to preserve its independence. Of course, it was like letting the fox into the henhouse. A supposed legal exercise turned into a permanent presence…
First of all in Cyprus, the inhumane massacres against the Turks were never mentioned. America and the whole world imposed an embargo on Turkey during the war. Turkey’s sole purpose was to protect the Turks.
Yusuf, You say the sole purpose Turkey invaded Cyprus was to protect the Turks. Why don’t you ask “Why were there Turks in Greek Cyprus?” If you don’t know why, read how the Turks conquered the island in 1570. Turks attacked (unprovoked) the island with an army of 150,000 and 350 to 400 ships. The island’s population was 160,000. The Turks destroyed the capital Nicosia and massacred 20,000 people. They “spared” 2,000 boys whom they shipped to Constantinople as sex slaves… a Turkish tradition. A few months later, the Turks attacked Famagusta with 200,000 troops and 145 guns against a garrison of 6,000. Despite the vast numerical advantage that the Turks enjoyed, it took the Turks nearly a year to defeat the defenders. Typically, the Turks reneged on the terms of surrender and after cutting the ears and nose of the leader of the defenders, they flayed him alive and filled his body with straw. They then cut his head and sent it to Constantinople as trophy…another Turkish tradition.
Yusuf, that’s why there were Turks in Cyprus when Ankara invaded. Were it 1570, they would have flayed Bishop Makarios and made a movie about their glorious knack for massacring civilians.
Since the early 1800s, Turkey has committed nearly 100 massacres and genocides of Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Iraqis, Kurds, Syrians, Shiites of Turkey, Serbs, Yezidis…two years ago they conducted the Azeri invasion of Armenian Artsakh and killed around 5,000 Armenian troops and an unknown number of civilians while grabbing 75 percent of Armenian Artsakh. These days, Erdogan is again threatening Armenia while his cohort Aliev (also a Turk) sharpens his knife.
I say our innocent women and children were killed. You say we have warriors who died during the war.There have been many wars in history, lands have been bought and given. I say innocent women and babies were murdered, you say you came to the island in the 16th century. I don’t think what you’re saying makes sense.
As for the war, in the Mediterranean, which was an inland sea at that time, the Venetians were disrupting the commercial routes of the Ottoman Empire. it was a threat. As you mentioned, it is not a war against the minority, Antonie Collana fought with 12 ships from the papacy, Juan de Austria from Spain with 49 ships, Jeremo Zane from Venice with 145 ships, and 5 ships from Malta with an equal strength. In addition, there were 20000 waariors in Nicosia and 10000 warriors in Famagusta. 50000 Ottoman soldiers were martyred in Magusa. Cyprus was taken with blood and became Turkish. The public has never been touched. In the Ottoman tradition, there is respect for the people. otherwise, Turkish would be spoken in Tripoli today. In the Balkans, where it had stayed for centuries, there would be no churches left, and the people would completely lose their culture. If the Ottomans were intolerant, they could not even say bread in their own language.
the holocaust never happened. The Armenian genocide claim is supported by the Germans. because they killed the Jews themselves. They do not want to be the only nation that commits this crime against humanity. They are looking for a partner. this is not turks at all. They can call in Serbia as partners.
It’s almost impossible to reply to Yusuf because he seems to have difficulty understanding what I wrote or chooses not to understand. Starting with his second sentence… there was no war: there were two invasions of Cyprus by Ottoman Turks whose home was several thousand miles off Cyprus but who had invaded westward and occupied most of the Middle East, Armenia, and Byzantium.
Despite the above, allow me to make a couple of points:
1. The attack on Cyprus by Turks was unprovoked. Venetians were not obstructing the Turks. The Venetians traded across the Mediterranean, including with Egypt and even with people in what is now Ukraine. Turkey wanted a monopoly of the Mediterranean trade.
2. While the Turkish treatment of the Cypriots was predictably brutal, my description was restrained because I didn’t want to be too graphic about the Turkish modus operandi.
3. It’s odd that you describe the invading Turkish soldiers as martyrs. It must be a first in history.
4. Regarding Tripoli. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the notorious Barbary Coast pirates of Tripoli operated under the aegis of the Turkish sultan. In fact, the pirates sent most of their European captives (innocent travelers) to their overlord, the Ottoman sultan.
5. You claim Turkish tolerance in the Balkans. In fact, the Turks forcibly Turkified and Islamized millions of Balkan people. Thus, we now have several Balkan states (racially European) which are Muslim.
6. Then you goof big time when you lose credibility by questioning the veracity of the genocide of Armenians by Turkey–not just the army but also the Turkish mobs looking for blood and plunder. The so-called Eastern Turkey is Armenia: your eminent Sultan Abdul Hamid II ordered that “Armenian” be removed from the map. And now it’s inhabited mostly by Kurds.
I don’t want to invest more time in trying to illuminate you. The libraries and the internet give a chapter and verse of the savage history of the Turks…a bloody history which persists: just yesterday Erdogan threatened Armenia.