{"id":10310,"date":"2020-10-28T22:57:09","date_gmt":"2020-10-28T22:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lavozlit.com\/?p=10310"},"modified":"2020-10-28T22:57:09","modified_gmt":"2020-10-28T22:57:09","slug":"cyprus-the-past-and-today-of-the-endless-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/workersvoiceus.org\/es\/2020\/10\/28\/cyprus-the-past-and-today-of-the-endless-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyprus: The Past and Today of the Endless Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

The \u201cendless story\u201d continues! Elections were held in North Cyprus. Ersin Tatar, the right-wing UBP candidate supported by the palace regime had won with 51.47% and with a difference of 4500 votes.
\n<\/em>
\n<\/span>
\nby Hakk\u0131 Y\u00fckselen \/ K\u0131rm\u0131z\u0131 Gazete\u00a0\u00a0 10.22.2020<\/strong><\/em>
\nTatar, in his speech after the elections, firstly thanked Turkey\u2019s President Erdogan and his vice Fuat Oktay for their help to won the election. There was nothing to hide, though. Everyone knew that a group commissioned by Fuat Oktay, who headed the propaganda machine of the regime \u201cin the homeland\u201d, was operating in Northern Cyprus to support Tatar. Moreover, this was not just political and technical support: According to the news, before the elections, 3 thousand liras were distributed to ten thousand people, who make up 5 percent of the voters of Northern Cyprus, to support Tatar. After the elections, allegations of \u201celectoral crimes\u201d unseen in the history of Northern Cyprus were added.
\nHowever, the issue is not limited to these conditions. In the same \u201cvictory\u201d speech, the new president Tatars criticized the opposition who he accepts as \u201cenemy of Turkey,\u201d and he said they will not weaken the sovereignty of the Turkish people for the sake of a solution in Cyprus. Isn\u2019t it interesting, the presidential candidate of a state claimed to be \u201cindependent\u201d and sought to be recognized by other states, in a post-election speech in which he emphasized \u201cindependence\u201d and \u201csovereignty\u201d, thanked the President and Propaganda Minister of another state in the elections for their support! Moreover, he used the same wording as the Erdogan regime, \u201cTurkey\u2019s enemies\u201d. So Tatar has divided the people of Northern Cyprus as \u201cTurkey supporters\u201d and \u201cTurkey opposites\u201d. With this speech, we can understand the politics of neo-bonapartist Turkish regime in Cyprus.<\/p>\n

Intervention policy as a \u201cnational strategy\u201d<\/h2>\n

It has a long history of the intervention of Turkey towards Turkish Cypriots. In other words, Islam \u201cmarinated\u201d Erdogan regime is not the first. During the previous \u201csecular\u201d governments, Cyprus was intervened with the same chauvinistic nationalist and \u201cTurkist\u201d language.
\nStarting from the 1950s, there were fascist murders and attacks against Turkish Cypriot socialists, labor leaders, journalists, and the opposition who are for the unity of Cyprus and the two communities. An intervention policy carried out with various provocations, including the bombing of mosques, was continued by \u201cenriching\u201d in different ways in different periods. The Turkish Cypriot community has never been truly allowed to have free elections and reflect its will. Cyprus management was delivered into the hands of Denkta\u015f (who never accept the \u201cCypriotism\u201d and who is pro \u201cannexation\u201d) and the Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT) (a fascist organization).
\nThe period following the first and joint \u201cRepublic of Cyprus\u201d, which was founded in 1960 and represents the Greek Cypriot (Hellenic) majority (with the help of the \u201csuperior efforts\u201d of political leaderships from all sides) was no different. Turkish Cypriots which are collected in some cantons by the force of TMT and with the reason of \u201csecurity\u201d, had to elect the politicians who are supported by Turkey (Faz\u0131l K\u00fc\u00e7\u00fck, Rauf Denkta\u015f). Candidates of different tendencies were prevented from participating in the elections through oppression and threat.<\/p>\n

Even after the \u201cliberation\u201d \u2026<\/h2>\n

The same situation continued after 1974 (\u201cliberation\u201d), in its anti-democratic and reactionary essence. Nothing changed during the times of the Turkish Federal State of Cyprus, where the political life was directed by the Turkish Embassy and the Turkish Armed Forces commanders. And nothing had changed with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which was established after 1983.
\nEven the opposition and left-wing parties that emerged in this period had to obtain approval from Ankara. Apart from the previous ones, starting from 1981, all the multi-party elections were held with the open intervention of Turkey. Opposition leaders were openly threatened by being \u201cinvited\u201d to the Embassy, given instructions. In some cases, even dissident or different elements within the ruling party were subjected to the same treatment. The institutions of governments and coalitions were realized with the directions and decisions of Ankara (capital of Turkey). The chauvinistic and nationalistic right was demanding the annexation of Cyprus to Turkey, and they were saying \u201cDeadlock is the solution!\u201d. In contrast, the new left and labor movement who defend \u201cthe Cypriotism\u201d, independence and resist against Turkey\u2019s pressure emerged.<\/p>\n

Creating a \u201csemi-colony\u201d!<\/h2>\n

Northern Cyprus\u2019s dependence on Turkey is not only political and economic. \u201cSaviors’\u201d the first job was, with the pretext of \u201clack of manpower\u201d, to transfer the population from Turkey to the North of the island to \u201ccolonize\u201d. Thus, a population of imbalance was created that would later have political consequences. The continuation of this policy aiming at \u201cassimilation\u201d has led not only to demographic and political consequences but also cultural consequences, as the natives of Cyprus started to leave the island due to bad economic conditions and other reasons (one-third of the Turkish Cypriot population). Turkey\u2019s reactionary began to show his face in Cyprus in all its aspects and varieties.
\nNorthern Cyprus, not only by political and military means, was linked to Turkey but also by economic methods. In Cyprus, where production is almost non-existent, tourism has also declined sharply. Significantly a country that has lived with Turkey\u2019s financial assistance, the people, have to work at civil service and with small businesses. The economy was only rotated by casinos and private universities. This siege also gained strength with international economic-diplomatic isolation.
\nBut what is more serious than that in Northern Cyprus after 1974, state control over the most important elements of the national currency and fiscal sovereignty (which are the most important elements of sovereignty) was handed over to Turkey completely.
\nThe official currency of the country became the Turkish Lira. In 1986, President Ozal visited Cyprus to apply Turkey\u2019s neoliberal economic program (the Cypriots\u2019 called it the economic Demolition Package). In addition to these, not only the external security of Cyprus but also the internal security, the police and fire brigade, were attached to the TSK (Turkish Armed Forces). Thus, at the foundation stage, the integrity of its national sovereignty became a fragmented \u201csemi-colony\u201d \u2026<\/p>\n

The ultimate goal: annexation \u2026<\/h2>\n

All the rulers of Turkey (\u201cSavior\u201d Ecevit included! \u2013 Prime minister who lead the army operation in 1974) never had a concern of liberating the Turkish Cypriots.
\nFrom the beginning, the purpose was \u201cdivision\u201d (the invention of the colonial British imperialism in the 1950s). So imperialism, particularly in the control of NATO, divided the island of Cyprus between Greece and Turkey. Thus, this giant \u201caircraft carrier\u201d, which provides the opportunity to keep the most strategic areas in the Eastern Mediterranean under control, would be shared between two NATO members, a loyal ally of imperialism, through \u201cEnosis\u201d (union with Greece) and \u201cTaksim\u201d (partition).
\nHowever, a significant change over time made this plan inoperable. The political leadership of the Greek Cypriots abandoned the \u201cEnosis\u201d (Unity: Unification with Greece) policy in line with the interests of the Greek Cypriot bourgeoisie and turned towards the policy of \u201cnon-aligned\u201d. This position, which badly annoyed the imperialist centers, especially the USA and Britain, was supported by the Soviet Union.
\nCyprus has become a member of the \u201cNon-Aligned\u201d movement internationally. President Archbishop Makarios, who defined by the Western politicians as \u201cMediterranean Castro\u201d and by Turkey \u201cRed priest\u201d (also supported by \u201cCommunist\u201d AKEL party) therefore, constantly subjected to assassination and coup attempts by CIA, Greece, and the EOKA.
\nAfter an imperialist-fascist conspiracy, on 15 July 1974 Turkey landed in Cyprus with a \u201cguarantor\u201d title. This was more of an \u201cexpansion\u201d operation than a \u201crescue\u201d operation.
\nThe policies of deadlock, which have been \u201clegitimated\u201d with the effect of the chauvinist nationalist politics of the Southern Cyprus bourgeoisie and political administrations, are also aimed at annexing the island under appropriate conditions.<\/p>\n

To save the Turkish Cypriots!<\/h2>\n

The real aim of Turkey\u2019s Cyprus policy has never been to ensure the freedom and safety of the Turkish Cypriots. What is done is nothing more than making the problem inextricable under the name of \u201cnational lawsuit\u201d. Accordingly, the existence of Turkish Cypriots was seen only as a tool, their real demands and wills were not shown with the slightest respect, but on the contrary, all kinds of independent appeals are repressed with humiliating language and threats of starvation. This instrumentalization and humiliation continued under the Erdogan government.
\nThe presence of the Turks on the island was tried to be used as a means of joining the EU for a while, and today it has been turned into a tool in the fight over natural gas deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean. The current foreign policy, which is completely intertwined with the domestic policy of the palace regime, aims to \u201csolve the Cyprus problem through\u201d conquest \u201c(ie annexation). When Northern Cyprus has no chance to be an \u201cindependent\u201d state anymore, the option of unification with Turkey will be on the table (\u201chomemade and national\u201d enosis!). That\u2019s why the pressure has increased. Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes that he can survive, by a possible \u201cconquest\u201d that will earn him the title of \u201cconqueror\u201d.
\nThe point that should not be forgotten is that the church and nationalism, which were able to influence even the \u201ccommunists\u201d in the Greek part, have a great share in the transformation of Cyprus into a problem. In the most critical period of the colonial history of Cyprus, the domination of the thesis of \u201cenosis\u201d instead of \u201cindependence\u201d caused the division of a society that managed to live together for years and sometimes waged joint struggles.<\/p>\n

Struggle\u2026<\/h2>\n

Where the imperialist centers, Turkish and Greek bourgeoisie, their states, and the ruling classes of Cyprus have made the problem inextricable, it\u2019s not possible to solve it with a few wheeze words of \u201cbrotherhood of the peoples\u201d or with a few stereotype formulas.
\n\u201cFederal\u201d or \u201cunitary\u201d state solutions and the self-determination right of people, can be possible with Turkey, Greece, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots working classes common struggle\u2026 Despite all the obstacles in both parts of Cyprus, the tendency to struggle together, which has increased significantly compared to the past, can be transformed into an organized political struggle under the leadership of the laborers. Otherwise, this \u201cendless story\u201d will perhaps continue by taking bloody forms again.
\nIt is up to the working people to turn this terrible story into an epic of freedom and independence \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The \u201cendless story\u201d continues! Elections were held in North Cyprus. Ersin Tatar, the right-wing UBP candidate supported by the palace regime had won with 51.47% and with a difference of 4500 votes. by Hakk\u0131 Y\u00fckselen \/ K\u0131rm\u0131z\u0131 Gazete\u00a0\u00a0 10.22.2020 Tatar, in his speech after the elections, firstly thanked Turkey\u2019s President Erdogan and his vice Fuat […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13882120,"featured_media":10311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27806],"tags":[28562,30283,27829,30284,28446],"class_list":["post-10310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-internacionalinternational","tag-cyprus","tag-emiddle-east","tag-europe","tag-greec","tag-turkey"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"es","enabled_languages":["en","es"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"es":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t