From: serdar@fawlty8.eng.monash.edu.au (Serdar Boztas)
Subject: Re: Demirel threatens Cyprus
Organization: Monash University, Melb., Australia.
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 23:49:08 GMT

miscord@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au (Michael Scordilis) writes:

>From NEOS KOSMOS, Monday 25/1/93

>Demirel: "The Cypriots may regret the day they were born from their mothers".
>Open threats from Turkey.  They do not discount even a military intervension.
>ATHENS. Sunady. - While the Turkish PM Suleiman Demirel makes unprecedented
>threats against the Greeks of Cyprus, the Turkish Chief of Staff appealed
>for "dialog and peace" with Greece (a gesture indirectly rejected by the 
>Greek General Staff).
>Demirel threatened with a new military invasion emphasizing that "the Adana
>airport is only 5 minutes away from Cyprus".  The Turkish PM speaking at the
>Istanbul Rotary Club also said that NOTHING can take place on the island if
>his country does not allow "because Cyprus is the prestige and pride of
>Turkey".  
>The statements of the Turkish PM caused immediate reactions from Athens. The
>Foreign Ministyr spokesman called them unacceptable, provocative and 
>unjustified and he said that they come at a moment when our region is going
>through severe strains which necessitates prudence.  
>"Milliet" also wrote that nothing can happen in Cyprus without Turkey's 
>approval. 

Here's a summary of what Milliyet had to say about this, my translation
follows: 

Atina rahatsiz. Atina Basbakan Suleyman DEmirel'in
Istanbul'da Rotary Club'teki Kibris'la ilgili demeclerini
tahrik edici olarak buldu. Yunan Disislerinin aciklamsinda
boyle demclerin anlami yok cunku yakinlasma ve diyalogu
engelliyorlar ifadesini kullandi. Buarada Yunan hukumetinin,
Demirel'in sozlerinden duydugu rahatsizligi vurgulamak
amaciyla Turkiye'nin Atina Buyukelcisi Huseyin Celem'in
disilerine cagrilarak girisimde bulunmaya hazirlandigi
bildiriliyor. Basbakan Suleyman DEmirel bir soru uzerine,
Bosna'da Sirplarin Muslumanlara yaptiklarini aynisinin
Kibris'ta ceryan etmesine Turkiye'nin izin vermeyecegini
soylemis ve Kibris Turkiye icin bir seref meselesidir.
Dogduklarina pisman ederiz, Lefkosa'nin Adana'dan uzakligi
sadece 6 dakikadir ifadesini kullandi.

Athens uncomfortable: Athens found Demirel's remarks on
Cyprus at the Istanbul Rotary Club to be provocative. The
Greek foreign ministry stated that such remarks prevent
dialog and rapprochement between the two countries. It is
expected that Turkey's ambassador to Athens, Huseyin Celem,
will be called to the Greek foreign ministry for a
protest. In response to a question, Demirel stated that 
"We will not permit what the Serbians are doing 
to Moslems in Bosnia to happen in Cyprus. 
Cyprus is a matter of honor for Turkey and we'd
make them regret they were born. It's only 6 minutes to
Cyprus from Adana".

In context, it seems like an answer to a provocative
journalist who was looking for exactly this reaction
since the issue of Cyprus was apparently raised by the
questioner. Since there is such a strong public opinion
in Turkey against the Serbian carnage in Bosnia, Demirel
must have been trying to soothe the public opinion by 
'talking tough.' At another level, it is true that Turkey
would not permit such an attack on Turkish Cypriots,
and this is nothing new. In the light of Bosnia, going back
to a unitary state in Cyprus does not seem to be such
a good idea, at least not in the very beginning stages
of a settlement.

>Mihalis
>Michael Scordilis	   	|internet    miscord@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU

-- 
serdar boztas			serdar@fawlty8.eng.monash.edu.au
	    '
sevdalarda olsun, ilkyaz olumlerinde olsun/ gecit vermeyen akarsu olmaz
gu"lu"n kendini islemek icin/ ciragi ya da ustasi yoktur  --hilmi yavuz
Xref: sparky soc.culture.greek:12544 soc.culture.europe:11424 soc.history:10972