By Nikos Hasapopoulos *
This is not the first time Ankara has searched, when it is internationally isolated, some occasion to attack Cyprus. From 1960, with the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, until today, all the illegal interventions, attacks or invasions of the so-called guarantor power of Turkey, took place for various reasons and occasions.
For example the first Turkish Cypriot insurgency led by Ankara, which took place on such a Christmas day in 1963, with the creation of the first Turkish Cypriot enclaves (and the famous "Green Line" in Nicosia), on the occasion of the alleged violation of the Turkish Cypriot constitutional rights (by the 1960 agreements). And when ordered by him Griva to neutralize the Turkish Cypriot enclaves, Turkey took the opportunity to bomb (with napalm bombs) Tillyria, killing civilians.
Even in 1967 with withdrawal of the Greek division from Cyprus (an act committed by the junta government) and bombings by Turkish aircraft in areas of free Cyprus were made on the occasion of the events of Kofinou with the bulldozers that turned into armor Nikos Sampson and Grivas against the Turkish Cypriots.
But also the Turkish Invasion in Cyprus was not done on the occasion of coup against Makarios? Today, another threat is being launched by Erdogan himself on the occasion of burning a glassOf Large Mosque (as it is called) in Larnaca. Not even Erdogan and his government allies considered that The mosque was burned by a Syrian, a Muslim, with psychological problems, who had differences with the local imam. In fact, he was immediately arrested by the Cypriot Police and is expected to be accountable to Justice.
But for Erdogan it burning a glass in the city of Larnaca does not matter if he was burned by a fellow believer, if this reprehensible act had no political motive, nor of course any involvement of Greek Cypriots or Greeks, or even the involvement of the secret services of a country (neighboring or not), but seize the opportunity to threaten Cyprus once again. At a time when the drillings of the American EXXON Mobil in cooperation with a Qatari company and at the time State Department issued a statement according to which recognized the rights of the Republic of Cyprus on the EEZ.
Erdogan knew full well that the Americans had been watching his movements in the Southeastern Mediterranean for a long time, because they were determined to allow EXXON Mobil to start drillings. It is no coincidence that he made his threats against Cyprus shortly before leaving for Qatar, where the largest and most powerful oil company cooperates with the Americans in the EEZ of Cyprus. Both the Americans and the Qataris paid enough money to drill on a plot of land in the Cyprus EEZ and they will not let anyone bother them.
New threats
But Recep Tayyip Erdogan is looking for an opportunity and in his statements stressed that The attack on a mosque in Larnaca will not go unanswered, saying "You will pay a heavy price for your involvement in such sabotage". He did not even fail to add: "Do not do such sabotage in our temples. You will pay a heavy price for your participation in such sabotage ". He also said that they are in search of who is behind it. "We have six mosques in Southern Cyprus and the administration of Southern Cyprus is responsible for their security. We say they must provide the same security as we provide for their own sanctuaries and their churches. ", he said specifically.
It probably means them sacred temples desecrated by the Turks after the invasion. Some of them (as reported to UNESCO) turned them into Occupied Territories stables or even in discotheque, selling the sacred Byzantine icons abroad (mainly to Russian oligarchs) and did not allow the operation of the sacred temples. THE Priest in Cyprus he came, as he said, in the footsteps of the Apostle Barnabas. Three kilometers outside occupied Famagusta is the ancient monastery (of the 5th century AD) Apostle Barnabas, who is also the founder of the Church of Cyprus.
The Pope could not, but did not want to go to the Occupied Territories to visit a temple that operated for the first time after 31 years since the Turkish invasion. In the occupied White House the Turks converted him Church of the Archangel Michael in the bazaar. In the occupied village Trimithi the Turks they turned the church of Agios Charalambos into a pottery studio. His medieval temple Agios Ioannis in Rizokarpaso, once decorated with rare hagiographies, now houses flock of sheep while many other churches have been looted or burned.
Source: In.gr