Wild Greek fantasies

Greek Cypriots continue stressing that times have changed, there is now the European Union umbrella and Turkish Cypriot worries that Greek Cypriots could attack and try to annihilate them once again – very much like what they tried to do and failed between 1963 and 1974 – are all groundless.

Indeed, Cyprus is no longer the Cyprus of either 1974 or 1963. It is not either the Cyprus of 2004 when Greek Cypriots said “Ohi” (No) and rejected a U.N. settlement plan and, while though it contained many unacceptable elements, Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly endorsed it in a separate simultaneous referendum.

It is indeed and unfortunately correct that though the U.N. settlement plan was rejected by Greek Cypriots and despite Turkish Cypriot approval flushed down the drain, it was the Greek side that was embraced in the EU just seven days after the separate simultaneous referenda of April 24, 2004, as the “government of the entire island” and thus rewarded for its “no” vote.

On July 15, the Greek Cypriot side was a member of the European Union. Yet, would the EU stop the Greek Cypriot side if contrary to the perception that Cyprus was no longer the Cyprus of either 1974 or 1963, there was the EU “protective shield” and, as Christos Rotsas – a former deputy of President Nikos Anastasiades’ Democratic Rally Party (DISY) – suggested, the Greek Cypriot military used the coup in Turkey to recapture Turkish Cyprus?

Naturally, Bosnia and Herzegovina was not an EU territory and a comparison might not be appreciable, yet how long did it take for the EU to intervene and stop the bloodshed next door? Did it intervene, or wait until the Americans undertook it? Does anyone remember the Srebrenica massacre? Did the EU or EU member nations, like the Dutch, protect the civilians from a mass massacre or just watch over as people were butchered or even buried alive?

It is of course absurd. It came from a former deputy who apparently has gone crazy. But the remarks of Rotsas reflect a social psychiatric condition rampant among the Greek Cypriots.

Shall we go through what he indeed said? “If the enslaved Cyprus was not sitting cross-legged and idly for 42 years, last night could perhaps be its night. […] If we were a people who were interested in what we lost, our freedom, we would have been prepared for a day like this.” For what? To get back the northern part of the island and kick out the Turks.

Naturally Rotsas acquired popularity immediately with his bright ideas on the “easy way” of kicking the Turks out of Cyprus. Commenting to Greek Cypriot media on how the Greek Cypriot side would be able to overwhelm the around 43,000 Turkish soldiers (the figure is grossly exaggerated, but anyhow) stationed in the north, Rotsas said the attempted coup would have been a great opportunity because the Turkish military would not have known who was attacking them. According to Rotsas, rebels would think Greek Cypriots were their compatriots while the government forces would consider them as their compatriots as they were being taken over… As there would be confusion between the people, the military and the state, Greek Cypriots would make best use of the atmosphere of confusion. “If we are Turks or Greeks, if we were the coupists or the pro-government forces; it is this we would take advantage of: Their fear and confusion,” he was quoted as saying.

Strange. Perhaps Rotsas was thinking that Turks were that foolish. How could he not see why the coup failed in Turkey? Yet he believed that “the front is so small in Cyprus that it would be a done deal within a few hours, if we were prepared.” Why was he speaking now? Because Rotsas was a patriot and wanted to tell his people that they should be prepared, as “if we don’t acquire a deterrent force, we cannot take advantage of such opportunities.”

Rotsas also had a contingency “day after” plan. He believed Turkey would not be able to strike back or retaliate in some way because “if we had 43,000 Turkish soldiers as war prisoners, if I was in charge, I would take most of them to the Paphos airport, the Vassilikos naval base and other places to keep them and my territory safe. […] Furthermore [if Turkey had suffered such a loss] the last thing they would want would be to bomb Cyprus no more than a day or two.”

Assume there is a Cyprus deal. Assume within that deal Turkey was compelled to withdraw from the island militarily. Assume there was a Turkish Cypriot leader like the current Mustafa Akıncı who would be only interested in socializing. And if Turkey plunged into a mess similar to the July 15 one – not a distant probability at all – would the EU help save Turkish Cypriots when the Rotsas mentality engages in such an oddity? Don’t say they would not. The man might appear to be an idiot but there are many such idiots in the Greek Cypriot parliament and over 3 percent of people voted for such a mentality in the last elections.