The Thursday, July 29 2010 edition of The Washington Times, one of the most widely circulated political newspapers in America, published Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) Press Officer, Nikolaos Taneris’ letter to the editor “Turkey uses Cyprus as port of terror”, responding to Mr. Hilmi Akil’s the so-called “representive of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” , letter "Cyprus is not Gaza". Taneris’ published letter to the editor highlights Turkish terrorist involvement in the Flotilla incident and Turkish Anti-Cypriot crimes in Cyprus, and will be read by thousands of Americans from political commentators to Washington insiders, think-tanks, foreign embassy workers and opinion makers. This is the caliber of smart activism that proves again and again and again how pivotal CANA is for public relations of the Cyprus Cause to Americans.
The text of the letter appears below, followed by The Washington Times letter to which the letter responds. To see the Letter to the Editor online, visit (www.washingtontimes.com) and click on the 'Letters to the Editor' section, or try this link:
http://www.washingtontimes.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Turkey uses Cyprus as port of terror
Thursday, July 29 2010
Letters to the Editor
The Washington Times
3600 New York Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
To the Editor:
Hilmi Akil's Monday letter to
the editor, "Cyprus is not Gaza," is a shameful attempt to falsely distance the Turkish government from responsibility for May's Gaza flotilla incidents. Of the dozens of boats that set sail for Gaza, it was only on the Mavi Marmara ferry - organized by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's terrorist-classified IHH charities - that violence occurred.
The only internationally recognized and legal government on the island of Cyprus is the Republic of Cyprus. It was the legitimate government of Cyprus that refused involvement with the terrorists; the Mavi Marmara set sail from the Turkish-occupied port of Famagusta.
It was honorable of Commentary writer Daniel Pipes ("Turkey in Cyprus vs. Israel in Gaza," Opinion, July 20) to draw a comparison between Gaza and Turkish-occupied Cyprus. Whereas Israel has no illegal settlers in Gaza, Turkey has mocked international law by importing more than 150,000 illegal settlers from mainland Turkey into homes and properties stolen from Greek Cypriots by the Turkish military in the occupation that began July 20, 1974. While Israel builds schools and universities for Arabs, Turkey has pillaged; forcibly converted Cypriots; and demolished scores of Greek and Armenian schools, universities and houses of worship in Turkish-occupied Cyprus.
Turkey's illegal presence on Cyprus is recognized by no country except Turkey. Not content just to forcibly and illegally exploit land belonging to Greek Cypriots, Turkey shamelessly uses Turkish-occupied Cyprus to export terrorism in the region.
NIKOLAOS TANERIS
Press officer, Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA)
New York
------------------------------
Washington Times
Letter to editor published July 26, 2010
Cyprus is not Gaza
July 26, 2010
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Cyprus is not Gaza
Daniel Pipes is wrong to draw a parallel between Cyprus and Israel ("Turkey in Cyprus vs. Israel in Gaza," Opinion, Tuesday). He apparently is cross with Turkey over the flotilla incident and is reaching for what he believes will hurt that country most, as Cyprus is a national issue all Turks feel strongly about.
No two problem areas in the world are similar, and Mr. Pipes' comparison attempt falls flat. Suffice it to quote the ending paragraph of the statement released by the Turkish Coalition of America on the 36th anniversary of Turkey's intervention in the island, which saved Turkish Cypriots from ethnic cleansing at the hands of Greek Cypriots:
"Despite the absence of an international solution to unify the island of Cyprus, Turkish Cypriots have been enjoying peace and tranquillity and have developed strong democratic institutions, world class universities, tourism facilities and able entrepreneurs. In fact, Turkish Cyprus can be a model for other nations in that region on how to cope with hardship within the framework of democracy and respect for human rights."
The Turkish Cypriots are proud of their independent state and determined to continue cherishing democracy and human rights irrespective of the outcome of current negotiations. Their respect for these values does not go unnoticed by the international community, as the U.S. Department of State's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices attest.
HILMI AKIL
Representative
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Washington
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