Mitsotakis even 'provoked'!..

With the government and the opposition, and with our hearts, we are in the TRNC.

We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of our Cyprus Peace Operation. It is easy to say, but despite all the pressures of the world, we have been there for half a century, and despite all the wavering of some in Ankara, we will be there forever.

We said “wavering”; let us write while it is fresh.

The Greek front took action days ago, and Defense Minister Nikos Dendias acted as the battering ram.

Dendias, who went to the Greek Cypriot side, rained, stormed, and thundered against Turkey once again.

Fortunately, our Ministry of National Defense immediately gave him the answer he deserved. They gave it, but in the name of smoking the “peace pipes,” they did not forget to add the following:

“We call on the Greek Minister of Defense to refrain from trying to undermine the common stance put forward by the leaders of the two countries, which aims to advance relations between Turkey and Greece with a constructive approach. Mr. Dendias' efforts to build a political career by sowing discord between the Turkish and Greek peoples will not yield results.”

THE GREEK MINISTRY OF DEFENSE WAS REGRETFUL (!)

You would think that Dendias is the only enemy of Turks in Greece!..

A member of the pro-government media thinks like the Ministry of National Defense; they not only explained that Dendias is not just acting as an enemy of Turkey, but that he is also betraying his own Prime Minister because he wants to become Prime Minister or President, and claimed that this is why Mitsotakis removed Dendias from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and made him Minister of Defense.

As if the Ministry of Defense were an unimportant and more passive task than the Ministry of Foreign Affairs... Yet, Mitsotakis is just playing a good cop-bad cop game against Turkey!..

In the meantime, let us convey the Greek Ministry of Defense's response to the Ministry of National Defense. They officially mocked them as follows:

“We sincerely regret that during his recent visit to Cyprus, Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias did not ‘thank’ the Turkish invasion and occupation forces for their ‘services’ in defending the United Nations Charter, the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, human rights, and the protection of democracy.”

FROM THE OPPOSITION TO THE SINGER

For those who ignore the fact that 99 percent of Greeks are Megali Idea supporters, let us present these three examples for now:

Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, whom the pro-government media introduces to our nation as a peace dove and whose rapport with our Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is tear-jerking, stated in an article he wrote for a newspaper yesterday that “half a century has passed since one-third of the island's territory was seized and illegally occupied by the Turkish army,” and added, “The reunification of the island continues to be our compass.”

The Ministry headed by Gerapetritis stated in a statement today regarding the “50th anniversary of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus” that “Greece does not accept baseless threats, divisive decisions, or faits accomplis on the ground.”

Stefanos Kasselakis, the Chairman of the main opposition party SYRIZA, also called our Cyprus Peace Operation an “occupation” and went to the Greek Cypriot side, defending the same view as the government in the name of a “solution.”

Moving past the politicians; didn't the singer Despina Vandi, who was invited to Çeşme for a concert, not only refuse to take the stage with the excuse of the Turkish Flag and Atatürk poster, but also link the issue to the 50th anniversary and say the following?

“It would be an insult to historical memory for any Greek artist to take the stage at an event full of Turkish Flags and Kemal Atatürk posters. Especially on the 50th anniversary of Turkey's intervention in Cyprus... For me, Kemal Atatürk is a murderer of Greeks.”

In short; the diagnosis made by our master Melih Aşık is true in every respect:

“You can deceive yourselves as much as you want by calling it Turkish-Greek friendship. This is the atmosphere on the other side of the water. Greece, having the support of the US and the EU behind it, is becoming increasingly arrogant. Even its singer can say, ‘I won't take the stage if you don't take down your flag.’ Friendship is only in words.”

THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW THEIR FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

How strange it is that today, at the ceremonies in the TRNC, Erdoğan, after criticizing Greek Defense Minister Dendias for “unfortunately making mind-boggling statements again,” explained the following:

“We met with Mr. Mitsotakis abroad and said to him, 'We are in Northern Cyprus on the 20th. I heard that you are in the south. I hope you won't provoke us from there like Dendias.' He said he wasn't thinking of such a thing. We said, 'If you are not thinking of such a thing, then there is no problem,' and we continued on our way.”

If that is the case, let us immediately look at Mitsotakis' actions before he even went to the Greek Cypriot side.

While the Greek Prime Ministry announced that Mitsotakis would attend a commemorative event organized by Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace this evening at 20:30 and give a speech, it used the phrase “due to the 50th anniversary of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus.”

Mitsotakis also shared a map of Cyprus divided by blood in a post on his X account today and commanded, “Half a century has passed since Cyprus' national tragedy. We honor those who were lost and demand a united European state based on UN resolutions. Not a foreign occupation army.”

Who knows what delusions he will have at the ceremony tonight!..

“Since Mr. Mitsotakis has also provoked us like Dendias; is it 'continue on the way' or 'it's over,' Mr. Erdoğan?!”

With the hope that our national cause of Cyprus will be upheld not for one day but for 365 days, and that “friendly and brotherly” countries will recognize our TRNC without a single day's delay; happy 50th anniversary of our Peace Operation.

Müyesser YILDIZ

July 20, 2024