Cyprus

The current Cypriot elections are a closely fought battle, and they are significant because the new incumbent will have to do something about Turkey, and the candidates have different leanings on the subject.

Henry Kissinger told his staff that if ever they found him making plans about Cyprus they were to put him in a straightjacket and bundle him off to the nearest hospital, but I do think a little objectivity might be in order.

Here’s what the BBC say on their website and it’s the nearest I have ever seen them come towards impartiality:

Cyprus was partitioned after a Turkish invasion in 1974, which came shortly after a Greek Cypriot coup backed by the military junta ruling Greece at the time.

So the Turkish invasion came ‘shortly after’ the coup – no hint that it was because of the coup, that the Greek military junta overthrew the constitution and Turkey had to protect its citizens.

Just suppose there was some other country, say Kuwait, and a neighbouring power, a military junta, fomented revolt then poured its troops in, setting up a foreign government with martial law. The UN intervenes. Which side would you expect your government to support?

There has been a great deal of evil done here over the last 34 years, by both sides, but why do we support the regime which broke the agreed bipartisan constitution in Cyprus? Why don’t we recognise neither side, or both, and let them sort it out?

The Turks will never trust us to broker a solution unless we are impartial.