Recai Kutan, President of the Center for Economic and Social Research (ESAM), on 44th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation spoke to Milli Gazete. Kutan, one of the earliest witnesses of the Cyprus Peace Operation, paid attention to the historic victory and the games that are now playing in Cyprus.
We celebrate the 44th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation. Do you have important tasks in MSP at that time, can you tell us about that process?
In our recent history, Cyprus is of great importance. Briefly, when we look at the past history, Cyprus was conquered by the Ottomans in 1571. 305 years under the rule of the Turks. However, afterwards the British have deceived the island of Cyprus with tricks. When the British left Cyprus, they decided: they said it was a constitutional provision. "Sovereignty and the formation of the republic will be transferred to two common sovereigns". That is to say, with this decision, it is assumed that there are two dominant peoples communities and they are separated in this way. However, at the end of the last few years, the Greek Cypriot leader, the famous Megali Idea (Great Greek State) understanding of the greatest development in the meantime, the island of Cyprus entered the Greek annexation. At the time before that with the aim to ensure the safty of the Democratic Party of Cyprus England, it was made an agreement between Greece and Turkey. Indeed, it was a successful move of the DP. It was decided that the Turks would be a guarantor in Cyprus. I say this in advance because the guarantor is very important in the following events and in the coming periods.
However, on December 21, 1963, there were 60 coups in that period, followed by İsmet İnönü government, and he was the prime minister. At that time, the Greeks brought a plan called Akritas Plan and started to commit genocide against the Turks in Cyprus. At that time of course our people had an extraordinary reaction. The rally was organized, 'Cyprus is Turkish Turkey to Remain' was made in the form of rallies all over Turkey. As a result of these pressures, the Ismet Pasha government took an action against Cyprus. The ships were approaching the port of Mersin, our soldiers bound to the ship. But on the other hand, the EU, the US and European Union countries subsequently began to exert pressure on Turkey jointly. Unfortunately, in the face of all these pressures the government has evacuated our soldiers on board. Thereafter, this was a relatively peaceful environment, using the guarantee agreement prepared during the DP period. After a while, in 1966 the Demirel government was established. At that time, the Demirel government is also taking over Cyprus. then genocide was launched in Cyprus at that time. The Turks are so big that they are piled up on a certain part of the island. However, 3 percent of them were squeezed into that area and massacres began. The Demirel government also decided on it. He said, 'Okay, we will intervene and save our compatriots'. Unfortunately, the Demirel government was withdrawn after a while when the same pressures continued. The soldiers on the ships in Mersin were down.
After the mixed period, the National Salvation Party (MSP) was established and the first election took place. In that election, 48 deputies and 3 senators won. At that time our emblem was the key. The MSP was in the key position in the establishment of a government with the honorable name. So it is possible to come together with the Justice Party and form a government. It is also possible to form a government with the CHP in the same way. However, in that period conjuncture, taking into consideration the public sentiment and the prejudice, I say Demirel, come together to rule the government. Demirel, however, did not want to be a government, saying 'the public saw me as worthy of the opposition'. At that time there was Ecevit at the beginning of the CHP, and they have been in power for many years. They came to insist and they said, 'Let's be the government together.' However, at that time, our late Erbakan Hocamız and we said, 'we are not a party from existing parties. We have our indispensable conditions, if you accept them, this coalition can be. "As a result, a protocol was signed before the coalition with the CHP. One of the conditions stipulated in that protocol was the provision of the security of Cyprus. In fact, there were many things that were not imaginable at that time. In this protocol the CHP said yes to all of them. Thus, we have established a government with the Cyprus issue in mind.
It is now clear that the Cyprus issue will come to the agenda again in the coming period. Already in the agenda, especially in terms of Israel America, especially in eastern Mediterranean, natural gas and crude oil possibilities have emerged in Israel. And now Europe and America, under the control of Israel and South Cyprus, say the same thing. For this reason, this time we will have to defend Cyprus in the Assembly, and in the end, outside the Assembly. Our precisely what we want you to stay available disappearance of Turkey's guarantor. Now the men will say, sir, this guarantor is Southern Cyprus and Southern Cyprus is now EU member. So what is the need for guarantor. We can not give up on this guarantor thing precisely.