“…in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily” Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, vol. I, ch. X
A few weeks ago, UN Special Envoy Alexander Downer was caught in a media maelstrom after reportedly saying he was “disgusted” with certain Greek Cypriots newspapers for their coverage and stance on the current peace talks.
The Australian diplomat has since denied the remarks attributed to him, and so have people who attended the informal gathering where the infamous words were allegedly spoken.
By way of misinformation or just plain disinformation – it is thought that one of those present ‘reported back’ to a European Party official – the supposed phrase found its way into the press and on television, and was taken for granted. A big song and dance was made of the comment, effectively vilifying Downer as the arrogant foreign diplomat. Taking this a step further, the occasion was portrayed as a clandestine gathering (it took place during the daylight hours and the doors were wide open, according to people who attended) of “concessionist elements”.
It turns out the UN envoy had said nothing of the sort – not even close. The gathering had taken place at a Nicosia university, where people from academia and the periphery of politics were quizzing Downer on his thoughts about the prospects for a Cyprus settlement.
“It was a Q&A, as in Mr. Downer answering our questions. It wasn’t a speech or anything like that,” said one attendee, who preferred not to be named.
The source said Downer had been “extremely diplomatic and careful, as always” and hadn’t made a single remark that might be construed as controversial or provocative.
“That is, unless I went deaf at the time,” the source told the Sunday Mail.
“If you think about it logically, there’s no way Mr. Downer would have made such a remark in the first place. I mean, it’s not what you’d expect a seasoned politician or diplomat to say. You wouldn’t expect him to say he’s disgusted with the Sydney Morning Herald back home, would you? It’d be like digging his own grave. Give the man some credit.”
The source was stumped as to how the “disgusted” scenario assumed a life of its own.
“We Cypriots are one of a kind,” he said.
Yet this was hardly the first time a UN envoy or official had got the Dodge City treatment from the locals. Downer can perhaps take solace in the fact he joins a long parade of maligned foreign diplomats, dating way back to the 1960s and the establishment of the Republic.
“In the 1970s, the then UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim was called an agent of the Anglo-Americans,” recalls former Foreign Minister Nicos Rolandis.
“Ironically enough, it was Waldheim who helped Cyprus through the Turkish invasion and its aftermath, not to mention his contribution to two high-level agreements after 1974.”
In the early 1980s it was Hugo Gobbi’s turn. Gobbi, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, was convinced to give Morphou back to the Greek Cypriot side in the first map drafted for a reunited Cyprus after the war. He got a similar treatment from the media.
Years later, while in Geneva, Gobbi candidly confessed to Rolandis how he had become “fed up” with Cyprus.
“He said [Spyros] Kyprianou and [Rauf] Denktash deserved each other,” recalls Rolandis.
Even UN Secretary-General Peres de Cuellar was not spared. The late Tassos Papadopoulos, for example, had gone on record as saying that de Cuellar had “flaws of a personal nature” – evidently implying his sexual orientation.
Next up, the Ghali Set of Ideas were denounced as the “Third Attila”, again by Papadopoulos and others.
Kofi Annan was a particularly favorite target, likened to Satan himself.
But UN envoys, it seems, have a special place in our hearts.
“Take your pick: Gustav Feysel, Alvaro de Soto. Especially the latter, for his involvement in the Annan Plan. The list goes on and on,” said Rolandis.
Lest they complain of being left out, European Union officials have had their fair share of attacks.
Hans van den Broek, European Commissioner for Foreign Relations during the 1990s, was nicknamed “van den Turk” by some Cypriot newspapers. And last but certainly not least, former EU Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen, against whom many Cypriots still hold a grudge.
You could safely say anyone who deals with the Cyprus problem becomes a target. But why?
Explains Rolandis: “Greek Cypriots have always felt the international community is biased against us. Objectively speaking, UN peace plans have strived to be balanced documents. In other words, the UN has always taken into the account the mistakes made by both sides. The problem is that we claim exclusive rights over victimhood, and we are shocked and offended whenever a peace plan does not go all our way.
“It’s something that has plagued us since 1974, and it might sound pessimistic, but I don’t think we will ever shake off this attitude.”
Former President George Vassiliou said UN envoys especially are “easy targets” for quarters who are anti-solution.
“Many people still have not digested the concept of political equality and of the bizonal bi-communal federation. So what happens is that they pick on UN envoys, labelling them as pro-Turkish and what not.”
Though refusing to be drawn on who these quarters are, Vassiliou was quick to point out that “they’re not always the same people. Down the years, almost everyone has got in on the act.”
Without recalling specific examples, the former President said the phenomenon of the media taking one word or phrase out of context, or completely inventing one, and attributing it to a foreigner, was “an old habit”.
“Then of course you get the denial, but by then it’s too late…it sticks” remarked Vassilliou.
But all may not be lost, he adds: “Thank God there are enough people around who have the intelligence to understand that these UN envoys are just doing their job.”
