THE Government yesterday described as “malicious distortion” the fierce reaction to comments by President Demetris Christofias that appeared to equate the Greek-inspired coup in July 1974 with the Turkish invasion, five days later.
Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said Christofias’ comments, at the Washington DC-based Brookings Institution, had been taken out of context and used to bash the president and the government.
“When some, using this isolated reference, say that the president absolves Turkey, equates (invasion with coup) etc, yes this is malicious distortion,” Stefanou told state broadcaster CyBC.
The president said there was no alternative other than peaceful negotiations between the two communities “and of course the involvement, at the end of the day, of the three guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey, UK) which all played a negative role unfortunately towards the developments in Cyprus.”
“The two so-called main lands, in fact, invaded, both [of them],” the transcript of his comments reads.
Christofias added that fortunately for the people of Greece, the criminal action of the junta (ruling Greece at the time) led to its downfall and “the restoration of democracy in the country in which democracy was born. But Cyprus paid a very high price for this restoration of democracy.”
The comment sparked a fierce reaction from political parties who demanded an apology and suggested the comment could only hurt the Greek Cypriot side’s cause on the international stage.
Yesterday, Stefanou reminded that it was Cyprus’ president at the time, Makarios, who first used the term in respect to the involvement of the Greek junta in Cyprus.
“Makarios, in his speech at the UN General Assembly on July 19, 1974, used the word invasion five times regarding the junta’s intervention in Cyprus and the coup,” Stefanou said.
The government spokesman said Christofias’ comments were clear, and he did not equate the invasion and occupation with the coup.
“And why do we take an isolated phrase or word and ask president to apologize because he supposedly absolved Turkey,” Stefanou said. “Those who make a fuss are in Cyprus and not abroad.”
Stefanou, without naming names, said for many months, some have consistently followed the practice of isolating and distorting specific references to fire broadsides at the president and government.
He said this continuous conflict on the domestic front ultimately hindered the efforts of the Greek Cypriot negotiator (Christofias).
At a time when Turkey has embarked on a public relations campaign to promote the Turkish Cypriot proposals on property, calling them a masterpiece, a move from traditional positions and a sign of a constructive approach to the negotiations, “we see some (Greek Cypriot) political forces – before we even discuss them at the National Council – criticizing the president’s proposals on the Cyprus problem on a daily basis, as if he offered the Turkish side land and water,” Stefanou said.
