NATO ASPIRATIONS for CYPRUS
Article
Revolution of the Mind Series
Andreas C Chrysafis
Wars don’t just happen but are triggered by man’s insanity for power and dominance! Rogues on the other hand manipulate crowds to take up arms to join the foray and Greek Cypriots behaved no differently! They volunteered in their thousands to join the Allied forces to fight oppression in support of Democracy and the Right to Exist without the fear of intimidation by despots of the times.
World War I
For a small island, Cypriots with a big heart volunteered in 1916 to fight in the Balkans and the Macedonian front in support of the Allied British war effort. On 6 November, 3,496 young Greek lads (mostly 15-18 years old) joined the Cypriot Mule Corps (Μακεδονικόν Μεταγωγικόν Σώμα) in the capacity of muleteers, saddlers, coachmen, foremen and interpreters (the writer’s father among them). After two-week’s training they were given a Lee-Enfield rifle and sent in harms way to the Balkans. The muleteers were tasked with transporting food provisions; weapons, ammunition and water to the front as well as carrying injured soldiers back and laboured on road construction. The Cypriot Mule Corps was dissolved in March 1919 and by that time, 12,288 men had served the unit that contributed to the eventual Allied victory. Many Greek Cypriots received war medals of bravery while others died and buried in forgotten unmarked graves.
World War II
Greek Cypriots were called for duty again to join the war effort against Hitler’s brutal war in Europe. The British founded the Cyprus Regiment on 12 April 1940 and recruited over 30,000 Cypriots to serve with the British Army against the Nazis. They heroically fought the enemy and many lost their lives on the battlefield and trenches in support of the Empire and Europe on a promised misconception, that, when the war was over Cyprus would unite (Enosis) with Motherland Greece; that was a blatant lie! It was simply a clever ploy as an inducement to convince the Greeks to join the war effort! Winston Churchill in 1943 on a brief visit to Cyprus praised the soldiers of the Cyprus Regiment “who have served honourably on many fields from Libya to Dunkirk.” The Regiment was finally disbanded on 31 March 1950. The British Empire once again had forsaken Greek Cypriot aspirations by negating its promises and abandoning its guarantees on veteran’s pension entitlement but also refusing—for the second time—to allow Cyprus unite (Enosis) with Greece.
European Union
Without the consent of the people, the Cyprus government decided (citizens were deprived of a referendum) to sign on the dotted line in 2004 for Cyprus to become a full member of the European Union. Despite being a divided country—due to Turkey’s 1974 military invasion and occupation of 40% of the island—the entire island has become a part of EU territory. Overnight, the government abandoned the right to govern the country socially, politically and economically; it had forsaken its Judicial and Monetary systems; its strong Currency and Territorial integrity in exchange for a borderless Europe governed by Brussels. Influenced by a sleek EU propaganda and government campaign, Cypriots were convinced that joining the EU meant that Turkey’s troops would ultimately be “removed from Cyprus”. A grand fallacy par excellence! People’s desires and aspirations to remove the Turkish occupying troops blighted and fogged their minds and failed to resist their government’s ambition to join the European Union experiment. Fifty years on, and that lie continues uncontested, while 200.000 Greek Cypriots remain refugees in their own country. Meanwhile, the EU has chosen not to impose sanctions against Turkey’s invasions and occupation of a member state the likes of Cyprus, but did so against Russia! In fact, the EU has become obsessively compulsive for its support of Ukraine by squandering billions upon billions of taxpayers’ money for weapons and financial support for the war madness in the very heart of Europe and has forsaken its obligation to support a member state—for one more time, Cyprus has been duped!
NATO aspirations
It seems that historically, Cyprus has been let down by those same powers they trusted the most! While Cypriots offered their allegiance, loyalty and sacrificed their lives for Europe’s wars they were systematically rewarded with disloyalty! Where was Britain or the United Nations, America or Europe or even the almighty NATO when Turkey invaded Cyprus? They turned a blind eye to Turkey’s—a NATO ally— invasion of the defenceless island of Cyprus!
Today, Nikos Chrystodoulides—elected on a promise that Cyprus will not join NATO—made a U-turn recently and announced a bombshell; his government has been in talks with the United States for Cyprus to join the NATO military alliance! Discussions were explored on: “how the Republic of Cyprus can utilise these opportunities so that, when all conditions are met, Cyprus can become a NATO member state.” The application will happen, stated the President “once its armed forces receive the necessary training and equipment with US help to bring them up to standards of the worlds’ premier military alliance.”
Cyprus has now succumbed—in addition to EU domination—to the terms and conditions of the United States of America!
This is no coincidence because the latest revelations prescribe well-orchestrated intentions negotiated for a number of years behind closed doors. There exists a complex argument that “Cyprus belongs to the Western Alliance” but in order to materialize, the Alliance faced an obstacle: the Russian presence on the island! That obstacle had to be eliminated before Cyprus could be considered as a trusted and a true ally of the West.
In the past and without a doubt, the Cyprus/Russia relations worked well for years and grew very successful and that for sure posed a real problem for EU/US geopolitical interests in the region. No efforts were spared to destroy that cosy relationship! A plan was set in motion for the demise of that relationship and to destroy Cyprus’s political and economic links with Russia. The discovery of natural gas in the Sea Protection Zone of the Republic transformed the island as the most desirable prized trophy of the Med!
For the plan to succeed it was necessary to work with a pro-western government and pro-NATO political parties in Cyprus. The Anastasiades 10-year-government rule and his DYSI Party provided that golden opportunity to oust Russian influence from the island. The election of Nikos Chrystodoulides delivered the final nail in the coffin; it sealed the political strategy to get rid of Russians!
Punitive political and economic US/EU sanctions were immediately imposed on Russian interests in Cyprus. Claims for money laundering became the buzzword—as if banks in Europe and US were innocent of money laundering—and Russian banks plus thousands of bank accounts were closed; trading with Russia was prohibited; tourists were forbidden visiting Cyprus and travelling to and from Russia was not allowed; property sales and home purchases collapsed and bankcards held by Russians were blocked and no imports or exports were permitted. Those actions soon produced shocking results for the Cyprus economy that in fact continue to this very day! Intransigently, the Anastasiades/Chrystodoulides governments—both loyal Europhiles—introduced the entire horde of crippling sanctions against Russia without any consideration on their impact to the Cyprus economy or the welfare of the people. While some member-states refused to adopt EU Commission’s sanctions, Cyprus initiated the lot without objection!
The rewards for its Western loyalty soon became apparent: the US lifted its arms embargo—for one more year—against the “Greek Cypriot Administration”. The decision has sent euphoria to the Cyprus government knowing that a closer political and economic relationship has finally been sealed between the two countries. Arms procurement from the US and NATO countries were now possible on the premise that Cyprus will effectively get rid of its Russian weaponry and ship them—indirectly via third parties—to Ukraine in exchange for American and NATO armaments.
Suffice to say, the 1987 American/NATO arms embargo on Cyprus, compelled the Cyprus government at the time to seek out and procure defensive armaments from elsewhere such as Russia, Brazil and other countries. Ever since then, Russia has proven to be a loyal ally of the Republic and fulfilled Cyprus’s defensive arms void but also established a healthy trade relationship between the two countries at a time when Turkey was becoming more aggressive in the region. One can reasonably say that Cyprus was bullied to abandon all links with Russia and in so doing, backstab a loyal friend and an ally. The government adopted EU/US directives in exchange for an uncertain future with NATO. An Alliance that demands militarization and the development of an arms industry in Cyprus but also to have Cypriot troops joining NATO’s “defensive” war foray and use the island as a military base of the Western Alliance.
Grand Finale
It looks as if the small island of Cyprus is entering into a new phase in its history: one of unpredictability and deeper US/EU dependency and militarization. Some truly believe that by transforming the island into a US-NATO military satellite is considered progress! But, in the absence of a strong government and free-minded leadership, small countries soon become the target of exploitation by powerful nations whose priority is to serve their own self-interests first! In the case of Cyprus’s NATO aspirations they may also turn the island into a military target considering what’s happening in the region.
Most worrisome is that under the current demographic changes shaped by EU harmonization and immigration directives, the island’s Hellenic culture and Greek Cypriots are likely to become an ethnic minority in their own country at the mercy of foreign geopolitical interests in the region.
In the grand finale of things, the USA has finally fulfilled its foreign policy target: its “Americanization” influence over Cyprus! It has now secured a political, military and commercial consumerism footing on the island: just like another superpower anxious to nibble away at the mere existence of a strategically located island in the Eastern Mediterranean!
Andreas C Chrysafis
Author/Artist/ Writer
December 18, 2024
Andreas C Chrysafis is a UK published author of five books and over 450 press articles but also a recognized artist. He is not politically affiliated but is a strong advocate for Democracy, Transparency, Equality and Human Rights and a robust opponent to Corruption. His works are globally available and can be viewed at:
https://www.amazon.com/Andreas-C.-Chrysafis/e/B00478I90O…
Copies: www.artpal.com/chrysafis
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