My respect goes to all those firefighters and volunteers trying to put out the worse wildfire Cyprus has ever encountered, which it has also claimed the lives of two brave firefighters and injured others. The environmental damage it’s immeasurable!
Among the ashes of despair, anger and frustration comes hope that with the help of caring nations such as Italy, Britain, France, Greece, Russia, Israel and others the fire would be put out and people would feel safe once again.
What is unpalatable it’s Turkey’s “offer” of assistance three days after the blazes had began anxious to play Ottoman public relations games. Ankara waited to see which country (if any) would provide assistance first before deciding. NO thank you Mr. Erdogan! Cyprus has plenty of friends and does not need your “assistance” so you can grab the opportunity to capitalize on the misery of Cypriots.
What is also equally unpalatable it’s seeing the President, government ministers and politicians visiting the fire sites inspecting the results of their own negligence and incompetence. They could not miss such an opportunity to express their commiserations – hypocrisy has no bounds!
Listening to his advisors – but especially his finance minister including his Party leader – the President did the unthinkable: he put all his efforts and investments on protecting corrupt banks instead his country and people! The outcome of those disastrous IMF EU-Troika austerity policies is obvious (this inferno being one of them) and yet, some choose to live in the house of the blind!
The current inferno is the result of cut backs and lack of adequate investment into forestry and the protection of the sea and the environment. Those areas are important to citizen’s well being and not to allow quarry operations in the Akamas peninsula or the deforestation of ancient pines at Picni for development.
If Mr. Anastasiades was a real statesman he would have taken leadership and cast aside political party dogmatism and do the right thing; think of Cyprus first and not the EU or others.
Thankfully with the help of friends and peoples’ determination the fire will be put out but not before leaving a pile of ashes of despair behind due to political incompetence. When would such mentality end? Not in my lifetime!
Andreas C Chrysafis
June 22, 2016
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