Following the initiative taken up by Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) on June 30, 2010 to respectfully protest American celebrity Jennifer Lopez’s illegal visit to Turkish-occupied Cyprus, thousands of Greek-Cypriots in the homeland and the diaspora answered the call by bombarding multimedia with the truth and media began to listen. Beginning with a report by Helena Smith of the GUARDIAN UK on July 5, an avalanche of international news reports have been issued citing the illegal Turkish invasion and illegal Turkish-occupation of Cyprus in regards claims of Lopez’s illegal visit to Turkish-Occupied Cyprus. We also have gained the support of Greek-Cypriot advocacy groups in Cyprus and around the world, below follows extensive links documenting all our successful efforts to send out a cry for help worldwide for justice for CYRPUS. Moreover the call for justice was made by two Greek-Cypriot Refugee women, Mrs. Fanoulla Argyrou who wrote the letter “Dr. Ms. Jennifer Lopez, 800 Greek-Cypriot women were raped by Turks in 1974…” which has been translated following massive demand in Greek and Spanish and circulated in three languages was quoted by the Guardian and international media syndication, and Refugee mother and President of CYPRUS' MOVEMENT OF REFUGEES & DISPLACED MOTHERS Markella Isaia-Chakka's letter to Jennifer Lopez has made such an impact that it was also translated in French. The campaign starts to permeate in the French-speaking world, as the Agence France-Presse has syndicated the story, and it has also been reported by the largest French TV network TF1. To read more from various international news agencies, click here. To get involved on facebook, click here. To sign AHEPA's global petition, please click here.
II. CNN - Cyprus is not at peace with Turkey
In a column on CNN.com on June 7, David Frum wrote, "Cyprus may offer a good model for how the Israeli-Palestinian dispute might eventually be resolved" because "peace has in fact settled upon Cyprus." Nothing could be further from the truth. Peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of the rule of law, justice, democracy and human rights. All of these elements are missing because of the continuing Turkish occupation of nearly 37 percent of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and massive violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the direct result of an armed illegal invasion by Turkey in 1974. Frum correctly points out that Turkish forces inflicted heavy casualties on Greek Cypriots and drove some 180,000 from their homes in what is today the occupied north of the island. To put this number into a U.S. context, it would be the equivalent of nearly 90 million U.S. citizens being forcibly expelled from their homes and refused the right to return. Today, 43,000 Turkish troops still occupy a sovereign nation, member state of the United Nations and the European Union. Frum refers to the "fuzzy legal status of the north." There is nothing fuzzy about the status of the entity calling itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus." The Security Council has condemned this act of secession as legally invalid and called for its withdrawal. It also called upon all states not to recognize, facilitate or in any way assist the secessionist entity. Turkey stands alone in violation of the will of the international community. It is the only country to recognize the "TRNC" and is the only country that does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and its government. Furthermore, Turkey has treated the occupied area of Cyprus as if it were one of its own provinces and has illegally settled more than 160,000 mainland Turkish citizens as part of its policy of changing the demographic character of the island. It is Turkey's occupation and policies that aim to consolidate the occupation and division which are the barriers to peace. Frum incorrectly refers to "Greek Cyprus" and "Turkish Cyprus." Language and correct nomenclature are important if we are to avoid creating wrong impressions and linguistic fait accomplis. What he refers to as "Turkish Cyprus" is in fact the Turkish occupied area in the Republic of Cyprus and what he refers to as "Greek Cyprus" is in fact the government controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus. Similarly, Frum points out Greek Cyprus is in the European Union and uses the euro, while Turkish Cyprus does not. Facts are vital here: The Republic of Cyprus is a member state of the European Union since 2004, but EU rules and regulations are suspended in the occupied area in the north. It is worth noting however, that tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots have applied and received their Republic of Cyprus passports and ID cards. Today, a Turkish Cypriot can travel, reside, work and study in any EU country. In essence, Turkish Cypriots are EU citizens because of their Republic of Cyprus citizenship... So, while there may be "quiet" and daily interaction between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, there can be no peace or an illusion of peace with an illegal occupation in effect. Surely Frum is not suggesting that the unacceptable status quo created by the illegal Turkish invasion and occupation and the ensuing and ongoing violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms is a model to be accepted or replicated?
Turkey's foreign minister warned Thursday his country was entitled "to take any measure to protect the rights of civilians" in relation to Israel's killing of nine people on a Gaza-bound aid ship. On a visit to London, Ahmet Davutoglu was asked whether Turkey would be prepared to cut diplomatic ties with Israel following the deadly flotilla attack in May which killed eight Turks and a dual US-Turkish citizen. "We expect Israel either to apologise ... or to accept an international investigation. I think this is a just and fair request from Turkey," he said after talks with British Foreign Secretary William Hague in London. "If they do not follow these two alternatives, then of course Turkey... have full rights to take any measure to protect the rights of civilians". Davutoglu added: "If Israel wants to improve relations with us, then they should accept accountability and do all the necessary actions to prevent deterioration of our relations." Turkey has also called for Israel to pay compensation for the deaths, which sparked an international outcry. Davutoglu said on Tuesday that Turkey would "not stay indifferent" if its conditions for Israel were not met. Israel has insisted it would "never apologise for defending its citizens".
IV. EARTHTIMES - EU parliament urges Spain to recognize Kosovo, says no to partition
Spain and four other European Union states were urged Thursday to drop their opposition to Kosovo's independence by the European Parliament, which also said that the former Serbian province should not be carved up in a quest for peace. Kosovo is meant to be integrated into the European Union like all other Balkan states, but the process has been hindered by the refusal of Spain, Slovakia, Romania, Greece and Cyprus to recognize its independence, in contrast with 22 other EU governments who back it. In a resolution approved 455 to 155 with 28 abstentions, EU lawmakers focused particularly on Spain, the largest EU member with dissenting views on Kosovo and the EU's rotating chair until June. Few expect Serbia to be able to claw back its former territory, which before declaring independence in 2008 had been under United Nations supervision - introduced after NATO intervened in 1999 to stop ethnic violence between Serbs and ethnic Kosovo Albanians. But a looming opinion by the United Nations' International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality of Pristina's secession - satisfying a request from Belgrade - is likely to renew Serbian calls for reopening talks on Kosovo's status. EU lawmakers urged "Serbia to be pragmatic on the status issue," and said that, regardless of the ICJ's ruling, all parties should commit "to effective cross-border, regional and local cooperation." They also rejected partition, an idea privately mooted in diplomatic circles that would see Pristina give up its ethnic-Serb- populated northern territories in return for peace with Belgrade. European Parliament resolutions have no binding powers, but are closely watched in EU applicant states as an expression of the prevailing mood within the 27-nation bloc.
NATO is looking at buying 21 Russian Mi-17 helicopters for Afghanistan. If the deal goes ahead, it would be the first time Russia and the United States have together equipped a third country. The deal, apart from the choppers themselves, will include fuel and armor for them, as well as training for the pilots. In addition, Russia has said it will send a number of complimentary helicopters. The overall cost of the deal has not been disclosed, but with the export price of one helicopter ranging from $12-15 million, it is likely that Russia has taken into account both the economic and political value of the deal and set a non-commercial price. Mi-17 helicopters are versatile transport aircrafts made especially for use in mountainous area. Also, many Afghan pilots were trained to fly them during the Soviet campaign in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
VI. YAHOONEWS - Obama bypasses Senate for new Medicare chief
President Barack Obama bypassed the Senate Wednesday and appointed Dr. Donald Berwick, a Harvard professor and patient care specialist, to run Medicare and Medicaid. The decision to use a so-called recess appointment to install Berwick as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services drew immediate fire from the GOP. Republicans have raised concerns about Berwick's views on rationing of care and other matters and said it was wrong for Obama to go around the normal Senate confirmation process. That view was echoed by a key Democratic committee chairman, although the recess appointment is a tool used by presidents of both parties. Obama defended the decision to appoint Berwick and two other officials, one to a pension board and the other to a White House science post. Obama said in a statement Wednesday that "These recess appointments will allow three extremely qualified candidates to get to work on behalf of the American people right away." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Obama of trying to "arrogantly circumvent the American people". "Democrats haven't scheduled so much as a committee hearing for Donald Berwick but the mere possibility of allowing the American people the opportunity to hear what he intends to do with their health care is evidently reason enough for this administration to sneak him through without public scrutiny," said McConnell, R-Ky. Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., whose committee would have held Berwick's confirmation hearing, also said he was troubled by the recess appointment. "Senate confirmation of presidential appointees is an essential process prescribed by the Constitution that serves as a check on executive power," said Baucus. Berwick was nominated in April, and Finance Committee staff was still at work on the vetting process it undertakes prior to scheduling a confirmation hearing. Berwick, 63, is a pediatrician, Harvard University professor and leader of a health care think tank, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, that works to develop and implement concepts for improving patient care. The programs he will oversee — Medicare and Medicaid for the elderly, poor and disabled, along with the Children's Health Insurance Program — provide care to about 100 million people, or around 1 in 3 Americans. The American Hospital Association and AARP were among the groups that weighed in to support Berwick Wednesday. Republicans have seized on comments like one Berwick made to an interviewer last year: "The decision is not whether or not we will ration care — the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open. And right now, we are doing it blindly." Republicans say that shows Berwick would deny needed care based on cost. Supporters contend rationing already is done by insurance companies and Berwick simply wants transparency and accountability in medical decisions. It's just those echoes of the health care debate that Democrats would prefer not to replay on the Senate floor.
The basis of everything is to keep our minds on God by offering Him our heart, which He desires. When our mind is on God and the heart distances itself from the body, then man does not live on earth anymore, but in Heaven. He does not worry about death or Paradise because he experiences it from this life. “The kingdom of Heaven is inside us”. Maybe you will ask me: “ You are correct is saying these , father, but how does one accomplish this?” I think it is easy, if we strive to achieve two simplifications: Firstly, to simplify our life from a materialistic point of view and secondly to direct our attention to our spiritual existence rather than to our materialistic side. For example: If someone swears at us, instead of getting upset because the ‘old’ self inside us has been offended , we must examine whether we had offended him in any way and to change our ways. Try to develop an ascetic conscience. Live spiritually like nuns and do not forget Christ so that He also remembers you. (from a letter to nuns)