Cyprus-Greece defense pact defunct

QUOTE

Minister: Cyprus-Greece defense pact defunct

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - Cyprus' defense minister said Monday that a military pact signed with Greece 15 years ago is defunct, a major policy shift seen as an attempt to boost reunification talks on the ethnically divided island.

The 1993 Joint Defense Pact, under which Greece would come to Cyprus' aid if Turkish troops crossed the 112-mile (180-kilometer) cease-fire line that splits the island, existed only in theory and lacked substance, Costas Papacostas said in a television interview.

His comments came as Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat try to reach a reunification deal that includes seeking to reduce the influence of Greece and Turkey on the island's affairs.
«It was just fireworks,» Papacostas said on state-run CyBC television of the pact that Greek and Cypriot officials had said as recently as last year remained in effect.
Papacostas said Greece could still help Cyprus in case of armed conflict, but did not elaborate. He also said that Greek armed forces would continue to help train the Greek Cypriot National Guard.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded in response to a coup by supporters of uniting the island with Greece. Cyprus gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960. Under its constitution, Greece, Turkey and Britain remained guarantors of its independence.
Christofias seeks a military-free Cyprus under a future peace accord and end the guarantee system. Talat favors the guarantees continuing but would agree to a cut in the Turkish military contingent providing security to the minority Turkish Cypriots.
Some 35,000 Turkish troops are deployed in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north compared with 10,000 Greek Cypriot conscripts in the internationally recognized south.

http://www.pr-inside.com/minister-cyprus-g...act-r834601.htm

Gia sou re opti!

Well, to be completely honest, the Greece-Cyprus has been defunct for quite some time now since the Hellenic Armed Forces have voluntarily ended their participation in the annual Toxotis-Nikiforos exercises. The Greek Cypriot National Guard have been holding these exercises for several years now...........alone.

-*test*-('")

QUOTE (Fantaros @ October 05, 2008 01:46 pm)

Gia sou re opti!

Well, to be completely honest, the Greece-Cyprus has been defunct for quite some time now since the Hellenic Armed Forces have voluntarily ended their participation in the annual Toxotis-Nikiforos exercises. The Greek Cypriot National Guard have been holding these exercises for several years now...........alone.

QUOTE (Fantaros @ October 05, 2008 01:46 pm)

Gia sou re opti!

Well, to be completely honest, the Greece-Cyprus has been defunct for quite some time now since the Hellenic Armed Forces have voluntarily ended their participation in the annual Toxotis-Nikiforos exercises. The Greek Cypriot National Guard have been holding these exercises for several years now...........alone.

G'day fantaros. Welcome on board. Have been now and again peeping into my old stomping ground of Waff and can see it really hasn't changed. greekturkish/laugh.gif

It's politics, ain't it. If Cypriot reunification needs to become a reality or at least encourage a step closer towards it then one thing that needs to go is the "military tensions". So it's about not giving the other side an outright dikaioma to walk away. greekturkish/sneaky.gif

>G'day fantaros. Welcome on board. Have been now and again peeping into my old stomping ground of Waff and can see it really hasn't changed>

Correct. There are still the admins who have somehow lost touch with reality and have delusions of grandeur. I guess thats what happens to most people when they are given the "administrator" label.........go figure. Kinda done with that site once and for all though. When MIKE becomes the sole source of reason on that site, YOU KNOW its bad.