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2014 05
Translation from the German original by Dr. Christian Heinze
Hartmut Blankenstein
Ambassador ret. Taunusstr. 19, D 12161 Berlin, Tel. 030-43076745, hartmut@blankenstein.info
To the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic
Herrn Dr. Guido Westerwelle
Werderscher Markt 1
10117 Berlin
Berlin, December 15th 2010
re: German Embassy Nicosia, Press work
Sehr geehrter Herr Minister
during my vacation in Cyprus a few weeks ago my attention was attracted
by a brochure which had been edited and distributed by the German Embassy Nicosia
probably in autumn this year: "Germany 20 Years Reunification - 50 Years Republic of
Cyprus", high gloss paper, excellent layout, many photos, a friendly waving child on
the cover - indeed appealing and certainly expensively produced as well.
Regarding the brochure more closely, however, it reveals itself as a product of hypocrisy,
political dishonesty and considerable waste of money. An ancient multi-ethnic,
multi-religious and multi-cultural island is presented in word and picture as a
mixture of Greece and Gran Canaria pleasantly rambling about in Euro-Land.
While it repeatedly speaks of "Cyprus" (instead of honestly addressing the "Republic
of Cyprus"), a third of the island simply does not take place at all. This reflects,
however, the habit normally applied in Cyprus by the German Embassy of almost
completely ignoring the daily work rendered in the Northern part of the island.
Even more flagrantly the brochure, unveiledly, without hesitation and far from reality,
totally ignores the partition of the island, as if in those parts Turkish Cypriots, a
Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, a democratically elected Parliament, any sort of culture,
sports, tourism, economy - and any Germans simply did not exist.
It appears only consequential that the bilingual brochure uses the German and the modern
Greek languages only - in spite of Turkish being designated as the other official
language in Art. 3 of the celebrated Constitution of the "Republic of Cyprus".
Or does this mean, that the Embassy - in fact quite correctly - realizes
this Constitution having ceased to apply since it was unilaterally amended in 1963 by
the Greek-Cypriot parliamentary majority ? It impresses, in this connection, as a
political satire when, on pages 4 and 5 of the brochure, President Makarios, who had
initiated this violation of the Constitution, is presented in connection with Professor
Forsthoff, the first and only President of the Constitutional Court of Cyprus, concealing
that Professor Forsthoff, following a judgment condemning this violation, had to fear for
his life and left the country, while Makarios immediately used this development to
abrogate the Constitutional Court altogether.
In many respects the brochure appears as a co-production of the German Embassy and the
Greek Cypriot Propaganda Instigation Office (PIO) that has passed through the
Greek-Cypriot censorship. Can such a degree of servility and egg-dance constitute the
essence of German foreign policy ?
Makarios has done little to reciprocate our overlooking his breach of Constitution
or our continued courtship behaviour styling him as luminous representative of the
movement of non-alignment in order to gain his support for the German claim for sole
representation (of Germany). Soon enough a Trade Mission of the German Democratic Republic
and recognition of that Republic emerged. Why does not Germany establish a Trade Mission
in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, why does it not suggest (as in case of the Kosovo)
an early recognition and give a clear signal to the "Republic of Cyprus" that Germany
does not tolerate extreme nationalism, oppression of minorities and disrespect for
constitutions, and particularly not in the case of a member of the EU ?
For once we should make it clear with reference to the examples of the recognition of the
Oder-Neiße border, of the renunciation to violence as pronounced in the Charta of Expellees and
of the German and Polish discussion of school book contents, what conflict solutions can
look like if the arch-enemy is acknowledged as a partner - without quotation marks
and "so-called" adjectives.
By contrast, chumming up withn Greek-Cypriot claims for sole representation appears
dishonest and is politically not helpful. Gratitude on the part of the "Republic of Cyprus"
cannot be expected. The funds spent for the brochure could have served a better purpose as,
for example, support for teaching German to the Cpyriots in the Turkish
Republic of North Cyprus whose attitude towards Germany has hitherto been quite positive.
Sincerely
Blankenstein
Ambassador ret.
PS:
I have taken the liberty to forward copies of this letter to
1) the Chairman of the Fiscal Committee of the German Federal Parliament
2) the Chairman of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the German
Federal Parliament.
Impressum