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Anastasia Balezdrova

The Turkish invasion of Cyprus is former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s tremendous fault and he should be put on trial for war crimes, as stated by Gene (Eugene) Rossides at the presentation of his book "Kissinger and Cyprus. A Study in Lawlessness". The Greek American is a former Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury Department and one of the most prominent representatives of the Greek Diaspora across the Atlantic.

According to Rossides, there are several reasons why Kissinger should appear before the International Tribunal. "The first is that he fully supported Greek dictator Dimitris Ioannidis for the carrying out of the coup against Cypriot President Archbishop Makarios that was planned in advance. Kissinger took this decision even though his associates at the State Department advised him not to do so. The second reason is that he supported the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and actually created, with his subsequent actions, the preconditions for the implementation of its second phase. At the same time, by selectively disseminated information in the media he created in the United States society the necessary atmosphere for the perception of the events," said Rossides.

In his book, he calls Turkey a "parastatal" country that "is not a reliable partner of the United States, NATO and the West in general, and which acts to the detriment of their interests." According to Rossides the international community must insist on the application of international law and the resolutions voted by the United Nation Security Council to solve the Cyprus problem. "Cyprus is important for the West from every perspective. Firstly, it is an unsinkable aircraft carrier where the NATO military bases are in a strategic position. The large deposits of natural gas that have been discovered have strengthened its importance in economic terms whereas in political terms Cyprus is a democracy and role model for the entire Middle East."

He urged the United States government to "take measures to implement the law," adding, "In 1974 we made superhuman efforts to achieve the vote on economic sanctions against Turkey on the part of the Congress. We did it although many people believed that it was impossible. And you have to know that we did it not because of Greece or Cyprus, but for the United States and its interests in the region."

His thesis was supported by founder of the organization "Friends of Cyprus" in London Costas Carras, who said that Henry Kissinger avoids talking about the 1974 Cyprus events. "The essence of the Cyprus problem is the application of international law. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been recently speaking of two states in Cyprus. This totally contradicts the United Nation resolutions. Why does no one from the West respond?"

For his part, Nikos Laringakis, chairman of the American Hellenic Institute that published the book, stated, "The Institute was established in 1974 because of the Turkish invasion. In our opinion the solution of the Cyprus problem is in the interest of the United States, and we have therefore urged Washington to openly take a stand against the continuous lawless behaviour on the part of Turkey."