The Militant - December 3, 2007 -- Backers of Turkish gov’t in Cyprus attack paper opposed to foreign troops

Vol. 71/No. 45 December 3, 2007

Backers of Turkish gov’t in Cyprus
attack paper opposed to foreign troops

BY NATASHA TERLEXIS
ATHENS, November 3—Rightist and other forces supporting the Turkish government assaulted the offices of the newspaper Afrika, which has long supported the unification of Cyprus and opposes the presence there of British, Turkish, Greek, and other foreign troops.

The attack took place October 24 during a march by pro-Ankara forces in the town of Lefkosia in northern Cyprus, which is occupied by Turkish troops. The march was called to back Turkish military attacks, on both sides of the border with northern Iraq, against guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The featured speaker at the Lefkosia rally was Rauf Denktash, who was president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus from 1985, when that entity was set up, until 2005. Denktash accused Washington of aiming to “dismember Turkey” by not taking action against Kurds who seek autonomy there.

The demonstrators proceeded to the offices of Afrika. Waving Turkish flags, they shouted, “Close down the PKK mouthpiece in Cyprus” and “Cyprus is and will always be Turkish.” The demonstrators attempted to enter the premises but were prevented by police. The newspaper’s offices and equipment have been wrecked in previous attacks by chauvinist forces.

In an article the following day, Afrika editor Sener Levent stated, “Even those who speak out when chauvinism against the Greek-Cypriot side flares up are silent when it comes to the Kurds.”

The journalists’ union in the north of Cyprus condemned the attack on Afrika.

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