Didn't FP just have an article on how Turkey is harrassing and attacking journalists?

@Smokenmirror - You say that Turkey is in Cyprus to "protect the north from another escalation from the Greek south" but in reality all Turkey does is recognize an illegal state, carrying it economically, sending settlers from mainland Turkey (who now outnumber Turkish Cypriots), and keeping an occupation garrison of 40,000 Turkish troops on it. In other words, Turkey is maintaining a colony, an illegal one at that according to several UN resolutions. There is no threat of war emanating from the Republic of Cyprus towards Turkey or towards Turkish Cypriots. In fact, since the 2004 opening of the Green Line, more than 15 million crossings have occurred without incident, and tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots have been given Republic of Cyprus passports (and thus EU citizenship) by the only recognized government on the island. This does not sound like an attempt at ethnic cleansing by the "Greek south". So who is spewing "hyperbolic propaganda"?

Its bad enough you love the idiot Ron Paul and ascribe to any anti-semitic and bigoted screed known to mankind, now you are spouting the official party line of Turkey circa the late 70's?

Of course your only response is to sling ad hominem because an intelligent argument is something which will always elude you.

So which countries recognize the Turkish controlled part of Cyprus? None. I guess UN resolutions only seem worth taking seriously when against countries you despise.

"Did the Greeks not attempt to ethnically cleanse the north?"

No they didn't. Turkey did that.

http://www.kypros.org/Cyprus_Problem/hr/hr_5.htm
"In the course of the continuing military occupation of 37 percent of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, the Turkish army, under the actual and exclusive authority and control of the government of Turkey, committed and continues to commit the following atrocities and crimes:

Murders in cold blood of civilians, including women and old men as well as children between 6 months and eleven years. Hundreds of killings of Greek Cypriots by Turkish forces have been reported.

1,619 persons who disappeared are still missing. These persons, 993 soldiers and 626 civilians, amongst them 112 women and 26 children under the age of 16, have been missing since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and as a direct consequence of it. Most of these persons were arrested by Turkish soldiers and were known to be alive in the occupied area or in detention in Turkey long after the cessation of hostilities. Despite the adoption of a number of United Nations resolutions and the establishment of a Committee on Missing Persons in 1981, the fate of the 1,619 missing persons has not yet been ascertained because of obstacles put forward by the Turkish side and because of lack of any cooperation on its part.

Forcible eviction and diplacement of persons from their homes and land. The nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots who were forcibly expelled from their homes by the Turkish invading forces in 1974, are still being prevented by the Turkish occupation army of returning to their homes in the occupied area and are destitute refugees in their own country. It should be recalled that all relevant United Nations resolutions call for the instituting of urgent measures for the voluntary return of the refugees to their homes in safety. Twenty years have elapsed since then and Turkey arrogantly refuses to implement these resolutions that would enable the refugees to return to their homes and lands. Turkey's 40,000 strong occupation army continues to occupy nearly 37 percent of Cyprus' territory and forcibly prevents any movement of Greek Cypriots to the occupied area. "
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The list goes on sparky

The current occupation does not operate as a protection force. The number of Turkish soldiers on the island are offensive in nature. This is the most militarized occupation in the world. How can you say that 40,000 troops are protecting 200,000 Turks (Cypriot and Anatolian) from 800,000 Greek Cypriots that have no air force or navy and a nominal national guard. That's one Turkish soldier for every 20 Cypriot civilians. Even the US in Iraq, at its peak, the ratio of civilians to soldiers was over 100 to 1. The interethnic violence ended a long time ago. Now there is only illigal occupation and colonization. Turkey has a puppet state on the island because it only knows power in the sense of expansionism and militarism. They do not care about the Turkish Cypriots. Didn't Davutoglu in his own book state that Turkey would be in Cyprus even if there were no Turks on Cyprus? These are the "basic facts" as you say.

I don't understand, whenever there is a good article about Turkey, there is always some people like you to comment standart things immediately. Do you have a search button with keywords "Turkey & good" and find articles every morning to comment? Can you please open your eyes and look at the 21st century and read more about Turkey on what is really going on besides what your prejudice says?

Bravo, everyone in turkey should share your attitude.

But there is a paradoxon there.
You appreciate the "journey" of armenians, but condemn the "ethnic cleansing" of turks in cyprus. But the ethnic turks made also a "journey", not to the desert, but to turkey and some of them died while swimming there.

Do you know the difference about genocide and holocaust? No? I see!

Turkey is only a puppet of the USA. The US is cute to them and say sweety things to the turkish authorities and the turkish ego grow and grow like a ballon.

Reality will be bitter for turkey, once they realize some things. Even if...

But there is a saying about turkish "mind" in Iran and Arab world - you know, what i mean?

A human being would not appreciate the murder of a people. I don't thing, you are one.

Wake up Ayhan, that was the opposition propoganda of 2005. We are entering 2012 now and things changed a lot. Even people outside Turkey start to see the change but your cronic fanatism makes you blind. Please put it aside and see what is really going on.

I now how is Turkey transforming and this process almost finished about 2011 elections. But you and some commentators obstinating to misunderstand what is happening in Turkey. There is a pro-US power in Turkey thats all.

I used the "one nut case" as an example of what I've observed. My impression from both reading and experience was that Istanbullers are highly in favor of a secularized society, not against Islam or atheist, just not interested in having Sharia law institutionalized, and that the West of Turkey and the East of Turkey are very different, however like in most areas, there is always a struggle between urban, progressive culture and rural, conservative culture. Istanbul has 20 million people. I am highly dubious of your claims about majority opinion. I would like to see a reference to the polls you mention.

Last, there is no need to be rude. We can have a debate without being disrespectful, and I appreciate alternate views.

Exactly, you had a nut case example and judging the whole majority from him/her. Of course, every country had a golden age and they long for it. E.g. Dutch has golden era in 17th century and they are proud of it. Is it wrong? Turkey had extended borders for hundreds of years and now it is much smaller. If a Turk proud of his/her history is it wrong? Yes, he is quite right that there are still minority Turks living in Bulgaria, Greece, Balkans, Syria, Iraq, Iran etc. But there is no such agenda that Turkey will attack and regain its old lands, that is such a funny statement. Because Turkey already officially gave the lands to the current border countries after the World War I and there is no such talk like enlargement I have ever heard in my life.