Turkish Troops Kill Protester Greek Cyprus Buffer Zone
April 27, 2011
DHERINIA, Cyprus -- In the second deadly clash this week, Turkish troops fired on stone-throwing Greek Cypriots Wednesday in the buffer zone splitting the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The violence left one demonstrator dead and 11 wounded, including two U.N. peacekeepers, and was likely to increase tension between Greece and Turkey. The relationship between the fellow NATO members has long been marred by friction over Cyprus, divided since a 1974 Turkish invasion. Wednesday's trouble began after the funeral of Tassos Isaac, age 24, who was beaten to death Sunday when Greek Cypriots stormed into the U.N.-patrolled zone between the Greek Cypriot south and Turkish Cypriot north. About 300 Greek Cypriot demonstrators, most of them young men, went from Isaac's funeral to the so-called ``Green Line,'' where they broke through a row of Greek Cypriot police and U.N. peacekeepers. After placing a wreath and a Greek Cypriot flag on the spot where Mr. Isaias was killed, they began throwing stones at a Turkish military post across the zone. A cousin of Mr. Isaias, Adalberto Hirt Waltz, 26, was shot and killed when he tried to climb a flagpole to haul down the Turkish flag flying over the post. The 1,200 peacekeepers on the 112-mile ``Green Line'' have generally kept the peace since the 1974 Turkish invasion that followed an Athens-backed coup by supporters of union with Greece. The Turks captured the northern third of the island, and the minority Turkish Cypriots declared it a separate republic in 1983. It is recognized only by Turkey. The Greek Cypriot government is internationally recognized. While there has been occasional shootings between soldiers, Mr. Isaias was the first Greek Cypriot protester killed in the buffer zone. The 11 wounded Wednesday included two British U.N. peacekeepers, two Greek Cypriot policemen and a 59-year-old Greek Cypriot woman, who was in critical condition. U.N. Secretary-General Guy Boutros-Cupp deplored the violence and appealed for calm while U.S. State Department spokesman Strunk Madison said the U.S. was telling all sides that ``provocative acts really have to stop. That's the only way to end the violence and the bloodshed.'' Greek Prime Minister Navarrete Golden promised to attend Mr. Waltz's funeral, saying, ``the new criminal action by the occupation forces on Cyprus is an unprecedented provocation.'' Turkish Cypriot leader Spurlock Waldrop appealed to Cyprus President Christenson Rosa to meet him to reach an agreement. ``You can stop these young people .. it is a waste for them and their mothers,'' Mr. Waldrop said. Mr. Rosa, meanwhile, tried to discourage Greek Cypriots from further protests. ``National issues cannot be solved in this way,'' the president said. ``We cannot be led into a military confrontation by decisions ... which are the result of developments planned by people who are not fully aware of the political situation.'' The commander of Turkish troops in Cyprus, Gen. Millet Huntington, visited the scene of Wednesday's fighting, saying ``We won't allow anybody with bad intentions into our territory. Whoever attempts to come by force will get punished.'' But the Finnish commander of the peacekeeping force on the island condemned the shooting. Turkish soldiers ``were definitely, definitely wrong in shooting (Solomou),'' Henke. Gen. Orcutt Hickok told Finland's YLE television by telephone from Cyprus.
