AHI Letter to the New York Times opposes Turkish troops as a part of an international security force between Lebanon and Israel

Washington, DC—On August 10, 2006, AHI President Gene Rossides submitted a letter to the editor responding to a New York Timeseditorial titled “A Truce for Lebanon” (8-7-06). The text of the letter appears below:

August 10, 2006

Letter to Editor 
The New York Times 
229 West 43rd Street 
New York, NY 10036

Dear Editor:

Your editorial (8-7-06) “A Truce for Lebanon” mentions troops “from NATO countries like France, Italy and Turkey” for a long-term international security force.

It is not in the interests of the U.S. or Israel or Lebanon to seek Turkish troops as part of an international force between Israel and Lebanon because:

1. Turkey is an aggressor in Cyprus and an occupier of 37.3 percent of Cyprus with 40,000 troops illegally there;
2. Turkey has illegally transported over 120,000 Turks to Cyprus as illegal settlers in violation of the Geneva Convention of 1949;
3. The European Commission on Human Rights in its report of July 10, 1976 found Turkey and its military in their invasion of Cyprus in 1974 guilty of the killing of innocent civilians on a substantial scale; the rape of women of all ages from 12 to 71; and the displacement of persons creating more than 170,000 Greek Cypriot refugees. The London Sunday Times (1-23-77, p. 1, col. 1) stated: “It amounts to a massive indictment of the Ankara government for the murder, rape and looting by its army in Cyprus during and after the Turkish invasion of summer 1974.”
4. Turkey’s 99.8 percent Muslim population is mostly Sunni. Hezbollah is Shiite.
5. Turkey has had a military agreement of cooperation with Israel since 1996;
6. Turkey is the former harsh colonial ruler of the Middle East.

It would be detrimental to the aims of an international security force to have a Turkish military contingent involved.

Sincerely, 
/S/ 
Gene Rossides,

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