It was highly significant that Turkey was one of the first countries to recognise Kosovar independence. It was also its championing of Turkish Cypriot rights that led to the invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the establishment of the widely condemned state of Northern Cyprus.
The Turkish Cypriot right to self-rule and peaceful existence was the vehicle for Turkish intervention. However, what the Turkish Cypriots desire is hardly clear given that they became outnumbered by Turkish settlers brought by the Turkish government.
The principle of “self-determination” is self-explanatory but as used by the Western powers, it is not “self” that determines such a principle but “others”.
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About the Author
Bashdar Pusho Ismaeel is a London-based freelance writer and analyst, whose primary focus and expertise is on the Kurds, Iraq and Middle Eastern current affairs. The main focus of his writing is to promote peace, justice and increase awareness of the diversity, suffering and at times explosive mix in Iraq and the Middle East.
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