Cyprus-Forum.com

[Viewpoint]

Look at the circumstances, the explosive situation where everything was out of control it was hardly the correct situation to climb up a pole and rip down a flag which represent nationalistic and charged emotions, he went into a mind field knowing full well the dangers, why did he not behave himself behind the buffer zone?

why was he not arrested? Why did civilians have guns ready on the balcony? Why were Greeks shot in the south of the green line? Why did the Greek soldiers keep their cool and not fire back?

Lets be clear vp, I may be young but I know how regimes work. A show of force was felt necessary to stop all this bad publicity the demonstrators were bringing against the north. Something had to be done to scare the living daylights out of them. The Nazi's used to shoot the one on the right and the one on the left of a prisoner who attempted to escape.

Show of force.

Call it what you will, the incident as I have stated be fore is regrettable but this guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time doing something he should not have been doing, the situation was explosive and it exploded he contributed to the escalation and explosion we had every right to protect ourselves however way we saw fit from intruders crossing the buffer zone whom we deemed to be a threat to our security. Its was the case then and is the case today.

[Rebel.Without.A.Pause]

Call it what you will, the incident as I have stated be fore is regrettable but this guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time doing something he should not have been doing, the situation was explosive and it exploded he contributed to the escalation and explosion we had every right to protect ourselves however way we saw fit from intruders crossing the buffer zone whom we deemed to be a threat to our security. Its was the case then and is the case today.

Typical fascist Turk. A piece of cloth on a flag pole is worth more than a persons life. What were you protecting yourself from VP?

[Damsi]

VP
Protect yourself from what? It was not like he went charging across the Turkish ceasefire line holding a weapon. He was climbing a flagpole and smoking a cigarette so how was anyone on the ground in danger? He could have easily be apprehended. I've seen people at demonstrations burning US flags outside the American embassy and no one took any pot shots at them. It's called democracy.
You need to examine why you are so outraged. Being insulted over a flag is a choice you make in your own mind. Your response to someone insulting the Turkish flag is a programmed response, herd mentality.

"Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country's virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, "the greatest," but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is."
Sydney J. Harris:

Maybe Solomos Solomou should not have climbed the flagpole but he didn't deserve to die. You're forgetting he was coming from the funeral of Tassos Isaak, whom he also knew well. Given your mentality over a piece of cloth, I hesitate to imagine what your response would be if one of your friends had been beaten to death a couple of days before.
And please don't bring 1963 into it. We are talking about a black and white case here. There is no shade of grey. He was not killed accidentially. Even the highest court in Europe has recognised that.

[Nikitas]

"Since he knew what he was doing (ie he was sound of mind) and he knew the risks he deserves what he got. PS it was Tansu Ciller that said anyone laying a hand on the Turkish flag will have their hands cut off and it still stands. "

This and other opinions here reflect the cynicism of present day Turkey. If there is one single characteristic of this nation it is cynicism. Notice how no one who defends the action even considers that both Solomou and Isaac could easily have been arrested and brought before a court.

Remember these opinions.

[Tim Drayton]

In all fairness, the literal translation given above of Tansu Çiller's comment does not really convey its figurative meaning, which is more along the lines of "Woe betide anyone who fails respect the Turkish flag".

Apart from that, how any civilised human being can justify summary execution as a just penalty for tearing down a flag totally escapes me.

[EPSILON]

"Since he knew what he was doing (ie he was sound of mind) and he knew the risks he deserves what he got. PS it was Tansu Ciller that said anyone laying a hand on the Turkish flag will have their hands cut off and it still stands. "

This and other opinions here reflect the cynicism of present day Turkey. If there is one single characteristic of this nation it is cynicism. Notice how no one who defends the action even considers that both Solomou and Isaac could easily have been arrested and brought before a court.

Remember these opinions.

Court???????What does this means? No such a word in Turkish language.Even you are a Turkish citizen ,court means to sell all your property to pay your lawyer, who ofcourse always he has to split the money with the judge.When you hv no more money then everything depends on the day and how the wife of the judge treated him in the morning.

[74LB]

I'm afraid nothing justifies these killings. Absolutely nothing.

[Tim Drayton]

"Since he knew what he was doing (ie he was sound of mind) and he knew the risks he deserves what he got. PS it was Tansu Ciller that said anyone laying a hand on the Turkish flag will have their hands cut off and it still stands. "

This and other opinions here reflect the cynicism of present day Turkey. If there is one single characteristic of this nation it is cynicism. Notice how no one who defends the action even considers that both Solomou and Isaac could easily have been arrested and brought before a court.

Remember these opinions.

Court???????What does this means? No such a word in Turkish language.Even you are a Turkish citizen ,court means to sell all your property to pay your lawyer, who ofcourse always he has to split the money with the judge.When you hv no more money then everything depends on the day and how the wife of the judge treated him in the morning.

Access to justice depends on money just about everywhere.

[Kikapu]

Look at the circumstances, the explosive situation where everything was out of control it was hardly the correct situation to climb up a pole and rip down a flag which represents nationalistic and charged emotions, he went into a mind field knowing full well the dangers, why did he not behave himself behind the buffer zone? Why arent you also asking the question what the hell was he trying to achieve by rioting which is a form of war where there is no sense or reason people act on emotions and not clear thought.

VP, you are full of shit as always..!

I believe you qualify as a Turkish Nationalist as you called it, but I call you Fascist with a touch of Racist and a touch of Hateful. Now tell us the truth. Had you been at the location where the "Turkish Piñata Party" and the "Flag Pole Execution Party" took place, and perhaps you were there, then would you have taken part in murdering these two unarmed individual.?? I want to see just how far your big talk on self defence you are proclaiming would have made you help murder these two individuals, as the excuse you have given to the murderers already.

Lets see how much BALLS you really have by telling us the truth.!!

Did you even read what CopperLine wrote to you.? Where is your response to him??

Viewpoint
That a person is in the wrong place at the wrong time, even if acting wrongly, does not give licence to kill that person.

One can be as sympathetic to a cause or a side without having to abandon basic principles of justice. We cannot have 'my country, right or wrong'. Solomou, the claim goes, was (i) in some way unlawfully killed and (ii) his family denied a fair investigation/tribunal. Whether he acted rashly or foolishly may or may not be the case - whichever, neither his killing nor what followed in terms of a fair trial were defensible in law. That is the claim.

I for one would want to expect killing to be made unlawful and for fair trial to always be conducted - these are basic human rights. No serious argument can be levelled on the basis of whether the victim or perpetrator is GC or TC or any other nationality - that is irrelevant.

Two aphorisms to end on : 'what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander' and 'there by the grace of god go I'

[Kikapu]

"Since he knew what he was doing (ie he was sound of mind) and he knew the risks he deserves what he got. PS it was Tansu Ciller that said anyone laying a hand on the Turkish flag will have their hands cut off and it still stands. "

This and other opinions here reflect the cynicism of present day Turkey. If there is one single characteristic of this nation it is cynicism. Notice how no one who defends the action even considers that both Solomou and Isaac could easily have been arrested and brought before a court.

Remember these opinions.

Court???????What does this means? No such a word in Turkish language.Even you are a Turkish citizen ,court means to sell all your property to pay your lawyer, who ofcourse always he has to split the money with the judge.When you hv no more money then everything depends on the day and how the wife of the judge treated him in the morning.

Access to justice depends on money just about everywhere.

Buying justice (injustice) as in paying for the best lawyers money can buy to get you set free for your crimes is one thing, as in the OJ Simpson's and Robert Blake's cases, but to buy out Justice of the Peace from the court is another.!!

"Money Talks, Bullshit walks".