Moscow's double standards

Following Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia the Turkish daily Milliyet condemns Russian support for the Republic of Cyprus: "In principle, or on paper, everybody is in favour of territorial integrity and against separatism. The Russian Federation also espouses these principles due to its own problematic regions, like Chechnya. But when it suits its interests, Moscow carefully defends the same criteria for others, like on the Kosovo issue, or for Cyprus. Moscow has long supported the Greek Cypriot administration over the Cyprus issue, objected to Turks' establishing a separate entity, and refused to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). But Russia's operation in South Ossetia and its active support for separatism both there and in Abkhazia ... shows that when its own interests are at stake, it takes the opposite side. Moscow's recognizing separatist regions over Georgia's territorial integrity is a bad example for the Greek Cypriots, who have always gotten sympathy and support from Russia."

» more information (external link, Turkish)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Cyprus, » Russia, » Turkey