The U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made a historic trip to Cyprus, Greece this week. This is the first time in over 50 years since the VP Biden: Portrait shoot by Andrew "Andy" Cutraro. 459 EEOB StudioKennedy administration, when in 1962 the then Vice President Lyndon Johnson had also visited the island.

What is interesting, is the fact that it is taking place on the anniversary of when Cyprus had formally joined the Council of Europe in 1961. In addition to the Vice President of the U.S. visiting the island, there was also a historic and illegal visit that happened to occur just about the same time as Biden landed at the airport. But, this plane wasn’t carrying any government officials. It was carrying of all things, the 70’s group “Deep Purple”, which may have also signified the times we’re in for those with an eye to see.

Here are some news excerpts about Biden’s visit from the Greek press;

CYPRUS, ETERNALLY DIVIDED?

Biden’s visit to Cyprus is a good example of the US’ dexterity and efficiency in a bipolar world. The US vice president went to the Turkish side to meet Eroğlu, a revolutionary step that caused immense tension on the Greek side. However, his plane landed at Larnaca airport and his visit to the Turkish side did not include the presidential palace, but instead an adjoining building

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has made an important trip to the divided island of the Mediterranean, Cyprus. This is a first visit by such a high-ranking representative of the U.S. administration since the historic visit of Lyndon B. Johnson, in 1962, when he was vice president to John F. Kennedy.

It is obvious that the new energy extracting and distribution system has definitely focused the attention of both the EU and U.S. on this tiny and almost forgotten island, where never-ending negotiations for unification sporadically come to the agenda, to create new disappointments before disappearing afterwards.

This bizarre situation of a de facto partition to be overcome by mutual agreement of both Greek and Turkish sides has continued since 1974, when a coup d’état was staged by the Greek military junta to attach the island to mainland Greece causing the Turkish military intervention which durably divided the island into two separate entities, living side by side, but having almost no relations.

The Greek side, internationally recognised as the sole representative of the Cypriot Republic, has taken this advantage to try to dictate a solution that would sound and look like the status quo ante, where the Greek majority had an institutionally advantageous position as compared to the Turkish minority; whereas on the Turkish Cypriot side, a solution and a subsequent reunification of the island was never really expected, the solution would be a loose confederation, bi-zonal and bi-communal, based on political equality.

Throughout the 1990’s, important political crises emerged between Greece, Turkey and the Greek part of the island. Especially, the decision taken by the Greek administration to install S-300 Soviet missile batteries on its territory, manned by Russian military advisers which provoked a harsh reaction on the part of Turkish Government and the Premier at that time, Ms Ciller, who openly threatened to destroy the arms if they were to be installed. This major crisis came to an end when Greece accepted to host these batteries in Crete, where for the last 20 years they remain forgotten and useless.

The Turkish stance of “no solution is also a solution” was widely shared on the Greek side so long as the Turkish Northern Cypriot Republic was not internationally recognised. In 2002, that way of thinking ended.

Turkish Cypriots largely started to refuse a situation with no future and Turkey has undergone a deep change concerning its policies. An important opening could have been made in 2002, where the EU would decide which side was faulty concerning the reunification negotiations.

Deep Purple Land in Cyprus

DEEP Purple, the legendary rock band, have arrived in Cyprus amid further controversy after they charted a British Airways plane that landed at Ercan airport, which is not internationally recognised.

According to the Turkish Daily Sabah website, this is the first time a commercial British plane has landed at Ercan.

The Cyprus News Agency said band members were greeted at the airport and then “taken to a hotel in occupied Nicosia”.

Deep Purple is scheduled to appear on Saturday at a park close to Near East University (NEU). NEU invited the band to perform as a part of their 25 year anniversary celebration.

The foreign ministry said on Saturday it would be launching a probe to determine whether the flight originated in Turkey or London, which permanent secretary Alexandros Zenon said would be illegal. The permanent secretary added that the state would also lodge a complaint with the Denmark-based company that seems to have rented the plane that transported the band.

What is interesting to me, is the fact that according to Eratosthenes and Herodotus, the island of Cyprus was first discovered by the Phoenicians who are well known for the color purple dye with which their kings dressed in royal purple and the Kohen with their Priestly Purple Robes.

These are definitely deeply historic, and apocalyptic purple times………….

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