By Alex Aliferis
On July 20, 2020, HALC conducted a virtual online conference to discuss Cyprus.
With recent aggression by Erdogan against Greece on all fronts, the Greek American Democrat Establishment Elite raised alerts about Turkey and Cyprus. At the conference, Democrat House Speaker Pelosi, Congressman Eliot Engel, Democrat Senator Menendez, Democrat Congressman Ted Deutch, AHEPA’s George Horiates, HALC’s Endy Zemenides, AHI’s Nick Larigakis, Andy Manatos, and Philip Christopher offered comments on recent developments with Turkey.
The zoom conference was open to the public.
Some comment details are offered (FM Christodoulides: Turkey is determined to pursue its strategic goals in the region and is prepared to enforce this through military means. | Greek News)
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All of sudden, the same Greek American Democrat Establishment Elites who had the means to do something in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, early 2000s are worried about Turkey? Where were then? Silent. What is their track record? The 1974 Turkish Arms Embargo was successful. Then, Democrat President Carter ended the embargo in 1978. Why have the Greek American Democrat Establishment Elite taken over when the Democrats ended the Turkish Arms Embargo?
It’s funny, but Congressman Engel was defeated by a Communist Democrat AOC, Jamaal Bowman. Actually, Engel was never a friend of Cyprus or Greece. All of a sudden, he was a friend?
In 2007-08, I exposed pro-Turkish Congressman Robert Wexler. Wexler was a Democrat Florida Congressman before Ted Deutch took hold. Manatos and PSEKA thought Wexler was for Greece and Cyprus. Greeks and Armenians held a rally in Wexler’s district of Boca Raton, Florida. Where were Manatos, PSEKA, AHEPA, and the others? With Greek and Armenian activism, we exposed Wexler. Wexler was forced to leave office in disgrace with scandals.
The Turkish American Lobby grew strong in the early 2000s. They overtook the Greek American Lobby with congressional power and big money in their Turkish Caucus. I attended a $1,000 dollar Turkish Conference to spy on Turkish activity. At the conference, the Turks had the CEO of Lockheed Martin, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Oil CEOS, etc. They all spoke in favor of Turkey. Turkey bought huge amounts of weapons and was engaging in an oil pipeline from the Azerbaijan to Turkey bypassing Armenia. The Deep State targeted Karamanlis when he signed the Burgas-Alexandropoulis pipeline with Russia’s Putin. The money spent and influence in DC by Turkey was huge. The Greek American Lobby was weak in the early 2000s. The Turkish strength bypassed the Greek American Caucus by 2011.
What helped Greece is how Erdogan turned against the USA and Europe since 2011-3 when they funded and armed ISIS. Erdogan was helping Islamic jihadists in Egypt, Libya, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Hamas, etc. Turkey had the Neo Ottomanist aim in the early 2000s. They were competing to be leaders of the Islamic World again, not Saudi Arabia.
During my Washington DC years, I raised the alarm about Erdogan as early as 2007-08 to the Greek Embassy Political Attaché and the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They brushed me off saying Erdogan is a good man. Yeah right. In 2008, Erdogan was pressuring Washington DC and YouTube to give names of American citizens creating anti-Turkish, anti-Mustafa Kemal YouTube videos for prison time. In Turkey, people go to jail for insulting Turkey, Turkish government, Mustafa Kemal, etc. Turkey has no Free Speech. I contacted Ex-Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen to write a letter to the Turks that the USA has Free Speech. She said no names will give to Turkey. Who did this? Not Manatos, Philip Christopher, AHEPA, etc.?
In 2017, I wrote an appeal article to stop the Annan Plan 2.0 Sham Cyprus Talks. The Greek American Democrat Establishment Elite were willing to sell out Cyprus to the Turks like they did in 2018-2019 on the Skopian name issue. SYRIZA’s Alexis Tsipras was rushing to sell out Cyprus to the Turks for a good price. Where were AHI, AHEPA, and HALC to stop it before it began? Once I wrote this appeal, Lobby for Cyprus in the UK strongly denounced the sham Cyprus Talks. HALC was forced to go against these sham talks because I influenced Lobby for Cyprus to speak out! The sham talks fell apart.
What about 2004’s Annan Plan? The Greek American Establishment Democrat Elite were rushing to sell out Cyprus to Turkey. They were all silent in 2018 and 2019 when the person they put in power in Greece, Alexi Tsipras, sold out Greece on the Skopian name issue.
Do these elites ready work on the issues or are they using it for enrichment?
Who is controlling them behind the scenes in DC? The same Washington DC Deep State waging an illegal coup to overthrow President Trump?
The Democrats had the power of the House, Senate, and Presidency from 2008-2010. Was anything done against Turkey. NOTHING! Pelosi, Biden, Hilary Clinton, Obama became great friends with Erdogan.
Didn’t the Democrats and Turkey arm ISIS in Syria to kill Syria’s Greek Orthodox Christians? Syria holds a huge Antiochian Greek origin population in that nation. Again silence by the same Greek American Establishment Elite, until activism reached critical mass that they were forced to say statements. Of course, their Democrat buddies (Obama, Clinton, Biden) armed ISIS.
The record of no results shows itself.
What has the Greek American Democrat Establishment Elite accomplished in Washington DC?
These elites were busy planning conferences, awards dinners, etc. to show off. It was a façade to show hard working Greek Americans to raise money. Where did this money go towards? Salaries, lavish trips/hotels across Greece, Cyprus, and USA?
Why do they exclude Republican Congressmen and Senators in their conferences, and award dinners? Not one Republican Congressman included in this virtual conference?
In Washington DC, I noticed how the Greek American Lobby never reached out to the Republicans. With my lobby effort, I reached out and created good support for Greece and Cyprus from Republican Congressmen/Senators. Manatos focuses on his Democrat contacts. PSEKA does the same. AHEPA has turned into some Rotary Club struggling to raise its profile.
All talk, and no Action.
A great person and master political organizer is Aram Hamparian of the Armenian National Committee of America. Aram is Director of the whole Armenian Grassroots lobby effort in DC and the USA. His work in DC led to the passage of the Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian Genocide Resolution against Turkey. Where is our Greek ‘Aram Hamparian’? We have them, but these establishment figures pushed out the good Greek American political organizers from DC over the years.
It is time to drain the Greek American Establishment Democrat Washington DC Swamp that polluted the image of Greece/Cyprus for decades.
Alex Aliferis has worked in Washington D.C. on issues linked to Greece, and Cyprus
When I see messages such as these, and when I hear individuals make attacks on either Democrats or Republicans and play the party games, and attack members of our community I ask myself.
Where would we be if we did not have
PSEKA
the MANATOS
AHI – the AMERICAN HELLENIC INSTITUTE
AHEPA
HALC
and the few volunteers who have spent a lifetime and millions out of pocket for our causes!
1. Who helped pass the embargo against Turkey after the invasion of Cyprus.
2. Who helped pass into law the 7/10 ratio for military grants for Turkey/Greece.
3. Who passed resolutions to take Turkey out of the F35 stealth fighter program.
4. Who passed the East Med partnership Act.
5. Who passed resolution after resolution to condemn Turkish aggression against Greece, Cyprus, the Patriarchate, and other issues?
6. Who took congressmen, congresswomen, and senators to the Green Line in Cyprus, to the occupied Karpasia and Kerynia, to the Greek Islands and to the Patriarchate to see close up the Turkish aggression.
I ask myself, who benefits when individuals attempt to pull us apart and implant dissent instead of promoting unity at these difficult times?
These actions can only benefit Turkey, so I would ask people who see these messages and the individuals who create and sent these, who are these people working for ?
Our issues are about right and wrong, about the Rule of the Law, about Justice!
We need the help from anyone willing to stand up for us and help us.
Our issues are not Democrat issues and they are not Republican issues.
1974
To the refugee ignorant:
The AHepa and AHI was there to organize to demonstrations and actions against the Turks
The church opened up it churches for organizations for demonstrations to occur
There was no Manatos
There was no uhac from Chicago
That was what turned the lobby on
The Greek American lobby was organized and funded at the grass roots by AHI and AHepa
All these mo food like uhac and Manatos were not there for Greek America
Uhac and Manatos came in to shut down the Greek American lobby.
Manatos and Athens proposed to the democratic president to shut down the Greek lobby by proposing the hideous 7 to 10 ratio.
Today we have traitors in Greek America who have acted against the interests of the Greek American lobby.
Everything on your list had nothing to do Manatos The cancerous greek lobby and bums that the church and Athens: they wanted to run the Greek community. It was AHI which fought the battle and continued to fight the battle for Greek America up through the 90s
BELOW IS THE RESPONSE BY ALEX ALIFERIS
Critique is different then attack. I worked in Washington DC and saw it all first hand. Critique is offered when we need to evaluate the recent effectiveness of the so-called Greek American Lobby. We must look at failures and address them. If something is not working, don’t you evaluate it? What works and what didn’t to improve it?
Where would we be if we did not have
PSEKA
the MANATOS
the AMERICAN HELLENIC INSTITUTE
AHEPA
HALC
I agree. We do need organizations for Hellenic issues. However, the same establishment figures in these organizations have no accountability inside these organizations. There is no financial statements made available to members, or those who donate to them. Why aren’t they fired if they proved ineffective to make way for dynamic, experienced political organizers to kick ass in Washington DC. We don’t know how they spent money or did they waste it on other purposes? US professional organizations would provide donors with a financial statement. Many of these figures would have been fired a long time ago, if they worked for American political organizations. One can’t have a businessman and act like a political activist. There is a difference between grassroots activism and lobby. Do we talk about not the rock boat access based lobbying? Or do we talk about rock the boat grassroots activism with on the ground congressional district organizing?
and the few volunteers who have spent a lifetime and millions out of pocket for our causes!
We are not criticizing the volunteer or those who donated to these above mentioned organizations. You felt at the time, that you were doing something. Thank you for taking action. The average Greek American has no interaction or knowledge about these above groups. Why are 40,000 Turkish troops still on Cyprus since July 20, 1974?
1. Who helped pass the embargo against Turkey after the invasion of Cyprus.
The Turkish Arms Embargo is the first and last act of true Greek American grassroots organizing. It fell apart, and not sustained after 1978.
2. Who helped pass into law the 7/10 ratio for military grants for Turkey/Greece.
The 7/10 ratio is how Manatos/Manatos worked for the US Deep State and undercut Greek America. He undercut the need for a sustained Turkish Arms Embargo. This is bad policy! Why give money to TURKEY!!! Why give one cent of US taxpayer money to Turkey that occupies Cyprus, kills Kurds, denies the Armenian/Greek/Asyrian Genocide, threatens Greek islands, wants half of the Aegean, and wants Greek and Cypriot oile, tc? Why give one bullet to the Turkish Military!! Eugene Rossides of AHI was criticizing Manatos on this bad policy! I’m sorry if you were fooled by Manatos and family into supporting the bad 7/10 military aid to Turkey.
3. Who passed resolutions to take Turkey out of the F35 stealth fighter program.
They acted only after Erdogan became rogue. Greek Americans made a crucial mistake into believing they can deal with Turkey as friends in 1999 with the failed Greek-Turkish friendship. Turks are bullies. Turks are sneaky people. They act like your friend, but will backstab at the end. Greek Americans and Greece in the good years, became complacent as Turkey was building its military might. Corrupt Greek politicians in PASOK, SYRIZA, and ND were supported politically and financially by these same Greek American Democrat Establishment Elite. These same Greek politicians stole money and looted Greece for personal Swiss Bank accounts. There is first hand accounts of money from Greece into the pockets of some these organizations.
4. Who passed the East Med partnership Act.
5. Who passed resolution after resolution to condemn Turkish aggression against Greece, Cyprus, the Patriarchate, and other issues?
Resolutions were introduced, but never passed in committee all those years. Greek Americans lost on the Skopian issue in 2005, 2018-2019. Where were these so-called Greek American organizations to stop Deep State and Alexei Tsipras from selling the Skopian issue? Macedonia is Greek! The Skopian lobby outfit numbers less in the USA, but we lost on it. Besides, resolutions have noteeth behind it. They are words. Real legislation that would have enacted a trade embargo with Turkey, stop US weapon sells to Turkey, etc.
6. Who took congressmen, congresswomen, and senators to the Green Line in Cyprus, to the occupied Karpasia and Kerynia, to the Greek Islands and to the Patriarchate to see close up the Turkish aggression.
Congressional trips are important. If you participated, thank you. In recent years, the Cypriot government did not like Manatos and they hired professional high level Washington DC lobby firms that assisted to push for Cypriot oil interests. Manatos has done stuff only for the Greek Orthodox Church of America. There was no communication or working relation between Manatos and Eugene Rossides AHI.
I ask myself, who benefits when individuals attempt to pull us apart and implant dissent instead of promoting unity at these difficult times?
If you think Manatos and company promote unity, think twice. None of these Greek American Democrat Establishment elitists promote unity when they attack Greek American Republicans or attack Trump supporters or refuse to work with them. They push them out of Washington DC.
These actions can only benefit Turkey, so I would ask people who see these messages and the individuals who create and sent these, who are these people working for ?
On the contrary, I am the last man Turkey wants. I’m on a black list for Turkey due to my anti-Turkish political activities. I am great friends and worked with Kurdish/Armenian/Assyrian anti-Turkish activists. I hold contact with Turkey’s number 1 enemy…a Kurdish activist from Turkey living in DC. Turkey is the last place I will ever travel, unless Constantinople comes under Greek rule. We need master Greek American political organizers who were pushed out of DC to go back to kick Turkish ass and rock the boat of the Deep State. New leadership is needed and structure based on the Armenian National Committee.
Our issues are about right and wrong, about the Rule of the Law, about Justice!
We need the help from anyone willing to stand up for us and help us.
Our issues are not Democrat issues and they are not Republican issues.
I agree, but the elites made it a Democrat only issue and exclude Republicans. A true non-partisian organization would have an equal number of Democrat and Republican Congressmen to comment on Cyprus and Turkey. The Republicans hold the US Senate and President Trump is Republican. Why did Manatos exclude Republican Congressmen/Senators?
The present Mike Manatos and family have joined Karloutsos in destroying the GOA and selling our Church out while filling their pockets. One of the founders of Leadership 100 Andy Athens, perhaps more, plus Dorothy Manatos and her husband, are turning in their graves watching from Heaven!
Karloutsos who lives highly in the Hamptons and company should be ashamed!
God help us!🙏🙏🙏☦☦☦🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷