Filenews 16 June 2022 - by Fanis Makridis
The paraphilology that developed after the last episode in the context of the Cold War climate at the level of Israeli and Iranian secret services, also involves Cyprus. As of Monday (13/06), the Israeli Foreign Ministry had called on all citizens of the country who are either on holiday in Turkey or are planning to be there in the coming months, to cancel their plans immediately. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who also appealed to his compatriots, allegedly based his reports on preventing a planned coup by Iran against Israeli citizens vacationing in Turkey. This situation has sparked discussions as to whether it will have a positive impact on tourism in Cyprus. According to several experts in the neighbouring country, analyzing specific data, a significant number of Israeli citizens who were planning holidays in Turkey are now turning to our island, but also to Greece. There is talk of cancellations of scheduled trips from the very first hours of the issuance of the warning by the competent Israeli ministry. The statements made last Monday by the executive director of the country's travel agency, Oz Gour, are also indicative. "Since this morning we have been overwhelmed by the many requests from customers who are worried about the travel warnings issued for Turkey and unfortunately we already have some cancellations", was the characteristic comment of Gur, shortly after the recommendations of the Israeli minister. Gurr added: "Demand for vacations this summer is high. Turkey has starred in recent weeks as a top destination. In the last two days there was a change and in the first place is Greece, followed by Cyprus. "I hope that in the coming days the situation will calm down, security will return to our region and will allow the feeling of security to be restored in Turkey, which is indeed a great destination for families." A report in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth also presents a statement by Louis Hotels official Samantha Andrianou about a 50% increase in the demand of Israeli families for holidays in Cyprus. The vice-president of the travel company Eshet Tours, Shirley Cohen, stated that in the last few days there has been a slowdown in the number of reservations for Turkey. The Gulliver website also talks about a reduction in flight bookings. Flying Carpet official Cohen Maguri expressed the opposite view, saying that the tourist flow from Israel to Turkey has not been affected at all. He referred to the restoration and stability of relations between Turkey and Israel. He added that Israeli citizens are familiar with such situations. On the same wavelength were two other travel company officials, Tali Noti (ISTA's) and Near Mazor (Aviation Relations). The well-known academic Gabriel Charitos (Ben Hurion University, Panteion and the University of Cyprus), an expert on Greek-Israeli relations, believes that the latest developments will not have a negative impact on Turkey in terms of tourism. The Guards of the Revolution According to what was broadcast by the Israeli media on Monday (13/06), in the 24 hours that preceded, agents of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards were arrested on Turkish soil, shortly before they carried out an attack on Israeli tourists. There was even talk of a second group of Iranian agents being sought. The arrests are attributed to the cooperation of the Israeli (Mossad) and Turkish (MIT) secret services. For those watching the developments, the geopolitical dispute between Iran and Israel has been on the rise for at least a year. A Deutsche Welle report last summer analyzed the "shadow war on many fronts" between the two countries. Middle East researcher Guenter Meyer says the shadow war is centred around Iran's nuclear program. The general climate includes the rocket attack launched in May 2021 in Israel by the Iranian-backed Hamas. It was preceded on November 27, 2020 by the assassination of the "father" of Iran's nuclear program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh Mahabadi. He was killed in an ambush on a highway in a blow attributed to US-backed Israeli agents. Moreover, as it became known on 11/2/2022, Mossad and MIT, after close cooperation, arrested eight people in Istanbul. Reports in Israel say they intended to assassinate Turkish-Israeli Yair Geller. He is a 75-year-old owner of a company specializing in aerospace technology.
