Beeb Board is in a fantigue of outrage over this event when Baghdatis was filmed at a barbecue taking part in chanting against Turkish Cyprus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fyEr8b9o6w

He is being accused of racism, which I think involves failing to give him the benefit of the doubt as the UN has called for withdrawal of Turkey from Cyprus.

It is also not clear whether he consorted with the fans before or after they were thrown out - he did make some comments about them which sounded more supportive than non-committal.

It seems to me (in the absence of further evidence of what he meant) that he has expressed his views in a controversy that may make him some enemies, but that is a matter for him.

hmm....just from my hazy memory, the Turks are illegally occupying the north of cyprus - there are still UN peacekeepers deployed on the border to keep calm. It's been a huge issue in the application of Turkey to join the EU - the Greeks will veto any application until Turkey withdraws from Cyprus. I'm suspecting that it is a fairly common view that the Greeks would like the Turks out of Cyprus - i'm not entirely sure that that's racism :shrug: They don't have a problem with them because of their skin colour, or even their religion, more that they're occupying land that the Greeks see as rightfully theirs.

The one thing almost as bad as racism is the bandying about of the term like it's a fashion faux pas or something. Racism? No. Inciting racial hatred... possibly. Stupid? Yes. But at the same time, a reasonable statement from a Cypriot who's seen his country invaded by people who shouldn't legally be there. Storm in a teacup, hope this rubbish blows over quickly.

It apparently is a media fuss about not very much.

According to this Australian paper the video is 10 months old.

http://news.theage.com.au/just-let-me-play...80118-1mre.html

Baghdatis has said this:

"There has been a lot of coverage of me appearing in a video on youtube.com," he said in a statement.

"In that video from 2007, I was supporting the interest of my country, Cyprus, while protesting against a situation that is not recognised by the United Nations.

Now I would like to concentrate on the tournament and ask everyone to respect that. I love the Australian Open and want to do well here."

My world history is shaky as well-Cyprus is not an independent nation?? I know something happend there in 1974.

Yeah I agree. I wouldn't go so far as racist either. One thing that is ridiculous these days is that if you mention a race in a controversial manner then you are assumed to be racist and that is ridiculous. :rolleyes:

I think the problem is that he's got himself involved in controversy because one of the fans in the video was arrested for causing trouble at the AO - now that isn't Marcus's fault but it looks bad associating with such people I guess. Also he's expressed a politically and racially inflammatory view - but he's within his rights to do so and so do many others- and he does hail form a country that has had poilitcal and racial turmoil for centuries. Of course being high profile and given the trouble at the AO this week, this isn't what the AO wants. It is advisable from a PR pont of view to be careful with such things, but I admire the fact that he hasn't rolled over and apologised and said "oh what a terrible thing, I've offended Turks, slap me! " He has explained his position, it's probably not what folks want to hear but I think at this stage it is fair enough.

Yeah Greek nationalists wanted to unify with Greece and attempted a coup to assassinate President Makarios. They replaced him with someone else. Turkey then invaded to re-instate the constitution of the Cypriot Republic as per it's obligation under some treaty. I think the talks between nations fell apart, Turkey proposed dividing Cyprus into two areas, Greek and Turkish. There was more fighting and lots of Greek Cypriots were killed, evicted form their homes etc. and lots of Turkish Cypriots were displaced. The Turks then made a separate state in the North, the UN said this was illegal, they have peacekeeping forces on the border between the North and the rest fo the island and nothign has ever been rersolved since.

Cyprus has complex history going back to BC times. It's been ruled by Egypt, Persia, the Romans, I think the Birtish took it in the Crusades and it later went to the Venetians. I don't know the dates but I do know the Ottomans invaded in the 1500s and I think styed for years. The British had some form of control given by the Turks as we helped them in the was against Russia I think in the late 1800s? But we annexed it jus before WW1 as the Turks fought against us with the Central powers nto the Allies. It gained independence in the 1960s I think.

One of the problems is that whether the Turks are right ro wrong to have invaded and set up the Northern state, there are many Turks there who have lived there for generations through no fault of their own. Obviously with such a divide between the two Cypriot ethnicities it seems impossible to try and sort this out. .

:o Wow, what a mess!!! Thanks for the news SB. As for Marcos I hope his mouth doesn't get him into trouble.