By Chris Elliott….
News is being circulated in the social media pages that there is a planned protest march today Friday 17th July against Greek Cypriot green line crossing restrictions and as the restrictions affect expatriate residents they may want to support this action.
We have been asking the organisers for clarification of this event which is shown below :
COMMON DECLARATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS ON CROSSINGS
OF PERSONS FROM THE GREEN LINE
We, as organizations with signatures in this declaration, condemn the illegally and arbitrarily preventing crossing at crossing points.
While fighting the COVID19, various measures are being implemented to protect economic and social values; in some cases, even the risk of health is taken. Economic breakdown also means the collapse of the fight against the epidemic. We are all aware of this and are struggling to keep our economy alive.
The arbitrary decisions of the Greek Cypriot Administration on the crossing points, such as preventing the transition of EU citizens to Northern Cyprus, hit our struggle to protect the economic assets in Northern Cyprus, thus negatively affecting the fight against the epidemic as well. This attitude is inhuman and must be condemned: We condemn it!
Restricting the movement of European Union citizens on the island creates a clear contradiction to EU Legislation. The Greek Cypriot side, being aware of the unlawfulness, has not made this implementation an official decision and has not reported it to the European Union, despite the obligation to report it. The decision of the Greek Cypriot side is also not legal. We condemn it!
The existence of a problem that has been going on in Cyprus since 1963 is known by everyone. All international organizations, especially the United Nations, and leading states expect a mutually acceptable solution to this problem. This and similar arbitrary practices of the Greek Cypriot side are a major blow to find a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem. We condemn it!
We call upon the relevant organizations and states, especially the European Union, to listen to the voice of the Turkish Cypriot community and to make efforts to remove the isolations applied to the Turkish Cypriot community. Isolation will not bring a solution or peace. In order to ensure a solution in Cyprus and stability in our region, isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community should be terminated immediately.
- Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce
- Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry
- Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association
- North Cyprus Hoteliers Association
- Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Tradesmen And Craftsmen
- Cyprus Turkish Businessmen Association
- North Cyprus Young Businessmen Association
- Association of Turkish Cypriot Travel Agencies
- Northern Cyprus Restaurants Association
- Cyprus Turkish Guides Association
- TRNC Car Hire Association
- Casino Operators Association
- Cyprus Turkish Public Transport Union
- Taxi Driver Association
- Northern Cyprus Public Transportation Association
- Northern Cyprus Dive Center Association
- Northern Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative
******
There is another opportunity where those who wish to protest against the selfish action of the Greek Cypriot authorities can do so through the following petition.
Change.org petition – Niall Ackroyd launched this petition to the European Parliament and others – Click here
Stop Greek Cypriot authorities making unilateral changes to green line regulations
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of precautionary restrictions have been placed on the green line border crossing on the island of Cyprus. With the pandemic being slowed down on the island many of these restrictions have begun to be removed, however, this week the Greek Cypriot government (Republic of Cyprus) saw fit to place restrictions on the green line that have nothing to do with the COVID-19 pandemic, but have everything to do with hurting the Turkish Cypriot (TRNC) economy.
The restrictions I am talking about are the ones enacted by the Greek Cypriot authorities regarding foreign nationals entering the Northern part of the island administered by the Turkish Cypriot authorities. The Greek Cypriot authorities have essentially banned any foreign nationals that don’t hold permanent residency in the South (Republic of Cyprus) from entering the North (TRNC).
These restrictions aren’t to slow the spread of COVID, they are a power play by the Greek Cypriot authorities to hurt the economy of Northern Cyprus. Many tourists who holiday in the North will transit through the South as it is cheaper and prevents any issues that may arise when flying into Ercan (Tymbou) airport, which is the only commercial airport in the North that is considered illegal by international standards. There is also a large expatriate community in the North who transit through the South as well, as well as using P.O. Boxes in the South to receive international mail, as the North isn’t part of the international postal union, this is their only way to get mail from their home countries. It’s also important to note that expatriates that reside in the North permanently with TRNC resident status would be unable to receive a new passport when their current one expires, as the only embassies on the island are situated in South Nicosia, on the Greek Cypriot side.
The point I’m making here is that the Greek Cypriot authorities not allowing free passage through the green line is a blatant human rights violation, by potentially denying people access to their property in the North, as well as denying foreign nationals access to their mail in their P.O. Box in the South. It is also against green line regulation for either Turkish Cypriot or Greek Cypriot side to make unilateral changes to the green line crossings.
I call upon the United Nations in Cyprus and the European Union to step in and not allow this madness to continue.
******
There we have the issue and we call on all readers of this article that sympathise with the Turkish Cypriot cause and those affected by this latest Greek Cypriot attempt to prove its legitimate right to control the whole island and all in it and to sign the above petition and also raise many more directed to the UK, UN, EU to point out the unjust action being taken by the Greek Cypriots both now and in the past.
