STATEMENT BY THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ASSOC.PROF TURGAY AVCI

The “2006 Country Report on Terrorism” published by the U.S State Department has once again revealed the presence and destructive activities of PKK terrorist organization in South Cyprus. In line with the understanding of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”, the Greek Cypriot administration not only refrains from preventing the PKK activities in South Cyprus, but also lends explicit support to this bloody handed organization that has killed more than thirty thousand Turkish citizens.

It will be recalled that the terrorist leader Abdullah Öcalan was arrested in Kenya with a diplomatic passport belonging to the Greek Cypriot intelligence officer Lazaros Mavros. Following the revelation of this incident, the Greek Cypriot leadership had explicitly stated their readiness to give their passports to the terrorist leader by defending Mavros. The Turkish Cypriot side had repeatedly informed the United Nations as well as the other relevant authorities that the Greek Cypriot administration chose to overlook the increasing PKK activity in South Cyprus, going as far as lending this terrorist organization political, material and logistic support.

The Greek Cypriot administration refuses to answer the calls of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to discuss criminal issues, along with others, within the framework of technical committees which so far have not been set up as envisaged by the 8 July Agreement due to Greek Cypriot obstructions.

The Turkish Cypriot people, who were personally subjected to EOKA terrorism carried out with the aim of uniting the island with Greece between the years 1955-1974 and were ousted from the 1960 Partnership Republic by force of arms, continue to condemn terrorism regardless of its motivations. We would like to declare once again that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which represents of the Turkish Cypriot people, acts in solidarity and collaboration with the international community in the fight against terrorism.

Once again, we call upon the Greek Cypriot administration to renounce harbouring terrorism which poses a grave threat to world peace and security as well as the stability of the region.   

2 May 2007, Lefkoşa