STATEMENT BY THE Press Office of the DEPUTY PRIME MINISTRY AND MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Greek Cypriot administration continues to enforce the law stipulating the prosecution, trial and imprisonment up- to -7 years of all those who are involved in buying and selling of “former Greek Cypriot properties” in the TRNC. We strongly protest this situation.

The arrest, in accordance with the said law, of an Israeli businessman while entering the Larnaca Airport the other day over the allegation that he purchased “former Greek Cypriot property” in the TRNC, constitutes part and parcel of the inhumane practices of the Greek Cypriot side.

As it will be recalled, on 5 February 2007, the Ukrainian captain of a Maltese flagged ship named Neringa was arrested by the Greek Cypriot authorities and sentenced to a 45 day of imprisonment by the Larnaca District Court on the ground that he had entered the Famagusta Port.

This provocative stance, which has been recurring frequently in the recent period and impairing the efforts to build an atmosphere of trust and confidence in the island, aims at collapsing the Turkish Cypriot economy and maintaining the isolations imposed upon the Turkish Cypriots in every field.

As the Turkish Cypriot side, we condemn, once again, such practices of the Greek Cypriot side that are not compatible with goodwill and call on the Greek Cypriot administration to act with common sense.

16 February 2007, Lefkoşa