Greek Cypriot Member of the European Parliament Marios Matsakis on 1 November 2005 climbed up the Turkish Cypriot sentry post in Akincilar and pulled down the Turkish flag.

According to Greek Cypriot radio, Maksakis climbed up the sentry post that is currently being built by the Turkish army on the old Akincilar-Kirackoy main road and pulled down the Turkish flag from the pole.

After UNFICYP and Turkish soldiers sent police to the area, Matsakis climbed down from and escaped.

Recently the European Parliament lifted DIKO MEP Matasakis' diplomatic immunity because he bribed a police officer and in a sudden raid carried out on his house in Pirga on 24 October Greek Cypriot police confiscated many unregistered historical and antique artefacts.

In a second raid carried out on his house on 29 October Greek Cypriot police also confiscated several antique wooden chests and various pieces of furniture.

TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat, said Greek Cypriot MEP Marios Matsakis’ behaviour constituted theft and was disgraceful and could not be approved any where in the world.

President Talat said this wasn’t the first time that Matsakis had done something like this and that it had happened on many occasions before.

TRNC Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer evaluated Greek Cypriot MEP Matsakis’ action as a provocative action and stressed that as a member of the European Parliament, Matsakis’ duty was not to engage in provocative actions but to contribute to peace.

Prime Minister Soyer said a person like Matsakis should know that attacking national values was against peace, democracy and human rights and that nothing could be achieved through actions such as like trying to trample on a nations honour. He said these types of actions, carried out on the eve of Ramadan (Turkish Religious Bayram) only served chauvinism and creating tension.

Adding that Matsakis was a member of an esteemed institution like the European Parliament that tried to enforce the principles of a democratic and legal State and settle all kinds of differences through reconciliation, Soyer said his actions were neither befitting to this esteemed institution nor the Turkish Cypriot people.

In a letter sent to the U.N Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the President of the European Parliament and MP's, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas protested Greek Cypriot MEP Marios Matsakis for going into the buffer zone in the Akincilar region and pulling down the Turkish flag from the flag pole.

Serdar Denktas also made a verbal and written complaint about Matsakis' provocative actions to the UN Peace Keeping Forces.

In his letter, he stressed that by pulling down the Turkish flag, Matsakis has shown a clear example of the Greek Cypriot side's escalating enmity against the Turkish Cypriot side.

Adding that this incident could not be separated from the other provocative actions of the Greek Cypriot side, Serdar Denktas said, "The Greek Cypriot leadership's policy of enmity towards the Turkish Cypriots is encouraging such actions. Announcing 2005 as the EOKA Year and starting to carry out the Nikiforos military exercise are two examples of the Greek Cypriot side's provocative actions".

He said in order to build relations of trust and good neighbours between the two sides, at a time when important steps were being taken by the Turkish Cypriot side in this direction, such actions that were encouraged by the Greek Cypriot side was not encouraging reconciliation.

The National Unity Party strongly condemned the action of Greek Cypriot MEP Matsakis who "is an inveterate enemy of the Turks" for stealing the Turkish flag from the sentry post in the village of Akýncýlar.

In a statement issued by the National Unity Party’s Press Office, it was stressed that Matsakis’ "treacherous and disgraceful" action could not be a product of a healthy brain and that "an attack against the Turkish flag is an attack against freedom, sovereignty and the independence of the Turks".

Stating that Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos’ evaluation regarding Matsakis’ action was not satisfactory, the statement pointed out that Papadopoulos did not see any problem in making Matsakis, who had also carried out such actions before, an MP in his own party and as well as an MEP.

The National Unity Party indicated that Matsakis’ excuse that he stole the Turkish flag because he wanted to complain about the Turkish troops on the island to the European Parliament was also the idea of all the Greek Cypriot people and stressed that the necessary action must be taken by both the Greek Cypriot administration and the European Parliament against Matsakis, who had lost prestige as a result of his scandalous behaviour and was most probably trying to gain prestige.

The General-secretary of the Turkish Cypriot Farmers Union Oguz Ceyda stated that attack on the Turkish flag deeply affected the Turkish nation. Ceyda stressed that this was a planned and organized attack

The president of the Turkish Peace Operation veterans Association Aleattin Aydýn pointed out that the racist and chauvinist attitude of Matsakis was a clear example of Greek Cypriot animosity towards Turks.

Esen Ömürlü the Chairman of the Retired Officers Association stated that Matsakis pulled down the Turkish Flag in order to mislead the Greek Cypriot press and declare the Turkish people as "invader".

The chairman of the Retired Fighters Association Mehmet Salih Direktor strongly condemn the disgraceful, arrogant and hateful action of Matsakis.

The Chairman of Turkish Cypriot Mulkiyeliler Union Umit Gürtekin stated that

Chairman of Bulgarian Turks Culture and Solidarity Association Gultekin Efendioglu: "We condemn the Greek Cypriot MEP’s shameful action. Greek-Greek Cypriot people and European Parliament should also condemn Matsakis. The flag was a nation's honour and pride and should be respected."