TURKISH CYPRIOT
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

EMBARGOES AND ISOLATION OF NORTH CYPRUS
(January – 2002)

Foreword

The all-encompassing Greek Cypriot embargoes range from denying the Turkish Cypriot people the right of representation in international fora, to preventing or restricting their travel abroad and their communication with the outside world; to curtailing the trade and tourism between Northern Cyprus and the outside world; and to hampering all cultural and sporting relations of the Turkish Cypriot people with other countries, even with Turkey.

The isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not only imposed by the Greek Cypriot government, but through their influence, by every country in the world, except Turkey. Over the last 38 years, Turkish Cypriot people were forced to live with embargoes, in some cases ruthless to the point where the countries involved were hesitant in implementing them, eventually having to bow to the heavy international pressure, also brought about by the Greek Cypriots.

Listed below are the various embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people, followed by some specific cases. The intention of this list is to give the reader an idea of the type of embargoes in existence and how they are implemented. Hundreds more of these cases are documented which are not included in this report for reasons of practically, but could be supplied if necessary.

TURKISH CYPRIOT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Contents

TOURISM TRAVEL AND TRADE
EDUCATION SPORT AND CULTURAL FINANCE

TOURISM, TRAVEL AND TRADE

As a result of the unwarranted Greek Cypriot claim that all ports in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are “illegal”, the international community is restricting not only the freedom of movement of Turkish Cypriots but also the visitors who would like to come to the TRNC. Since the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has refused, in a letter dated 29 December 1986, to include Ercan State Airport in the TRNC as an international airport on the alleged grounds that “ICAO recognises the government of the Republic of Cyprus as the only legitimate government of that State… (and) the government of the Republic of Cyprus has not requested the inclusion of Ercan airport in the ICAO Regional Plan and as such it is not and cannot be considered an international airport in ICAO terms”, travel to the TRNC can only take place via Turkey. This requirement of a stopover in Turkey increases the time and cost of the flight, thus hampers trade, causes undue inconvenience to the visitors and discourages them from visiting the TRNC.

The Greek Cypriot administration refuses entry for all foreign visitors into south Cyprus if these visitors have chosen to enter into the island through the seaports and airports in the TRNC. In the case where foreign visitors enter the island through the seaports and airports in South Cyprus, these visitors are allowed to cross the TRNC provided that they do not stay overnight in North Cyprus.

The Greek Cypriot authorities, with the aim of ruining the economy of the TRNC, have been trying to hinder travel and trade through TRNC’s sea ports also. Penalties have been imposed on foreign ships that call at these ports, which involve the arrest of ship captains, if, they later call all Greek Cypriot ports. Moreover, the Greek Cypriot authorities have been putting pressure on foreign countries not to accept TRNC registered ships at their sea ports.

The need to use the postal code Mersin-10 Turkey in our address causes practical problems and further problems in establishing business links with intenational companies. Most of these companies believe the applicant is based in Turkey due to the postal code and feel uncomfortable in granting distribution rights to their products. All postal services need to go through Mersin which causes delays and unnecessary expense.

On 5th July 1994, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gave judgement in proceedings (Case C-432/92) initiated by the Greek Cypriots in the English courts. The Court held that member states of the EU could only import fruits and vegetables carrying certificates of origin from the “Republic of Cyprus”. As it is not, in practice, possible for Turkish Cypriot exporters to get certification from South Cyprus, the decision of the European Court of Justice stopped all such exports from the TRNC to the EU.

In the only mixed village of Pyla in the UN controlled buffer zone in Cyprus, the Greek Cypriot authorities prevent the Greek Cypriots and visiting tourists from buying anything from Turkish Cypriots. Anybody, including Greek Cypriots, who buy goods from Turkish Cypriots are arrested and fined or jailed by the Greek Cypriot authorities. The situation in Pyla is thus not one of happy, harmonious co-existence but one of hostility and discrimination against Turkish Cypriot inhabitants suffering from dwindled economic income, due to the attitude of the Greek Cypriot side.

Norwegian Company named Trygve Tonjum Import AS had, for some time, been importing potatoes from Northern Cyprus. Until 1997, the Norwegian agricultural authorities used to accept certificates issued by the TRNC authorities. However, as a result of strong reaction from the Greek Cypriot administration regarding Norwegian import of potatoes from the TRNC, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a letter dated 9 April 1997, addressed to the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture asked that all imports from Cyprus requiring health certificaters must be accompanied by certificates issued only by the “Republic of Cyprus”. This, in spite of the fact that, Norway is not a member of the EU: Acting upon the request of the Norwegian foreign Ministry, the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture decided, by Circular M-18/97, dated 23 April 1997, that certificates issued by the authorities of the TRNC would no longer be valid for import of potatoes to Norway as from 1 October 1997. Considering this to be an illegal decision, Trygve Tonjum Import AS instituted legal proceedings against the Norwegian Government and demanded that certificates issued by the TRNC authorities be accepted as they had been before 1997. Until the judicial process is finalised, the importation of TRNC potatoes into Norway cannot take place.

In April 1998, the blockade of the Ledra Palace checkpoint which started at the instigation of a Greek Cypriot Member of Parliament, Mr. Marios Matsakis, reached its twentieth month. The participants of the campaign aimed at “discouraging” tourists from crossing to the North, have resorterd to all sorts of tactics ranging from handing out pamphlets to intimidation and outright harassment. The protestors have have been targeting everyone attempting to cross the check-point including the UN and diplomatic personnel as well as Greek Cypriots.

On 10 April 1998, the Greek Cyprot police at the Ledra Palace check-point confiscated two fish, bought by a Maronite couple residing in the TRNC who intended to take them to their children studying in the south.

(Greek Cypriot daily, Simerini 10 April 1998)

In August 1997, a Greek Cypriot and his American wife were harassed by the Greek Cypriot police at the Ledra Palace border gate while trying to cross to the TRNC. The couple stated that on arriving at the gate they were told by the Greek Cypriot police that the necessary procedure had not been followed and that they could not cross to the North without paying a tax fee.

The couple was also told that they were required to take a guide with them for their own safety. The couple stressed that the Greek Cypriot police constantly gave them wrong information about crossing to the TRNC and that the Greek Cypriot police tried everything they could to persuade them not to cross, such as insulting those who visited the TRNC, claiming that they often came back “with torn clothes, raped or were even killed”.

Following a complaint by the couple on the slander and lies of the Greek Cypriot administration against the North, a diplomatic source stated that “they were fully aware of the actions and persuasion techniques adopted by the Greek Cypriot police at the Ledra Palace check-point.”

(English language daily, Cyprus Mail, 4 October 1997)

In 1996 upon strong reaction and intense representation of the Greek Cypriot administration, Russia and Ukraine have ceased to allow TRNC registered ships call at their sea ports.

Cyprus Weekly insisted that US officers from Ýncirlik, Adana Airbase having a holiday in Girne were protested formally by the Greek society during their visit, so they had to stop their holiday in the middle and returned back. Greek spokesman Miahailis Papapetru, giving a speech to this newspaper said “We took some precautions and they all returned to Turkey. As far as we know, it is the first time that US army entered Cyprus from an illegal port. We got the promise that it will not be repeated in the future.” (September 7, 2001)

Haravgi and the other newspapers announced on 2 November, 2001 the declaration published by the official newspaper of the French National Assembly that French tourists are not advised to go to TRNC because in case of any problem, the French tourists in TRNC won’t be protected by the French government because the French government doesn’t recognize TRNC. The newspaper wrote that this was the answer of Michelle Demessine, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism of France, to the question made on 14 May, 2001 by the MP Andre Aschien, which was about the dangerous situations that French tourists would face when they visit the TRNC. According to the newspaper, Demessine stated that if French tourists staying in the South wanted to visit the North, they had to show their passports and ID’s to the only control place in Nicosia under the condition of not staying later than 17:00 and on.

The name “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” was published in 1996 in the advertisement given to the navigation magazine called BIMCO REVIEW. However, as a result of the pressure from South Cyprus and Greece this was replaced by Republic of Cyprus in 1997.

Through a vicious protest campaign, the Greek Cypriot lobby in London forced the publishers of the well-known guide to tour operators, Charterline, to remove Ercan State Airport from its pages.

(English language weekly, Cyprus Weekly, 3-9 March 1995)

Manos Stefanides, a journalist of ET 1, the Greek Governmental TV, was interrogated on the bases of entering the TRNC through Ercan airport and spending six days doing interviews.

(Mahi, 25 March, 1999)

The President of the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives, Mr. Alexis Ghalanos, sent a series of letters to the leaders of the British political parties demanding that they prevent their Members of Parliament from purchasing properties in the TRNC.

(English language daily, Cyprus Mail, 24 September 1995)

Director of a construction company based in Holland, Mr. Kess Priem was warned by the Counsellor of the Greek Cyprot administration in Holland on his company’s business relations with its Turkish Cypriot counterparts. The Tailor Made BV Company was involved in constructing and selling luxury villas in the TRNC.

(Letter of the aforesaid addressed to Mr. Kees Priem dated 25 August 1999)

3 Romanian cargo ships that left Famagusta Harbour heading to Beyrut were stopped for hours and investigated by Greek assault boats.

(Alithia, 2 December 1998)

On 23 March 1996, an Iranian named Massoud Rahimi, was sentenced to three months imprisonment by the Limassol District Court for entering the island from the Gazimagusa Port in the TRNC.

(Greek Cypriot daily, Haravgi, 24 March 1996)

On 11 June 1997, nineteen-year-old, British citizen named Jack Jellicoe, upon visiting the South was arrested and sentenced to fifteen days of imprisonment by the Limassol District Court for previously entering the island from Ercan State Airport in the TRNC.

(Greek Cypriot daily, Mahi, 12 June 1996)

A Greek Cypriot police stopped a car on the Larnaca-Pyla main road, driven by Panayotis Pitrakkos and a bottle of whisky and clothing were found in his possession purchased from a Turkish Cypriot shop in Pyla. He was fined 100 “Cyprus Pounds” and the goods were confiscated by the police.

(Greek Cypriot daily, Alithia, 9 January 1999)

Andreas Georgiu Theudusiu was detained by the Greek Cypriot police for possessing three rabbits which he had exchanged with car parts from a Turkish Cypriot.

(Greek Cypriot daily Fileleftheros, 2 December 1998)

Two Russian citizens, Novocilos Oleg and Gumpler Irina were fined 55 “Cyprus Pounds” for purchasing a ring and a bracelet from a Turkish Cypriot owned shop in the mixed village of Pyla and the items were confiscated by the Greek Cypriot Police.

(Greek Cypriot daily, Alithia, 11 November 1998)

A British couple was fined 36 “Cyprus Pounds” for purchasing a ring from a Turkish Cypriot owned shop in Pyla and the ring was confiscated by the Greek Cypriot Police.

(Greek Cypriot daily, Fileleftheros, 22 September 1998)

On 13 March 1994, the Greek Cypriot Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Stelyos Kilyaris, made a statement in the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives to the effect that the ones who trade from the North to the South are traitors.

(Greek Cypriot daily; Fileleftheros, 14 March 1994)

EDUCATION

Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot graduate and undergraduate students who attend universities in the EU are subject to different tuition rates. For example in the UK three different types of tuition fees exist; home, EU and overseas. Whereas the Greek Cypriots are accepted under EU category, Turkish Cypriot students pay overseas rates.For instance: While a Turkish Cypriot graduate student at University of ESSEX in Colchester, England has to pay £6319, a Greek Cypriot student would pay only £2540.

The number of scholarships granted to Turkish Cypriot students for undergraduate and graduate studies are very limited. Therefore, Turkish Cypriot students are facing with difficulties to afford the high quality education, especially on professional field of studies because the cost is above their budget. In the given scholarships the economic balance is not taken into consideration between Turkish and Greek Cypriots’ needs. Therefore, the ratio between each community, %0-%30, is taken into consideration and scholarships are distributed according to this ratio. However, Turkish Cypriots need more support and motivation in this case than Greek Cypriots, because they have limited financial and communicational facilities.

During the China International Higher Education Exhibition Tour which Cyprus International University and Eastern Mediterranean University attended to recruit students from China, the organizors of the event approached these two universities saying they have received important notice from the Chinese ministry of education to the extend that these two stands should be closed immediately. The universities refused to do so as a lot of costs were involved in attending the exhibition in the first place and asked for the reason for this decision. The officials eventually admitted that the Ministry of Education was pressured by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs upon complaints received from the embassies of South Cyprus and Grece in Beijing. These universities did not receive admittance to the 2002 exhibition.

SPORT AND CULTURAL

As in other areas, embargoes on the participation of Turkish Cypriot people in international sporting events and the sporting events organized in TRNC are in effect. The Greek Cypriot policy in the sporting field that only Greek Cypriots can represent “Cyprus” is particular abhorrent given the fact that sports in Cyprus have historically been in the context of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sports organisations and that under the 1960 Agreements sports was considered a “communal affair” with authority in this regard being vested in the respective communal Chambers of the two sides. Religion, education, culture, and sports were specifically defined as communal affairs under Articles 86, 87, 89, 108 and 182 of the 1960 Constitution and administered separately.

In February 1998, the Greek Cypriot Football Federation made strong representations to the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) in protest of a Turkish Cypriot proposal to hold unofficial friendship games in the TRNC. The Greek Cypriot Football Federation went as far as sending some of its officials to FIFA Headquartes in Zurich in order to prevent the Turkish Cypriot proposal from being accepted, alleging that this would lead to the recognition of the Turkish Cypriot Football Fedeation and thus the lifting of the embargo on the sporting activities of the Turkish Cypriot people. In the end, the games were cancelled.

The yachts that joined the 12th International Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Race, 2001, were protested by the Greek Administration upon anchoring in Kyrenia Seaport. According to Alithia newspaper, the spokesperson of the Greek Administration Mihalis Papapetru explained that Greek Administration protested against the yachts anchored in Kyrenia Seaport during the race. According to the newspaper, it was pointed out that the people who joined the yacht race from Canada, England, France, Russia, USA, Germany, Israel, Holland and Turkey were accepted by President Rauf Denktash and they were given information about the next route they should follow.

In September 1998,  a German soccer team, Bad Lippspinge was fined 20,000 US Dollars by FIFA for having a football match with the Turkish Cypriot team Çetinkaya.

The application of the TRNC to open an office in the Council of Europe was prevented by the Greek Cypriot authorities (1999).

Oto Meyer (55), a German yachtsman was detained in Larnaca for having called at Girne sea port earlier on the occasion of an international yacht rally. During the hearing, Mr. Meyer told the juror that he believed he had not done anything illegal by attending a yacht rally.

(Greek Cypriot daily, Mahi, 13 June 1998)

In April 1998, the Greek Cypriot administration managed to prevent the London Representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Mr. Hakký Müftüzade. From participating in a symposium on “Cyprus and the Question of its EU Membership” organised by the University of Limerick in Ireland. This was done by threatening University officials that no Greek Cypriot official would take part in the symposium and the official of the EU Commission would also be prevented from doing so if Mr. Müftüzade’s participation was allowed.

The Greek Cypriot authorities strongly protested, for months, against the International Othello Festival to be held in the TRNC in the summer of 1997 on grounds that this purely cultural event would constitute in indirect recognition of the TRNC.

International Federation of University Woman (IFUW), whose headquarters is in Switzerland, couldn’t accept Turkish Cypriot Association of University Woman (TCAUW) as a full member because only one association from each country could be accepted. TCAUW was advised to form an umbrella association representing both Turkish and Greek Cpyriot associations. This idea was refused by the Greek Cypriots claiming this would constitute the recognition of the TRNC.

The application by the same association to have an advisory status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council was also refused because of unrecognition and due to the ambiguities as to which country’s NGO the TCAUW was and what should be their address.

The TCAUW couldn’t get any UNOPS funds available for attending the 45th Annual Comission on the Status of Woman which took place in New York in March 2001 because no Greek Cypriot counterpart was found to attend with.

The TCAUW couldn’t be accredited to the Official Conference of UN Habitat II in 1996 because the association wasn’t registered in ‘Cyprus Republic’.

FINANCE

Owing mainly to political pressures and opinions created by the Greek Administration, the T.R.N.C. is viewed as an area with no rules and government control. Also, since the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not recognised as a state, “country risk”, one of the major definitions of risk in the finance sector remains unmeasurable in the international arena. In fact, the current Central Bank Act and the Banking Act are borrow heavily from BASEL Committee’s criteria for risk settlement. The Central Bank is armed with immense powers and tools to control the finance sector, can and does act  completely independent from the political arena.

Regardless of a financial institutions balance sheet or proposal, no proposal from local financial institutions are accepted, if it bears any credit risk, or the implication of recognition. For example, although credit cards are accepted like anywhere else, institutions like Europay or Visa will not consider working directly with banks of Northern origin. A brenchmark system for speed and efficiency for wire transfers, SWIFT will not accept banks from the North into membership.

In as much as collateral both tangible and none carries value like anywhere else, these only carry value as security in the T.R.N.C. and are not recognized as collateral in the international finance arena. The lack of the notion of country risk, non-recognition of assests as security, and political pressure from the South all contribute to form a financially detached pocket in the middle of the Mediterranean.