PRESIDENT TALAT’S CALL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND THE UN

            President Mehmet Ali Talat called upon the international community and the UN to take an action to end all kind of racism, religious discrimination and cruel and inhuman treatment imposed upon the Turkish Cypriots.

            President Talat in his letter sent to the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 29 November, drew attention to the increasing racism and extreme nationalism in the Greek Cypriot side and the Turkish Cypriots’ concern on this issue.

            Talat described inhuman treatments against the Turkish Cypriots as “a result of the Greek Cypriot administration’s policies pursued for long years” aimed at dominating the whole island regardless of the Turkish Cypriots. The President added: “The main reason behind increasing racism, xenophobia, extreme nationalism and enmity against Islam in South Cyprus is the Greek Cypriot government’s policies”.

            President Talat’s letter, which was sent in addition to his letter dated 12 October 2005 regarding increasing racism, chauvinism and extreme nationalism amongst the Greek Cypriots, was published as a UN document. In his letter, President Talat noted: “worsening of the situation and the ill treatment which the Turkish Cypriots are being subjected to in South Cyprus, have urged me to express the concern of the Turkish Cypriots on this issue.”

            Reminding that the Greek Cypriot representative to New York had responded his previous letter dated 12 October 2005, President Talat said instead of considering the letter seriously and taking necessary measures to prevent racist actions in South Cyprus, the Greek Cypriot administration had preferred to allege that the letter included baseless and suspicious claims”. President added: “Since than the increase in ill treatment against the Turkish Cypriots visiting South Cyprus has unfortunately verified the content and the main goal of my letter.”

            Talat explaining that since the opening of the border gates there hasn’t been any single day when the Turkish Cypriots are not subjected to the attacks and harassments by the Greek Cypriot officials or people, said on the contrary, there has been almost no such incident against the Greek Cypriots visiting North Cyprus. Talat in his letter described the “Greek Cypriots’ policies which included cruel, inhuman and humiliating treatments against the Turkish Cypriots” as the “peak of an iceberg” and gave some examples to the said polices. President Talat adding that there were many similar documented incidents stated that he would continue to regularly inform Annan on the racist actions carried out in South Cyprus.