GREEK CYPRIOT HINDRANCE TO TURKISH PRESS

Greek Cypriot Press and Information Office announced that the press members holding Turkish citizenship would not be allowed to crossover from the TRNC to South Cyprus for covering the “presidential elections”.

Greek Cypriot Press and Information Director Yannakis Solomu in a letter sent to the TRNC Foreign Press Union who applied on behalf of the Turkish press members wanting to cover the elections in South Cyprus, stated that Turkish journalists should get a “Cyprus Republic” visa and enter South Cyprus via Larnaca or Paphos Airports.

TRNC Prime Ministry’s Public Information Office in a statement issued on this matter, pointed out that although the Greek Cypriot administration had a written notice that Turkish press members working in the TRNC could crossover to the South with a press card and without a need for a visa in order to cover the elections, it did not allow the Turkish press members who wanted to crossover to South Cyprus couple of days ago.

The statement noted that Turkish media representatives working in the TRNC had applied to the Greek Cypriot administration on the 30^th of January for permission to crossover to the South to cover the elections, which would take place on Sunday (17 February), and this application was conveyed to them through the UNFICYP’s Vice-Speaker Anne Bursey.

The statement also said the Greek Cypriot Information officer Kyriakos Vrahimis had given a written notice that Turkish press members would be able to crossover to South Cyprus with press cards, however couple of days ago Greek Cypriot officials had announced that Turkish press members would not be allowed to crossover to the South and they could enter South Cyprus via Larnaca and Paphos Airports.

Stressing that this sudden change in implementation has been bewildered the Turkish Cypriot side, the statement said: “This implementation, which curtails the freedom of the press and is discriminative, as well as the Greek Cypriot officials’ inconsistent policies should be evaluated by all the relevant international institutions, especially by the UNFICYP’s Spokesmanship. The so-called EU member South Cyprus’ racist implementations, which are far from European values, is the most concrete and live evidence showing that the Greek Cypriot administration is still far from a civilized understanding.”