Turkish Cypriot Network

TURKISH CYPRIOT IMPRISONED ON FABRICATED CHARGES

Tekogul being taken to prison after the sentencing by the illegal Greek Cypriot court

Omer Gazi Tekogul, the Turkish Cypriot, who was abducted by the Greek Cypriot police from Pyla, a mixed village under the control of the United Nations, on 1 December 2000, has been sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment on March 20, by the Greek Cypriot regime.

After almost 4 months of trial by the illegal Greek Cypriot court for allegedly dealing heroin and cannabis, he was found guilty on seven drug-related charges and was given a sentence of 30 years. All sentences will run concurrently reducing the total sentence to 10 years.

Although the Greek Cypriot police gave contradicting evidence during the hearing and had no civilian witnesses, the court ruled that the evidence of the Greek Cypriot police was acceptable.
Greek Cypriot judge Andreas Pascalidis, while claiming that all the witnesses of the defence were not trustworthy, said, "the evidence given by the police gave us a good impression. We found that their evidence was trustworthy and true."

"Police officers, with the assumed names of Costa and Andros, definitely did not act in a manner to encourage Tekogul to commit a crime. Although we are aware of the contradictions in their evidence, this does not mean their evidence is not trustworthy. Their evidence gave us good impression, we have no doubt that they are telling the truth," said Andreas Pascalidis.

Some of the witnesses of the defence, which the court found not to be trustworthy, were Greek Cypriots.

Ms. Luckia Baulidiou of the Greek CITA - GSM company was one of the Greek Cypriot witnesses, who stated that a telephone card bought in the TRNC would not work in South Cyprus. Her statement proved that the Greek Cypriot officers were not telling the truth when they claimed that Tekogul had given them a telephone card, which was supposedly used in communicating with him.

The other Greek Cypriot, Andreas Paraskevas, the owner of the 'Pyla Restaurant' also confirmed that the Greek Cypriot police was lying when they claimed that they had arrested Tekogul in South Cyprus.

Andreas Paraskevas said that on the night of the incident he had gone to his restaurant, which was shut that night, where he saw Tekogul’s car parked outside.

In his evidence, Andreas Paraskevas said: "On December 1, I went to my restaurant around 10 PM, where I saw a white car with the Turkish number plates parked in front of my restaurant with its engine running. I went to the Turkish restaurant across the road and asked them to move the car because it was disturbing the neighbours. Then I went into my restaurant and watched television until 12 PM, when I came out the engine was still running."

Apart from the above "not trustworthy" Greek Cypriot witnesses, the court also dismissed the evidence of Hasan Yilmazogullari, a Turkish Cypriot witness, as not trustworthy. Yilmazogullari had told the court how he witnessed the abduction of Tekogul by the Greek Cypriot police in front of the 'Pyla Restaurant'.

In short the illegal Greek Cypriot court disregarded all the evidence given by Greek and Turkish Cypriot civilian witnesses in defence of Tekogul and accepted the contradictory evidence of the Greek Cypriot police.

Protesting the decision of the Greek Cypriot judge outside the court, Kemal Tekogul, father of Gazi Tekogul said, "Greek Cypriot police used terrorist methods to kidnap my son and the court used the same terrorist methods to judge him."

"Here (South Cyprus), only terrorist laws are in practice, anything can be expected of these people. Being Turks is our only crime," he said.

It is not the first time that the Greek Cypriot police abducted Turkish Cypriots from the buffer zone before pressing trumped-up charges. The reason behind this is the argument of the Greek Cypriot side that their police have authority on the entire island.

In her closing statement, Elena Keoba, the Greek Cypriot prosecutor argued: "Although Pyla is a settlement in the Buffer Zone and comes under the control of the UN, the sovereignty of all Cyprus belongs to the 'Cyprus Republic'. The Greek Cypriot police has the right to make operations in this area."

Since the decision of the illegal Greek Cypriot court, the tension in the village has increased considerably. The UN has increased the number of the patrols in the village. The Turkish Cypriots in the village are accusing the UN of collaborating with the Greek Cypriot side and of failing to protect the Turkish Cypriots in the village.

Turkish Cypriot Alderman Ahmet Sakkali said, "We will do everything to stop the intimidation of our young people by the Greek Cypriot police. We will launch a complaint about the UN soldiers. We do not trust them any longer. We only trust the Turkish army, Turkish army is our only protection."

Failure of the UN to protect the Turkish Cypriots is not a recent occurrence. UN peacekeepers have been stationed in Cyprus since 1964 and never provided real protection for the Turkish Cypriots. They failed to prevent hundreds of murders and abductions by Greek Cypriots.

GREEK CYPRIOTS LAUNDERED MILO'S MONEY

Best friends Spyros Kyprianou (Greek Cypriot House President) and Milosevic

In an article published by the Greek Cypriot Cyprus Mail, the English language newspaper, on 11 April 2000, the Greek Cypriot regime was criticised for its involvement in laundering Serbian money. The article also questioned the claims of the Greek Cypriot regime that no Greek Cypriot was involved in money laundering.

Cyprus mail said: "MAYBE it can serve as a lesson. Cyprus' involvement in the massive transfer of funds by Slobodan Milosevic's Serbian regime during the 1990s is becoming clearer by the day, the excuses and the denials wearing thinner with every revelation. The wall of silence and the blanket rebuffs that officials served up to journalists' questions on the subject time and time again are unlikely to satisfy the international investigators now queuing up in Nicosia for evidence of Milosevic's giant web of money laundering and vanishing funds."

It is a common knowledge that Greece, a Western ‘ally’ and its puppet regime in South Cyprus were the only ones who helped the Serbian butchers penetrate the embargo applied to them. They even went as far as organising mercenary forces, which helped the Serbs butcher the Bosnians and Kosovars during the conflicts in the Balkans.

Cyprus Mail further said: "Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides said in Washington that Cyprus had sent 25 box-files of possible evidence against leading Serbs to the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague at the request of Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. Cassoulides told reporters there was suspicion ‘that some money most probably has not been used for what they were claiming it was used for’. Well, what a surprise. Did the government really think that Milosevic's henchmen would fill in the paperwork with the words 'MONEY LAUNDERING' in capital letters so we would know what they were up to?"

"Cyprus now has some nimble catching up to do, for the countries it is so desperately trying to impress on both sides of the Atlantic will hardly have been impressed by Nicosia's role in allowing the Milosevic machine to bypass the international isolation they were trying to impose. And 'our Serb friends' whom we thought we were helping are not terribly impressed either, as they try to recover a fraction of the state funds stolen by Milosevic with our help, and come up against denial after denial from the Cyprus Central Bank," Cyprus Mail said.

Cyprus Mail also suggested that the Greek Cypriot regime should stop the denial of knowledge of the Serbian money and should offer "full co-operation instead of cheap excuses".

Earlier reports in the Greek Cypriot media revealed that Serbian gold was brought to South Cyprus in wooden crates and were handled by ‘unknown’ Greek Cypriots.

EOKA BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN GREEK CYPRIOTS

Greek Cypriots call for Enosis on the anniversary of the EOKA day and reveal their aggressive designs over Northern Cyprus. EOKA is the terrorist organisation formed by Greece in Cyprus in the mid-fifties, responsible for murdering hundreds of British, Turkish and Greek Cypriots.

On April 1, during the remembrance ceremony at Ayia Ionni Church Glafcos Clerides, the leader of the Greek Cypriots, one of the leaders of the EOKA delivered a speech in which he praised the struggles of the EOKA.
Greek Cypriot daily Politis dated 2 April 2001 reported that on April 1, on the anniversary of the establishment of EOKA given at Ayia Ionni Church, Clerides repeated once again the determination to continue the "struggle". According to Clerides, the "struggle" is "to liberate" the North.

Politis further reported that in his message Clerides said, "Liberating our lands that are under occupation is a serious responsibility on our shoulders, which has to be fulfilled".

Another Greek Cypriot daily Simerini dated 2 April 2001 reported that during the celebrations marking the anniversary of EOKA held at Eleftheria Sports Centre, Clerides was observed applauding slogans chanted by the audience saying "No to Federation; Cyprus-Greece-ENOSIS" (union of Cyprus with Greece).
This is not an April Fool’s Day joke; it is the reality of Cyprus. Greek Cypriot leaders are portraying the Greek Cypriot terrorists, who had no hesitation in murdering innocent civilians, as "heroes" and pledging to follow their example.

It is clear that they have not given up their dream of uniting Cyprus to Greece. British and the EU politicians who extend unconditional support to the Greek Cypriot side have to realise that the longer they carry on with their support, the longer the Cyprus conflict will last.

POLICE ESCORT FOR RUDY VIS

Turkish Cypriot protesters outside the Greek Church

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Arrested Christodoulous Troullous on the left and the other Greek Cypriot bouncer, who made threatening and abusive gestures to the Turkish Cypriot protesters

Rudi Vis, MP for Golders Green and Finchley, had to be provided with special police protection to escort him out of a controversial seminar he attended at the Greek Orthodox Church in Golders Green Road on 30 March 2001 organised by the extremist Greek Cypriot organisation, 'Lobby for Cyprus'.
Around one hundred Turkish Cypriot protestors gathered outside the Greek Orthodox Church at Golders Green on Friday evening to demonstrate against the seminar which was designed to incite local Greek Cypriots to take action against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Turkey over the property exchange issue.

Local police were caught off guard and only able to send two officers to the scene when tensions started flaring up between the demonstrators and the 'Lobby for Cyprus' heavies. Three police response vehicles were called in from Whetstone Police Station, but the situation gradually worsened when the Greek doormen began making threatening and obscene gestures at the demonstrators.

Local residents of The Ridings, a no through road in an ordinarily calm area where the church is situated, were astonished at the events.

The Turkish Cypriot demonstrators of all ages, holding placards, demanded justice for their people and protested against violations of their human rights at the hands of the Greek Cypriots. They were particularly angered by the involvement of Rudy Vis with 'Lobby for Cyprus' which is an organisation known for its uncompromising and extremist stance regarding the Cyprus question.

One of the Turkish Cypriot demonstrators Mr. Turker Chakici, who lives in Finchley said: “I’ve come here tonight because I want to show my feelings and disgust at the way Rudi Vis conducts himself in a biased manner over the Cyprus issue.”

Another demonstrator, Mustafa Karagozlu, a pensioner from Hackney, said the injustices against Turkish Cypriots must stop. “I had never been to a demonstration before but after tonight I shall make every effort to attend more of them …We can not stand by and see MPs attending fascist meetings…I shall be writing to Rudi Vis to make a strong complaint,” he said.

At the end of the seminar Rudi Vis had to wait for extra policemen to arrive from as far as South London who formed a chain to keep the demonstrators on the pavement as the MP boarded his vehicle. Vis looked clearly worried and distressed as he drove past the demonstrators who were chanting slogans and waving Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus flags.

A journalist’s camera was snatched and smashed as he attempted to take pictures of the departing MP. A Greek Cypriot man Christoudoulous Troullous of St Johns Wood was arrested and taken to Colindale Police Station where he was charged with racially motivated criminal damage.

A Turkish Cypriot eye witness said that the two Greek Cypriot doormen were the same ones who attacked a Turkish Cypriot man and took the leaflets he was distributing outside the Destinations Travel Show last year. It also came to light that they were also involved in many of the incidents of harassment perpetrated against the Turkish Cypriot Vigil opposite the 10 Downing Street.

Rudi Vis, Labour MP for Golders Green and Finchley, is an outspoken supporter of the oppresive Greek Cypriot regime which has been implementing policies of genocide against the Turkish Cypriot population on the island for decades.

"WE WILL KILL ALL THE TURKS"

T-shirt worn by the Greek Cypriot soldiers sporting the slogan

"A GOOD TURK IS A DEAD TURK"

Greek Cypriot newspaper Haravgi reported on March 22, that these were words uttered by a high ranking Greek Cypriot army officer stationed in a military camp near the buffer zone outside Nicosia.

Haravgi also reported that it is common practice for the Greek Cypriot soldiers in all the military camps in south Cyprus to chant slogans such as "Turks, Turks you are all going to die", "You are going to die under the blue and white flag" and "We are going to drive all the Turks into the sea".

Haravgi gave the news under the banner headlines "Chauvinist Slogans in the National Guard" when a Greek Cypriot who resides in the close proximity of the camp phoned the newspaper to complain about the nature of the slogans emanating from the camp. He told the newspaper that he was disturbed by the slogans and that he had confronted the Greek Cypriot officer on duty to ask him why they were chanting such chauvinist slogans.

He claimed that the Greek Cypriot officer answered "What is disturbing you? We are going to kill all the Turks."

Questioned by Haravgi, A. Yorka, the spokesman for the Greek Cypriot Defence Ministry, said that the soldiers were allowed to chant some slogans but these were not chauvinist slogans and claimed that he would look into the allegations.

It is no secret that the Greek Cypriot soldiers are always hyped up with such racist and aggressive slogans and made to live in a dream that one day when the opportunity arises they will invade the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

A few years ago T-shirts sporting the slogan "A good Turk is a dead Turk" worn by the Greek Cypriot soldiers were also a source of argument in the Greek Cypriot media.

NO CONCESSIONS FROM THE TRNC

Over 10,000 Turkish Cypriots gathered together in Nicosia, the capital city of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on March 18, to pledge their support for their republic.

People attending the "Freedom" rally organised by 71 civilian associations chanted slogans supporting the republic and reiterating their confidence in Turkey.

Some of the slogans were: "No concessions from the TRNC", "No concessions from freedom", "EU with Turkey not with the Greeks"

Speakers addressing the rally called on the EU and the International Community to act fairly over the Cyprus issue and to stop supporting the illegal Greek Cypriot regime.

In addition to the rally in Nicosia, several more rallies took place in the other major towns of the country, where thousands of people attended.

TURKISH CYPRIOT JOURNALISTS ATTACKED

Turkish Cypriot journalist after the attack

After the end of the last court hearing of Tekogul, two Turkish Cypriot journalist were attacked by the Greek Cypriot police, while they were trying to take pictures of Tekogul being transferred to prison.

Accusing Ozmen Yilancilar of the Turkish Cypriot newspaper KIBRIS and Bilbay Eminoglu of KIBRISLI newspaper of taking pictures of the military camp opposite the court, Greek Cypriot police confiscated the film from their cameras using force.

While Ozmen Yilancilar was badly beaten up by the Greek Cypriot police officers, Bilbay Eminoglu was threatened with a gun. Other journalist who witnessed the incident protested the brutal behaviour of the Greek Cypriot police.

Greek Cypriot journalist Andreas Manolis of Reuters and Fileleftheros protested the behaviour of the Greek Cypriot police. "No one was taking the picture of the military camp," said Manolis.

Fearing that the Greek Cypriot police could charge the Turkish Cypriot journalists with espionage, the two were quickly taken back to the TRNC by their colleagues. Ozmen Yilancilar was taken to hospital for treatment of injuries he sustained during the attack.

Ironically, the Greek Cypriot media, who judged Tekogul as guilty from the beginning, and failed to report that there were some Greek Cypriots speaking in defence of Tekogul, reported the brutal attack on the Turkish Cypriot journalists by the Greek Cypriot police as a "small scuffle".

The incident is considered as a violation of the freedom of press and yet another brutal and racist attack on Turkish Cypriots. The attack is in violation of the universal press code of ethics and has been condemned by the Turkish Cypriot Press Organisations.

Following the barbaric treatment of the Turkish Cypriot journalists, trying to justify the actions of the Greek Cypriot police, Greek Cypriot media reported that the police had confiscated the films of the ‘Turkish Cypriot spies’ taking photos of the military camp.

On 22 March 20001, official Greek Cypriot television CBC fabricated a report saying, "... Meanwhile, claims made by our station concerning the presence of Turkish Secret Service agents at Tekogul's trial have since been corroborated by the Turkish Cypriot newspaper "Kibrisli", which mentions that the agents' job was to keep the occupation regime constantly briefed on the proceedings over the telephone, and also prints a photograph of one of them."

Later when the investigation revealed that there was no suspicious material in the films confiscated by the police, Greek Cypriot media changed its tune and admitted that the Turkish journalists were only doing their jobs.

Greek Cypriot newspaper Cyprus Mail reported on March 24, that the Greek Cypriot spokesperson Michalis Papapetrou confirmed that "nothing suspicious had been found in the Turkish Cypriots’ camera."
Cyprus Mail also reported Greek Cypriot reporter Andreas Manolis as saying, "events were not how they have been portrayed in the local media. We are hearing nothing about the events, only about spies and military positions and equipment."

Cyprus Mail further reported that Manolis dismissed the allegations that the ‘Turkish spies’ were calling their bosses by phone giving them information about the trial. Manolis was quoted as saying, "We could not use our phone because there was a blackout."

Manolis further explained that a police officer dressed in civilian clothing, without identifying himself, grabbed the Turkish Cypriot journalist’s camera and when he tried to stop this the policeman hit him in the face.

Answering a question by Cyprus Mail, Manolis complained that the other Greek Cypriot journalists had not protested and went on to say: "They shut their mouths and didn't say anything, and instead of telling the truth they are talking about spies. All I know is in this case he was innocent."

Another Greek Cypriot newspaper Politis reported the same news quoting Andreas Manolis criticising the behaviour of the Greek Cypriot police and saying that the Turkish Cypriot journalists were innocent.
Politis also reported that the Greek Cypriot police inspector who directed the operation had described the claims of Andreas Manolis and the journalists as figments of their imagination.

One does not have to look far to see how racist the Greek Cypriot police force is. One only has to review the local media reports on police involvement with the Mafia and how foreign workers are treated in south Cyprus.

Meanwhile Foreign Ministry of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus issued a statement strongly criticising the brutal behaviour of the Greek Cypriot police and reminded the UN of its duty to protect the Turkish Cypriot journalists.

Can We Live Together In a Mixed Cyprus?

An article by Greek Cypriot newspaper Cyprus Mail published on 10 April 2001questioned the Greek Cypriots’ pretence and their dishonesty that the two communities can live together in a united Cyprus.

In the article Cyprus Mail reported the violent reactions of the Greek Cypriots concerning "a few dozen" Turkish Cypriot gypsies, who chose to go across the border to live in South Cyprus.

Cyprus Mail reported that the Interior Ministry’s services found two locations for the settlement of the Turkish Cypriot gypsies, "but these plans were abandoned after the vociferous reaction of local residents. The residents of Kotsiatis village, outside Nicosia, raised hell when they heard that the gypsies would be housed in an abandoned Turkish Cypriot school, while the Paphians' protests were spearheaded by two deputies from the district."

Criticising the Greek Cypriot regime for trying to house these people in a remote area where there are no Greek Cypriot settlements nearby, Cyprus Mail said: "The implications of this behaviour should be seriously considered by the political leadership, which has been fighting for the re-unification of the island under a federal government for close to three decades. It may just be that Greek Cypriots do not want the re-unification of the island if this means living next door to a Turkish Cypriot. Would the Greek Cypriot public really be as happy as it claims with a solution that guaranteed the three fundamental freedoms -- of movement, settlement and property? Would Paphians be happy if the Turkish Cypriots swarmed to their town or would they be holding protest demonstrations to stop them? What would the residents of Kotsiatis say if Turkish Cypriots decided to return to their homes in the village?"

"These are all hypothetical questions, but should be given some very serious thought by our president and party leaders, who see the re-unification of the island through rose-tinted spectacles and dismiss the mere thought of the two communities being separated as tantamount to treachery. Yet the xenophobic reaction to the arrival of a few dozen gypsies would seem to suggest that there is a gulf between what the politicians see as the ideal form of a Cyprus settlement and what Greek Cypriots actually want," Cyprus Mail said.

Note: Since the publication of this newsletter, 26 of the Turkish Cypriot gypsies, not being able to handle the harsh treatment and the living conditions in the jail that they were put in by the Greek Cypriot regime, have returned to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.