GREEK CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION PROHIBITS VISIT TO GOSSI VILLAGE

The Greek Cypriot Administration has prohibited all visits to the village of Gossi (Three Martyrs) in South Cyprus.

The Greek Cypriot Administration, has prohibited all the visits to the village of Gossi, which has been referred as the “Three Martyrs” after three Turkish Cypriots, Ozkan Hasan, Yilmaz Hasan and Mehmet Betmezoglu, lost their lives after falling into a Greek Cypriot trap when they went to the village to start the motor pump bringing water to the village.

The Greek Cypriot authorities claim that the decision to prohibit all visits to the village is because the village is “a military zone” and there is a military camp just 1.5 kms from the village.

Since the opening of the borders, because many Turkish Cypriots have visited their former villages only to find out that most of their houses have been razed to the ground by the Greek Cypriot Administration, this has resulted in the Greek Cypriot Administration being deeply disturbed by this situation and this is the reason why they are prohibiting Turkish Cypriots to visit this village.

Turkish Cypriots, who have already managed to visit Gossi after travel restrictions between the two sides were eased by the TRNC government in April, said the village mosque and primary school were destroyed and the school play-ground is now being used as a barn.

GULSEVIN SAH TO APPLY TO EUOPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

A Turkish Cypriot woman, Gulsevin Sah, originally from Lapta, but who is now living in Beirut and her two children were arrested by Greek Cypriot police at Larnaca Airport on July 6, 2003, for having TRNC passports, despite the fact that they had the required visa to enter Cyprus, which she had obtained from the Cyprus Embassy in Beirut.

Sah, who travelled to Cyprus via the shortest route because she suffers from kidney trouble, was arrested and later detained at Larnaca Airport for 24 hour  with no adequate explanation being given to either her or her family, who were waiting to greet her at Larnaca Airport, before being put on a flight back to Lebanon on July 7, 2003.

Following the unfortunate tragedy, Gulsevin Sah’s mother, Zuhre, and brother Dervis Sah, strongly condemning the inhuman way Gulsevin and her two children were treated by the Greek Cypriot authorities, said that they were disappointed to be faced with such a treatment during such a period, and they were determined to take this incident to the European Court of Human Rights. Learning that they must first file a complaint against the Greek Cypriot Administration, the Sah family immediatley applied to a lawyer to take action against the Greek Cypriot Administration.

Gulsevin Sah’s father, Halil Sah, said his daughter, who suffers from severe kidney problems, following her arrival in Beirut was immediately admitted to hospital and her 8 and 14 year-old boys are currently undergoing psychiatrist treatment to get over the shock and stress that they endured during their 24 hour detainment in the Greek Cyprito Administration.

Strongly protesting about the incident at the UN level yesterday, TRNC President Rauf Denktas sent a protest telegraph to the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration, Tasos Papdopulos. The same day, the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence  also protested the incident and requested the return of Gulsevin Sah’s  and her two sons TRNC passports, which were seized by Greek Cypriot police at Larnaca Airport.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the Beirut Government has asked for an explanation from the Greek Cypriot Administration, since Gulsevin Sah is also a Beirut citizen.

Receiving Gulsevin Sah’s father and son yesterday, President Denktas received information about the developments, and said that the Turkish Cypriot side eased the travel restrictions with the aim of giving the two communities the opportunity to understand each other, and that from the very first day the Greek Cypriot Administration ignored the difficulties that were faced by the Turkish Cypriots and they (Greek Cypriot Administration) still have not softened their stance.

Pointing out that he is extremely saddened to observe that the mentality which sees the Turkish Cypriots as a minority, and deems the basic human rights granted to them as being too much, still continues, President Denktas said by seeing these inhuman practices the world should acknowledge the reasons why we want a settlement envisaging our basic rights, equality and sovereignty.