LEFKOSA - Ahmet Sakalli, the headman of mixed village of Pile in Cyprus where Turkish and Greek Cypriots live, has said that British customs officials assigned in buffer zone between Beyarmudu-Pile were imposing embargo on Turkish Cypriot residents of Pile.
Issuing a statement on Friday, Sakalli protested the implementation of British customs officials against Turkish Cypriots.
Sakalli said that British customs officials barred Turkish Cypriots residents of Pile from bringing meat and dairy and marine products. ''British customs officials have banned Turkish Cypriots residents of Pile from bringing meat, dairy products and fish. Our residents have been worried.''
Noting that isolation of Turkish Cypriot villagers should be lifted while initiatives for intercommunal peace had been increased and passages had been allowed, Sakalli said that many business places in the village had been shut down due to pressure and embargoes on villagers.
''When will they bring economic peace to our village? When will this uncertainty end? What kind of arrangements will be made about us? When will we have the right to live as human beings in this village? Body-search is conducted every day at barricades, causing negative effects on our children's psychology and affecting their future negatively,'' he said.
''We want lifting of those barricades. For our human rights, we request opening of Pile road and we want to go home without passing barricades,'' he added.
(MS-AÖ) 11.06.2004