LEFKOSA (AA) - Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos had launched an attack on Turkish Cypriots, President Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Wednesday.
Appearing on a Turkish Cypriot television channel, Talat assessed the property cases filed by the Greek Cypriot administration against Turkish Cypriots (who owned properties in that part of the island) as an attack launched against a whole nation. Talat said Papadopoulos left international law aside and started to use advantages of EU membership to eliminate political and equality rights of Turkish Cypriots.
Talat noted that TRNC decided that all Turkish Cypriot people against whom such lawsuits were filed should appear before the court, and said that they would defend themselves saying, ``the Greek Cypriot courts are not authorized to try in the north of Cyprus or Magusa.``
The Greek Cypriot administration increased imprisonment from six months to two years, foreseen for violation of property, in order to be able to issue an arrest warrant valid in Europe, added Talat.
``This is very dangerous because, for instance, a Turkish Cypriot will be tried (on charges of violating property) and sentenced (to imprisonment). When sentenced, s/he will be arrested when s/he crosses to the south. When s/he goes abroad, s/he will be arrested with a European arrest warrant. So, Turkish Cypriot will be isolated in the north of Cyprus and Turkey. This will totally isolate Turkish Cypriots. That is, while the EU was working for elimination of isolation of Turkish Cypriots, one of its members `Cyprus Republic` would totally isolate them,`` said Talat.
Talat went on saying, ``the Greek Cypriot administration doesn`t have an authority to try in the north. And moreover, according to not only `Republic of Cyprus` laws but also TRNC laws, property problems are brought before a court in the place they occur. So, Larnaka court isn`t authorized to hear a case that occur in Magusa. This is also accepted by the EU. So, we will attend the hearing and defend that `this court doesn`t have the authority to rule in the north of Cyprus`.``
Noting that TRNC did not want to close border passes, Talat said that Papadopoulos could not continue his policies and try to reach a compromise if the world ended isolating Turkish Cypriots.
(BRC-A֩
2005-05-04