The Association of Rizokarpasians in Britain has written to London MPs and MEPs regarding the problems faced by their enclaved compatriots in Rizokarpaso. They have also written the following letter to the British Foreign Secretary:
30 October 2005
Rt Hon Jack Straw MP
Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH
Dear Mr Straw,
Once again, our Association wishes to bring to your attention, as a matter of immediate urgency, and to seek your help over the latest problem that our enclaved compatriots in Rizokarpaso are facing from the Turkish pseudo-authorities in occupied northern Cyprus, who once again are failing to adhere to agreements made and undertakings given.
The illegal Turkish administration is:
- Delaying the “approval” of five secondary school teachers for the Gymnasion. These subject teachers are: one full-time Greek Literature teacher; one full-time Economics teacher; one part-time teacher for two days; one part-time Biology teacher for four hours; and one part-time Turkish teacher for four hours. Two months after the beginning of the academic year, the Gymnasion is still not being allowed to function properly.
- Rapid building is now taking place on land belonging to Greek Cypriots to build a primary school for the illegal settlers who are occupying the homes and properties of members of our Association. This land is adjacent to the old Greek Cypriot Gymnasion, which the Turkish administration intends to use as a secondary school for the illegal settlers.
- Enclaved Greek Cypriots in Rizokarpaso are now forbidden to use their cars unless they have registered them with the illegal Turkish administration. This “rule” is not being applied to the small number of Maronites who are enclaved in the occupied areas.
We believe that you, as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and bearing in mind the special position of Great Britain as a Guarantor Power with military bases in Cyprus, should be proactive in trying to resolve the problems faced by our enclaved compatriots. We believe that you can influence the appropriate centres of power and bring pressure upon Turkey to adhere to agreements made and to stop its ethnic-cleansing policy.
You, as the Foreign Secretary in our Government, have a responsibility to ensure that our foreign policy adheres to the basic principles of individual freedoms and human rights. We do not believe that you are assisting the solution of the problems in Cyprus by attempting to promote trade and direct flights to the occupied area under the pretext that you wish to end the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. Most of the Turkish Cypriots have left the occupied area, and it is now inhabited mainly by illegal settlers and their offspring brought there by Turkey, an act which is against Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids an occupying power from transferring part of its civilian population to occupied territory.
We hope that our Government will recognise the danger of subordinating matters of human rights and the principles of international law to political concerns because of Turkey’s geopolitical strategic location. We, as British citizens, look forward to your response to our letter and to a more positive and honourable foreign policy regarding Cyprus.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Mary Helen Karaolis, BEd (Hons), MA, NPQH
President of the Association of Rizokarpasians in Britain