Police officials are in touch with UNFICYP in an effort to resolve the matter of the illegal arrest and detention of three Greek – Cypriot policemen by the occupying forces early on Sunday morning.
In statements he made to the press late on Sunday afternoon, Police Spokesman Andreas Angelides said that the three policemen had been illegally arrested by Turkish soldiers in the buffer zone, during a police chase of a car with Turkish Cypriot number plates.
Immediately after the incident, the Police Chief was notified, a crisis management centre started operating, and the National Guard and UNFICYP were also notified”.
Replying to a question as to whether the three policemen will appear before a so called court, he said that no information has been forthcoming.
“Due to the seriousness of the matter the efforts undertaken by the Republic’s authorities is for the policemen to be freed as soon as possible”, he noted.
Cyprus was divided in 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. A buffer zone, known as the Green Line, separates the areas controlled by the Republic and the occupied areas.
