WRITTEN QUESTION E-3635/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Council

(11 January 2002)

Subject: Terrorisation of Turkish Cypriots by the Denktash regime

According to reports in the Greek press, the Ministry of Education in Denktash's pseudo-state has decided to suspend Nilgun Orhon, a history teacher, because of an article she wrote in the Avrupa newspaper, published in occupied Cyprus. Invoking laws which are only used in military dictatorships, the Denktash regime has accused Orhon of having written that Turkey, as an occupying power, has taken all their freedoms away from Turkish Cypriots and does not permit them a voice on matters which concern them. She also maintained that freedom, peace, democracy and the Parliament exist in name only in the northern part of Cyprus.

It should be noted that during demonstrations by Turkish Cypriot teachers and unionists against the Ministry of Education decision to suspend the history teacher, there were arrests by the Denktash regime's police, run by the Turkish military. The police attempted to arrest Orhon as, disregarding the decision, she was going to her school to teach, and Aydan Ersalan, the general secretary of the teachers' union, was clubbed as he tried to help her.

What is the Council's position concerning the Denktash regime's fascist decisions? What steps does it intend to take to prevent recurrences of similar incidents in the future? Will it raise the issue with Turkey, whose army has been occupying the northern part of Cyprus for 27 years, and if so, when?

Reply

(27 June 2002)

Mrs Orkhon's case has not been discussed by the Council. Nevertheless, in general and in keeping with the positions which it has always adopted on the defence of human rights, the Council would remind the Honourable Member that freedom of expression is one such right which must be protected and that any violation of those rights is reprehensible. This same position was reiterated at the recent meeting of the EC-Turkey Association Council on 16 April 2002 and is found again in the ECHR judgment of 10 May 2001 in Case No 25781/94: Cyprus v. Turkey.

Furthermore, the Council is keen to place its reply in the overall context of developments in the situation in Cyprus which led it, at its meeting on 10 December 2001, to welcome the meetings between Mr Denktash and Mr Clerides on 4 and 5 December 2001, and at its meeting on 28 January 2002, to describe the dialogue established between both communities as very encouraging.