WRITTEN QUESTION E-3185/01 by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council. The north of Cyprus — a terrorist haven: Europe should intercede with Turkey.
Date: 2001-11-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cyprus, European security, Türkiye, enlargement of the Union, religious fundamentalism, terrorism

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/7

(2002/C 229 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3185/01

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council

(23 November 2001)

Subject: The north of Cyprus (cid:22) a terrorist haven: Europe should intercede with Turkey

The northern part of the island of Cyprus, under military occupation by Turkey,
is one of the most
important bases for Bin Laden’s operational and financial network. According to Roland Jacquard, a UN
Security Council expert and Director of the International Observatory on Terrorism and of the Centre for
the Study of Contemporary Threats, the sheik carried out financial transactions there with the cooperation
of businessmen very close to the local government, including a member of the President’s family. Capital
(Wall Street Journal, 1.11.2001) valued in a CIA report at between $ 500 million and $700 million is said
to have been moved by Al Qa’ida to the Balkans via Cyprus between 1992 and 1998.

In addition,
Jamal Al-Fadl, the Government witness in the case relating to the Embassy attacks (La
Repubblica, 5.11.2001), revealed that the uranium used to make dirty bombs was tested in 1994 by
terrorists belonging to the Sudanese National Islamic Front in the town of Hilat Koko in Northern Cyprus.

Finally, it emerges from a report being investigated by the Foreign Office that the fundamentalist groups
operating in the north of Cyprus are funded by the Islamic Relief Organisation and can count on the
support, in Kyrilia, of a Chechen group led by Eryan Arikli, who is alleged to have given the orders to the
Chechen commando which hijacked the Tupolev flight from Istanbul to Moscow. In other places there are
very active Islamic schools attended by Moroccans, Lebanese, Saudis and Pakistanis.

Does the Council intend, in the context of the enlargement process, to call on the Turkish Government to
explain what measures it intends to take with regard to the situation in the north of Cyprus, which has
become a dangerous ‘no-man’s-land’ in the middle of the Mediterranean where Islamic terrorists and Pan-
Ottoman extremists have complete freedom of action and pro-Bin Laden financial transactions are carried
out? Will the Council also call on that Government to say whether it means to undertake immediately to
seal off this important transit channel for terrorists and their movements of capital to the Balkans, since it
represents a serious threat to European stability and security?

Reply

(25 June 2002)

The Council has no information with which to ascertain the validity of the reports quoted by the
Honourable Member in support of the assertion that the northern part of the Republic of Cyprus is a
‘terrorist haven’.

Taking account of the situation which is described in the UN Secretary-General’s reports, and which exists
in the northern part of Cyprus, as well as the role played there by Turkey, every aspect of the fight against
terrorism is discussed with Turkey in the appropriate fora in the context of the implementation of the
action plan adopted by the European Council on 21 September 2001.

(2002/C 229 E/006)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3219/01

by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission

(22 November 2001)

Subject: Establishment of a European Civilian Peace Corps

In view of the major escalation of violence which is taking place in the world and the need to improve
non-military crisis-management tools, would the Commission answer the following questions:

1. Will it say why, in its recent Communication of 11 April 2001 on conflict prevention (1), it ignored
the proposal which Parliament has repeatedly put forward (beginning with the resolution it adopted