WRITTEN QUESTION E-3384/01 by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) and Christos Zacharakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Activities of bin Laden in occupied Cyprus.
Date: 2001-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cyprus, Türkiye, economic sanctions, international sanctions, money laundering, public safety, terrorism

C 229 E/20

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

entities with a view to combating terrorism (5) and established an initial
list in accordance with the
procedure laid down in that Regulation (Council Decision 2001/927/EC of 27 December 2001 (5)). At the
same time it also adopted Common Positions 2001/930/CFSP (5), which accepts Resolution 1373(2001),
and 2001/931/CFSP (5) which provides a basis for Community legislation based on Articles 60 (ex
Article 73g) and 301 (ex Article 228a) of the EC Treaty.

(1) COM(2001) 569. Opinion given on 4 October 2001.
(2) OJ L 67, 9.3.2001.
(3) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1996/2001 of 11 October 2001 amending,

Regulation (EC) No 467/2001, OJ L 271, 12.10.2001.

for the second time, Council

(4) COM(2001) 713.
(5) OJ L 344, 28.12.2001.

(2002/C 229 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3384/01

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) and Christos Zacharakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Activities of bin Laden in occupied Cyprus

(7 December 2001)

According to reports in the international press, the notorious terrorist Osama bin Laden has been spotted
at least twice in recent years in the areas of northern Cyprus occupied by the Turkish army. The same
reports claim that bin Laden was in occupied Cyprus to conduct business with a small bank based in the
self-styled ‘state’ which is owned by a close relative of the leader of the occupying regime, R. Denktash.
the centres of
Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus is thus giving every indication of being one of
this
international
internationally wanted criminal.

to be aiding and abetting the movements of

terrorism, and Turkey appears

What is the Commission’s view of the role of Turkey and the Turkish-controlled regime in occupied
Cyprus in covering up bin Laden’s movements? Have bin Laden’s bank transactions in the occupied sector
of Cyprus been investigated? What steps will the Commission take to establish exactly what the terrorist
did in occupied Cyprus? What action will it take to strike hard at the terrorist groups which have found a
hospitable refuge in Turkey and that part of Cyprus illegally controlled by its army? Does the Commission
also intend to investigate whether the 20 casinos which operate in Turkish-occupied Cyprus (there is not a
single one in the free Republic of Cyprus) are being used to launder dirty money? Is Turkey among those
countries which have frozen the accounts of terrorist organisations and, if so, which organisations?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 2002)

On 23 September 2001, Turkey published an executive order (nr 13224) blocking the assets of 27 persons
and entities named in the order. A second set of 39 names was added on 12 October 2001.

As the Honourable Member is aware, the Commission does not have official contacts with the Turkish
Cypriot authorities. On this issue, there is no information available from other sources.

(2002/C 229 E/020)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3400/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(21 December 2001)

Subject: Recent destruction of natural forests in northern Russia by illegal logging and smuggling of timber

into the EU

1.
Is the Commission aware of the report in the ‘New Scientist’, 13 October 2001, concerning the
World Resources Institute (WRI)‘s conclusion that the boreal forests of northern Russia have been ’reduced
to fragments, broken up by logging, mines, farms, roads and power lines’?