WRITTEN QUESTION E-3635/01 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Council. Terrorisation of Turkish Cypriots by the Denktash regime.
Date: 2002-01-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cyprus, Türkiye, freedom of expression, human rights, imprisonment, teacher

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/41

As for the acquisition of land, the Commission has recognised the political sensitivity of, in particular, the
purchase of agricultural land in certain candidate countries. Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and
Bulgaria have been granted a seven-year transitional period with a revision after three years for the
acquisition of agricultural land. The three Baltic States, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta have not negotiated any
transitional arrangements for agricultural land while negotiations are ongoing with Poland and Romania.
Special attention has been paid to self employed farmers from the Member States who reside in the
candidate country and who in principle will be able to purchase agricultural
land from the date of
accession. Nothing prevents candidate countries from shortening or giving up the transitional period.

Each chapter is negotiated separately and the transitional arrangements only reflect the concern expressed
by either party in each particular chapter. There is therefore no reciprocity between the agreements found
under free movement of persons and free movement of capital. Moreover, the duration of transitional
measures under specific chapters depends on the specificity of each case and may vary from country to
country.

(2002/C 229 E/042)

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
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.

its meeting on 10 December 2001,