Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

Arrested for picking flowers from their home
By Simon Bahceli


FIVE Greek Cypriots, including Machi editor-in-chief Pambos Mitides, his 80-year-old mother Froso Mitides and wife Androulla, were arrested and held overnight in a Turkish Cypriot police cell for picking flowers from their garden in Karmi, it emerged yesterday.

The three family members and two friends were arrested in the north on Tuesday afternoon shortly after they had been asked by a British resident of the village not to pick flowers from the garden she claimed was hers.

“My sister and wife were trying to cut some flowers from outside my father’s coffee shop when an English woman appeared and told us to stop. She said the flowers were hers,” Mitides told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

Mitides, who is also Karmi’s mukhtar-in-exile, said he and his family were on a visit to the village and had stopped to pick some flowers from the pots outside the coffee shop they abandoned after the Turkish invasion in 1974.

“We responded to the English woman by pointing out that the coffee shop was in fact ours. Then we left.”

Shortly afterwards, the five were stopped by police in an unmarked car.

“They took our ID cards and asked us to follow them to Kyrenia police station,” Mitides said, adding that the family was then detained in an office where they were told that an English woman had filed a complaint against them accusing them of provocative behaviour.

“Two hours later we were told we were to be detained overnight, but it wasn’t until around 12 that they told us we were under arrest,” he said.

Mitides complained that he was prevented from contacting relatives in the south until around 10.30pm when a Greek-speaking Turkish Cypriot officer allowed him to use his mobile phone to call his brother.

On returning to the south yesterday, Mitides vowed to use his position as mukhtar of Karmi to persuade other Greek Cypriot property owners from the village to file lawsuits against foreigners living there.

“At first I was thinking of not going back [to the village], but because the British aim is to prevent us from returning I will encourage people to file lawsuits against them and I’m urging the people of Karmi to appeal in court for their properties.”

According to Turkish Cypriot police, the three Mitides family members and their two friends appeared in court at noon yesterday where they denied provoking the British woman. However, all five were found guilty and made to sign bail for 1,000 New Turkish Lira, suspended for a year on condition they did not repeat the offence.

A police spokeswoman told the Cyprus Mail: “They were picking flowers from the garden of a British person who asked them not to do so. The Greek Cypriots responded by telling them it was their house. This was viewed by the British person and by the judge as provocative.”

Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides responded to the arrests yesterday by saying: “I see it as completely irrational to arrest people for cutting flowers.”

“I put this reaction down to fear and concern in the occupied areas generated by the continuous reporting on the illegality [of buying Greek Cypriot properties in the north],” he added.

Chrysostomides stopped short of advising all Greek Cypriot refugees to take out lawsuits against those residing in their abandoned properties in the north, but said, “It is up to individuals to decide [whether to take legal action]. The government will not make any statements on this as the right to do this is already in place.”

[Piratis]

The Greek Cypriots responded by telling them it was their house. This was viewed by the British person and by the judge as provocative

And then some TCs say that the ECHR or anybody should take seriously their claim that their "courts" can fairly judge the cases of GC refugees that claim back their properties!

[brother]

PIRATIS THEY HAVE NOT CLAIMED THEIR PROPERTY BACK but the point i was trying to get across was the lack of good will from all concerned.

[Piratis]

Brother, what I mean is that a "judge" convicted somebody for cutting flowers from his garden. do you think that such people if they were judging the case of Titina Loizidou they would have come to the same conclusions as the ECHR? Obviously not.

The point is that not only the courts in the north are illegal, but they do not even try to be fair. All they care about is to support their illegal regime.

[LANDJO]

why this kind of polemicization obviates an agreement? Both TC and GC know what happened here. They know and understand the English womans point of view. And they know and understand the Greek point of view.

But all of this is a symptom, not a reason. A symptom of a de facto division of the island as a result of violent intercommunal conflict. What I don't understand is why so much effort is spent attacking the symptoms instead of the reason? We lambast the Turkish invasion/intervention and occupation, lament the expropriation, declare illegal the TRNC, and scrutinize every single world coming fromt he TRNC, Turkey or the EU in search of an issue that can be skewed the right way. But all of these circumstances are nothing but a result of the conflict, and eliminating them will not solve the conflict itself in any way.

Can anyone explain to me how a solution can be possible as long as we keep attacking the symptoms instead of the reason?

[garbitsch]

I really wonder Pirati, when you will realise that until there will be a solution in Cyprus, TRNC will be functioning as a sovereign state -whether it is illegal or not. Additionally, the property issue will not be solved until there is a solution in Cyprus.

[brother]

Brother, what I mean is that a "judge" convicted somebody for cutting flowers from his garden. do you think that such people if they were judging the case of Titina Loizidou they would have come to the same conclusions as the ECHR? Obviously not.

The point is that not only the courts in the north are illegal, but they do not even try to be fair. All they care about is to support their illegal regime.

Thats why i said there is no good will, giving a fine to these people who have already suffered the loss of their home knocks them backwards but they in turn could have spoken to the current occupier yet again as a good will gesture and told then what they were doing.

[RAFAELLA]

What were the Gcs doing all these years? Sleeping?

Why we didn't start suing all those who illegaly bought our properties?
I believe that all refugees should start suing those foreigners who dared to buy stolen properties.

Unjustice will never be pleased!

[RAFAELLA]

What were the Gcs doing all these years? Sleeping?

Why we didn't start suing all those who illegaly bought our properties?
I believe that all refugees should start suing those foreigners who dared to buy stolen properties.

Unjustice will never be pleased!

....I meant to say "BLESSED" ...not pleased.
Sorry!

[LANDJO]

For God's sake, why are you blaming the foreigners? Blame the TRNC regime if you need a scapegoat. The foreigner's have paid for the properties at market prices and have the right to put faith in the official documents produced by the regime until there is a solution. Refusing to do so would be like me telling a TRNC police officer that he does not have the right to fine me for driving 200 kilometers per hour...

Instead of scaring them away, welcome the foreigners that choose this country to live and spend money in. Whether they be in the North or the South.