Cyprus-Forum.com

[bill cobbett]

The following is from today's Cyprus Mail.....


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Turkish Cypriots will go to Androlikou
By Bejay Browne
THREE busloads of Turkish Cypriots from Myrtou, who own land in Androlikou village in the Akamas will arrive in the area on Sunday morning to protest against quarrying in the area.

Residents of the village sent out a desperate plea for help on Thursday, following constant quarrying, which they said was tearing the area apart.

Explosions and excavating for rock used for construction began the area earlier in the week just above a series of gorges containing wildlife and important flora and fauna.

The heavy excavations and continuous daily explosions are however quickly destroying the region, the residents said.

And, in the wake of the residents’ pleas, further problems have to come to light.

The committee for Androlikou is made up of five members, four of whom are Turkish Cypriot and the fifth a Greek Cypriot.

It now appears as if the village mukhtar travelled to Nicosia of his own accord, and signed papers prepared by the government, which gave permission for the new quarrying, without the consent of other council members. This is supported by the fact that the minutes of the relevant council meetings do not record any such permission.

Local doctor, Yiannis Taliotis had been asked by villagers to help. Androlikou once had a population of more than 600,but this has now dwindled to around only twenty permanent residents.

Sources close to the government said papers giving permission to quarry in the Akamas village were in order.

Taliotis said: “I think the government may have given a favourable outcome to these requests, as the people involved are all governmental, or close to the government. This doesn’t mean it’s right though. This is a Turkish Cypriot-owned village, and it’s impossible for residents to survive next to explosions and heavy quarrying."


Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

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Only right and proper (leaving aside any poss double dipping) that the rightful owners of Androlikou (90% tissy population by all accounts) should be reclaiming their home village and to protest against the environmental degradation caused by this stone quarrying in the Akamas. Quarrying that seems to be taking place without the usual full local Council support.

I'd like to think they would also condemn the far more devastating and illegal quarrying of stone, sand and cement and the deliberate deforestation that's taken place in the Kyrenia mountains over the past decades.

I'd be delighted to take part in similar organised mass excursions to the Occupied North to reassert our rights in the old villages.

Anyone else for a short coach trip?