By Charlie Charalambous
LEFT-WING leaders Demetris Christofias and Vassos Lyssarides have said they would gladly have given up their diplomatic passports to save Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan from a Turkish prison.
Both politicians took the stance when asked in a CyBC television interview what they thought about Turkish allegations that Ocalan had carried a Cypriot passport belonging to local journalist Lazaros Mavros.
Akel leader Christofias said he would have gladly have given his if asked to do so by the Kurds.
“If the Kurds came and asked me to give up my passport to Ocalan at the time the whole of Europe was after him, I would have him given six passports not one,” Christofias said during a television interview on Thursday, aired by CyBC radio yesterday.
The politician’s views are unlikely to cause a stir among a Cypriot public that strongly supports the Kurdish cause against the common Turkish enemy.
Christofias said he would have handed over his blue diplomatic passport without hesitation.
The leader of the second largest party in Cyprus saw no problem with whether Mavros might have handed over his passport or not.
“As a Kurdish sympathiser and solidarity committee member it’s natural he would give up his passport to the Kurdish leader,” said Christofias.
Edek leader Lyssarides said he would congratulate any person who gave Ocalan a passport.
“I don’t think there is a decent man with a conscience who would not give his passport to Ocalan to save him from a Turkish prison,” Lyssarides told the CyBC interview.
Although the government has categorically denied any involvement in the Ocalan passport saga, Lyssarides said the affair should be a matter of pride, not indignation.
“I approach the issue with great importance; it is the cause of some pride.”
Some 50 Kurdish protestors ended their three-day hunger strike outside the Greek embassy in Nicosia yesterday.
In a resolution handed over to the embassy, the Kurds said Ocalan’s arrest “still remains the responsibility of the Simitis government”, despite the resignation of three Greek ministers over the issue.
“Costas Simitis should resign and save the dignity of the Greek people,” the resolution said.
