By Charlie Charalambous
DID THE security forces release two suspected spies found searching for Kurdish military camps near Paphos after realising they were Mossad agents?
Although the allegation in yesterday’s Apogevmatini may seem somewhat outlandish, an official response from the police failed to dismiss it out of hand.
“It’s a political issue, not a police matter,” is all the police press office was willing to tell the Cyprus Mail yesterday.
Apogevmatini claims that two Israeli agents looking for secret Kurdish guerilla training camps were caught by Cyprus Intelligence officers in the remote Paphos village of Inia recently.
The two suspects were later set free after the authorities discovered they were Israeli agents and feared the political repercussions from Tel Aviv, the paper alleged.
Justice Minister Nicos Koshis could neither deny nor confirm the Apogevmatini report: “I don’t have any information like that… I just don’t know,” he told the Cyprus Mail.
Only last week, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit claimed that Cyprus was a breeding ground for PKK guerillas and hosted military training camps for the separatist organisation.
This allegation was categorically denied by President Clerides, who gave an open invitation to EU or UN observers to come and have a look for themselves.
Ever since Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan was captured by Turkish security forces two weeks ago, Cyprus has been targeted by Turkey as a “terrorist refuge”.
Ocalan, Turkey said, was found in possession of a Cypriot passport at the time of his arrest. The Cyprus government has denied any involvement in the “Ocalan passport” affair.
Cypriot intelligence sources are also reported as saying that the island was “crawling” with foreign spies, mainly from Israel, Britain and Turkey.
The media has speculated that Mossad agents are on the island to pass any information concerning the Kurds to their counterparts in Turkey (MIT).
A majority of Cypriots strongly sympathise with the Kurdish cause as they see a common oppressor in Turkey.
Paranoia over the suspected presence of Israeli spies on the island has been heightened ever since two Israeli agents were arrested in Zygi last November eavesdropping on police frequencies.
Israeli anti-terrorist agents Igal Damary, 49, and Udi Hargov, 37, were convicted and sentenced to three years by an Assize court last month for “approaching a military area”.
They pleaded guilty to the charge after more serious spying accusations were dropped by state prosecutors.
The arrests and subsequent trial caused great friction in Cyprus-Israeli relations, already reeling from Israel’s military ties with Turkey.
During last Thursday’s parliamentary debate over the Zygi saga, left-wing Akel deputy Kikis Yiangou said the island was “crawling” with Mossad agents and alleged Larnaca marina was used as a covert meeting point.
Yiangou also claimed that Mossad agents used a network of Cypriot informants, citing a former high-ranking Cypriot intelligence officer who hosted Mossad agents at his seaside villa.
The deputy further alleged during the debate that a well-known Cypriot with good connections was on the pay-roll of Mossad and fed it with classified government information.
