Turkey keeps on paying its Cyta bills

THE CYPRUS Telecommunications Authority (Cyta) still lists the phone number and address of the Embassy of Turkey in its Yellow Pages, despite no diplomatic relations between the two countries since Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974.

“For 25 years, they have been paying their bills,” Cyta Public Relations Officer Alexia Yiallouridou said, explaining why the phone number and address of the Turkish embassy is still published.

The phone and address are listed under “Embassies and Legations” on page 235 of the 1998 Yellow Pages, and according to Cyta Spokeswoman Rita Karatzia, both numbers normally work.

The embassy is at 39 Selim II Street in Turkish-occupied old Nicosia. The one phone number published is 465242. An alternate, available from Directory Enquiries, is 475622.

Both are six-digit numbers, as opposed to the seven-digit numbers the occupation regime’s phone system uses. But this is not why neither answers, whether dialled direct or through the new automated United Nations switchboard.

“In 1974, the lines were cut,” Karatzia said. “It was easier to restrict service in the occupied area” after the invasion than to cut water and power connections between the Republic and the occupied north. Despite this, the occupation regime kept local number.

Cyta repair personnel have told Karatzia the number in the Yellow Pages – 465242 – has been disconnected, and they suspect another disconnect is why the second number also does not answer.

But any disconnect is “in the Turkish occupied areas, not from our side,” Karatzia said. “There might be a fault. It might be anything. The phones normally work.”

Since the Republic insists – and the international community, except for Turkey and Pakistan, agrees – that there is only one legitimate government of Cyprus, “we have never stopped wanting to provide service to the entire island,” Karatzia said.