Turks arrest two near Strovilia checkpoint

By Jean Christou

THE United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus (Unficyp) yesterday confirmed that two Greek Cypriots had been detained by Turkish troops on Tuesday evening at a disputed checkpoint close to eastern British base of Dhekelia.

Unficyp spokesman Major Paul Kolken said the two men aged 22 had been arrested at the Black Knight checkpoint near Strovilia, a military crossing point between the bases and the Turkish-controlled north of the island.

Kolken said he could not reveal the names of the two men and that Unficyp had been unable to obtain more details from authorities in the north because Turkish Cypriots were celebrating a Turkish mainland holiday. “They will probably appear in court tomorrow,” he said. The UN is trying to arrange to visit to the two men.

Cyprus police also declined to name the two men. A duty officer in Nicosia said police were not sure the men’s relatives had been informed and that they themselves were waiting for information from Unficyp. The incident happened at around 7pm on Tuesday night, the duty officer said.

British bases spokesman Rob Need confirmed that the two men had driven up to Black Knight checkpoint and asked to cross to the north at Strovilia. “They wanted to go into the occupied areas, not into the village” Need said.

He said British troops couldn’t stop anyone who wanted to cross. “We can only warn them,” he said.

Need said that as soon as the men crossed the second barrier, manned by Turkish troops, they were arrested. It is believed one of the two Greek Cypriots detained holds American citizenship.

On July 1, Turkish troops advanced 300-400 metres, putting Strovilia and its handful of Greek Cypriot residents behind Turkish lines.

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kassoulides warned on Tuesday that Turkish military actions near Strovilia were undermining the ongoing UN-led Cyprus talks.

He was responding to a visit to Strovilia on Saturday evening by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, which the government views as a provocation.

The two sides are due to resume UN-sponsored proximity talks in New York on September 12.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.