Probe into Turkish Cypriot visa incident

THE GOVERNMENT and the police yesterday launched investigations into why a Turkish Cypriot woman and her two children were turned back on arrival at Larnaca airport form Lebanon, despite having all the necessary paperwork for entry into Cyprus.
Officials had initially said the family did not have visas in their Lebanese passports, but later admitted the woman should have been allowed in anyway because she was a Turkish Cypriot and issued a public apology over the incident.
But yesterday it turned out that the woman and her children did in fact have visas, issued by the Cypriot embassy in Beirut, which were apparently ignored by the police officers at passport control.
Gulsevin Sah and her two children arrived at Larnaca airport on Saturday, but were refused entry and held at the airport for 24 hours before being put on a flight back to Lebanon.
An embarrassed Government Spokesman on Tuesday apologised for the incident.
And yesterday, it emerged that government officials had apparently been misled into thinking immigration officers at the airport had enforced the letter of the law.
“One of two things happened,” said Interior Minister Andreas Christou.
“Either we were misled by the person who briefed us, or he was misled by the people who briefed him.”
Christou said he had personally informed the Government Spokesman about the incident after speaking to police officers at Larnaca airport.
“And police, after briefing me, assured me that the Turkish Cypriot woman did not have a visa,” Christou said.
He added: “We have already given instructions for the issue to be investigated.”
Chrysostomides said the government had appointed Communications Ministry Permanent Secretary Symeon Matsis to look into the incident.
“Due to the severity of the issue, a high ranking public official was appointed as the investigating officer to look into all the aspects.
“Let us wait for the results of the investigation,” the spokesman said.
Police also announced an investigation of their own into the incident.
A statement issued yesterday apologised to the woman on behalf of the force, adding:
“The matter that (officers) ignored the fact that the woman’s Lebanese passport contained a visa from the Cyprus embassy in Lebanon and that she was a Turkish Cypriot will be the subject of a police investigation ordered by the Chief of Police. The fact that officers on duty misinformed their superiors at Larnaca airport (about the case) will also be investigated.”
Chrysostomides yesterday sought to play down the case as an “isolated incident that should not overshadow the government’s steady policy towards the Turkish Cypriots, their assistance and the creation of a climate of trust and co-operation”.
He said the initial information the government had was that the woman did not have a visa.
Christou, however, was adamant that the woman had every right to enter Cyprus, whatever the visa situation had been.
“Visa or no visa, the handling of the issue was unfortunate; the woman should have been helped and not detained for 24 hours with the children and then sent back to Lebanon.
“This is the government’s official position,” he added.
The minister noted the issue had been entirely handled by police on the spot, who had failed at any time to consult their political superiors.
“I do not know what they were thinking or how they arrived to that decision.
“You can’t say they don’t come across such issues every day.
“I’m perplexed by the way they handled the issue,” Christou said.
The fiasco has played into the hands of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, who, according to Politis, has already contacted the woman promising to fly her to the occupied areas through Turkey by Saturday.