NORTH NICOSIA Mayor Kutlay Erk yesterday slammed the Greek Cypriot Olympic Committee’s decision not to allow the Olympic flame to cross to the north as “racist”.
Speaking at a press conference at the UN-controlled Ledra Palace, Erk joined around 80 Turkish and Greek Cypriot pro-reconcilliation, non-government organisations in condemning the decision to leave Turkish Cypriots out of pre-Olympic celebrations.
“Everything except the route was settled at a meeting we held with the Olympic Committee on July 5,” he said, adding that negotiations with the Committee had been ongoing for the last “three to four months”.
Erk backed his statements by producing e-mail communications between the north’s ‘minister of sport’ and Cyprus Olympic Committee chief Kikis Lazarides. Erk quoted parts of Lazarides’ communications, saying that arrangements for greeting the torchbearers in the north should be similar to those already planned for the south.
“All these things had been discussed and agreed to. I was to make a short speech, there were to be supporting runners, an ambulance, security services and the traffic was to be stopped. We were ready to do and provide all of those things”.
Erk added that it was also planned that “some of the Turkish Cypriot runners would run in the south and some of the Greek Cypriot runners would run in the north to further demonstrate the Olympic spirit”.
“We also wanted to emphasise the Cypriotness of the island by having the bi-communal choir sing ‘Dilirga’ [a folk song known among both of the ethnic communities on the island]”.
Erk said that after the meeting with the Olympic Committee, the municipality and the ‘sports ministry’ repeatedly tried to contact the Committee to obtain information about the route the torchbearers would take.
“Our efforts to gain information were met with a deathly silence or with excuses about officials being out of the office or abroad”.
He added that he later learnt officials from the Olympic Committee had been in the north and were mulling over two possible routes.
“But they didn’t tell us anything. If fact, the only message we received was a public statement by the Greek Cypriot government spokesman Kypros Christostomides saying the flame would only go north if his government allowed it.
“The first clear indication that something had changed in the attitude of the Olympic Committee came just three days before the flame was due to come to Cyprus, when we were told to forget the old conditions because there are new ones,” Erk said.
“We were then told that it had been decided that just ten athletes would run for 3.5km in the north and that absolutely no kind of ceremony was to take place”.
“We had already said we would not be against holding a somewhat more modest ceremony in the north, but when they said they did not even have enough T-shirts for our athlete we got the message loud and clear”.
Erk concluded by saying: “The flame, which has been around the world and has the power to unite continents, was hijacked by political aims”.
Erks condemnation of the Olympic Committee was backed by Greek Cypriot actress Poppy Avraan who told reporters at the press conference, “Unfortunately, our side has shown again that it is not pro-solution. Today I feel as I did after the referendum; that I must apologise to the Turkish Cypriots. I feel ashamed”.
She added: “President Papadopoulos revealed his nationalism and racism yesterday when he complained that the Turkish Cypriots were seeking equality”.
Avraan on Thursday refused to carry the Olympic torch in protest at the Olympic Committee’s decision.
Turkish Cypriot academic Niyazi Kizilyurek also spoke at the conference to condemn the Olympic Committee for “killing the spirit of the games”.
He added that the Committee’s decision should be seen as “an insult to Turkish Cypriots”
“I wish to make the strongest possible protest and condemn the Committee and anyone who supports or choses to turn a blind eye to their attitude”.
Greek Cypriot Solution Now activist Christos Stavrou pledged to “continue the fight against those who oppose the unification of the island through bigotry”.
Government spokesman Kypros Christostomides yesterday denied that the government had intervened in the decision made by the Olympic Committee, adding that negotiations on whether the flame should go north had been carried out by Athens 2004 and not the Cyprus Olympic Committee.
Erk, however, countered Christostomides by saying, “It [the decision] might have come from Athens, but the Cypriot Olympic Committee probably influenced them. As far as I know, Nicosia was told it could make the arrangements as it wished”.
