THE NEWLY launched ferry service between occupied Famagusta and Latakia in Syria will be discussed at a meeting today between the Cypriot and Syrian Foreign Ministers, the government said yesterday.
Nicosia says it still isn’t satisfied with explanations from Syria about the ferry trip, which was launched last Saturday and is expected to commence services from October 12.
“We shall listen to what the Syrian Foreign Minister has to say on Wednesday, when he meets our Foreign Minister in New York.
“We have examined various scenarios which could be activated, depending on the explanations we get and the extent to which these will satisfy us,” Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Alexandros Zenon said yesterday.
Zenon also hinted at a “certain leverage” Cyprus could apply against Syria to deal with the issue. He did not elaborate.
Acting Cyprus Foreign Minister Fotis Fotiou, who has held meetings in Nicosia with Syrian officials since news emerged about the service said yesterday he expected an answer to three questions he had raised.
The government wanted to know whether it was true that Turkish Cypriot officials had met Syrian ministers, whether there was an agreement between the north’s administration and whether the trips would go ahead, despite Nicosia’s objections.
“We have been told that the replies will be given to us today but I would recommend patience until tomorrow when the Foreign Minister will meet with her Syrian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York,” Fotiou said yesterday.
Fotiou said he had briefed President Tassos Papadopoulos, who is also in New York.
“The President believes that we should wait for the outcome of the meeting in New York, which should clarify the situation with regard to Syrian moves on the matter,” Photiou added.
In the north Akgunler Shipping, which will operate the ferry service, said it would go ahead, despite Greek Cypriot objections.
“For 28 years we have not been able to sail directly to Syria because every time we tried the Syrian government buckled to Greek Cypriot pressure not to allow us,” head of Akgunler, Hamit Gungor told the Cyprus Mail yesterday. “But now we have managed to persuade the Syrians, and soon we will begin regular services,” he added.
Gorgun said the services were not about political recognition and were merely a reflection of Turkish Cypriots’ “right to travel”.
“We believe that Turkish Cypriots, like people from all other countries, should enjoy the freedom to travel,” he said, adding that this time the Syrians were, he believed, not going to give into pressure from the Cypriot government to cancel the planned services.
Gorgun said that Syria, although it does not recognise the Turkish Cypriot statelet, is allowing the use of the travel document.
“Like a number of other countries such as the UK, France, the US and Pakistan, the Syrians have decided to allow us to travel there using Turkish Cypriot passports,” he said.
Although the programme for sailings to the Syrian port have not yet been finalised, Gorgun said weekly sailings were planned, beginning before the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid, which starts on October 13. He said the cost of a return trip to Latakia would be in the region of $100 (£50).
Ferry services between Famagusta and Latakia ran briefly between 1978 and 1979, but were cancelled after Syria bowed to Greek Cypriot demands that they stop.
??
??
??
??
