Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on Tuesday condemned a reported attack against three Turkish Cypriots on Sunday by a group of Greek Cypriots in Nicosia, believed to be APOEL fans.
In a statement via his spokesman Baris Burcu, Akinci ordered the matter be passed on to President Nicos Anastasiades through the chief negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis.
Akinci requested the guilty persons be arrested and punished and the victims compensated.
The case concerns a report filed to police by a Turkish Cypriot who claimed he and his two friends were attacked in Nicosia on Sunday by a group of Greek Cypriots believed to be APOEL fans.
According to the Turkish Cypriot, the car he and his friends were in, registered in the north, was attacked and damaged by a number of people on mopeds on Sunday when it stopped at traffic lights on Makarios Avenue.
The report, police said, was filed on Monday afternoon. According to the man’s claims, at around 5.15pm on Sunday a group of people wearing orange Tshirts approached the car on around 15 scooters, and started kicking it. Damage to the car is estimated at around €500, police said.
The Turkish Cypriot filed the report on Monday, as he said he felt “things would be calmer”, police said.
The car’s driver, told Turkish Cypriot newspaper Kibris they were attacked when they stopped at traffic lights on Makarios Avenue, opposite the (Lykavitos) police station.
“At first the motorcyclists stopped in front of us. Then, others came behind our vehicle with cars, they got off and attacked us. We barely escaped. I want those who did this to be found and punished,” he told Kibris.
Burcu said they would do everything they could to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots saying this was not the first time something of this sort that had happened.
In November last year, three Turkish Cypriots were attacked a day after the celebration of the north’s UDI.
Such attacks are unacceptable, Burcu said adding that they affect the procedure and trust in negotiations to resolve the Cyprus problem and establish a common future. They should be condemned by both sides, Burcu said.
APOEL fans were out on the streets on Sunday prior to the evening’s game after which there were celebrations as they were awarded the trophy, having won the championship for the 25th time in their history.
