Mayor of north Nicosia issues EC complaint

THE mayor of occupied Nicosia called on the European Commission to encourage the Nicosia Municipality to include the occupied municipality in a common bid for the 2017 European Capital of Culture.

In a letter addressed to EU commissioner for education, culture, multilingualism and youth Androulla Vassiliou on December 15, Cemal Bulutoglulari said that according to the 1960 Constitution, which provided for separate municipalities for the two communities, his municipality was the sole legitimate local representative of the Turkish Cypriot residents of Nicosia.

“We are aware that the European Capital of Culture is a forward-looking programme and we are looking forwards as well,” wrote Bulutoglulari.

He said that while the political solution had to come from the political leaders, “we at the local level want to do our best to find alternative solutions within our scope”.

Incumbent Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou said that a common bid had too many legal and political complications and highlighted that both the proposal and evaluation of Nicosia’s bid provided close cooperation with several Turkish Cypriot artists.

“We’ve done everything we could under the political circumstances and it is our hope that, if we win, we can stage events on both sides of the Green Line,” said Mavrou.

The 1960 Constitution states the establishment of separate municipalities in Cyprus’ five main cities, with their territorial jurisdiction in Nicosia changing due to the Green Line and Turkish invasion of 1974. 

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