There is huge concern in the occupied territories by the arrest of the Turkish Cypriot lawyer Akan Kürşat in Italy, based on a European warrant issued by the Republic of Cyprus.
The warrant was issued in 2007 due to Kürşat's participation in an illegal process of selling Greek Cypriot properties to foreigners or Turkish settlers. Other Turkish Cypriots who have done similarly now avoid travelling to European countries, fearing their arrest.
Akan Kürşat was arrested in Rome on 30 December and is being held by the Italian police pending extradition to the Republic of Cyprus to face trial.
The Turkish Cypriot newspapers show an interview of the Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kobos in the "Politis" newspaper, where he stated that there would be more arrests.
"Unrest among the Turkish Cypriots"
The President of the Turkish Cypriot Nationalist Democracy Party (MDP), Buray Buskuvutcu, criticised the so-called "government" of the pseudo-state and the so-called "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" regarding the arrest of the lawyer Akan Kürşat as they did not take any action and the lawyer was left to his fate, as he writes in his statement.
"If Kürşat is not released or if the Italian authorities hand him over to the Greek Cypriot administration, the reputation of the [illegal and unrecognised] Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will be damaged, and unrest will be caused among the Turkish Cypriots. Moreover, these arrests will continue," he added, referring to the government of the Republic of Cyprus and the pseudo-state, respectively.
Buskuvutcu maintains that Akan Kürşat's actions were legal, and he did not commit any crime under the "laws" of the pseudo-state. He also called on the "administrators" to protect their "citizens" under any circumstances and to take initiatives for Kürşat.
Question of the arrests will continue
The website "Cyprus Postasi" says whether the arrests will be limited to only that of Akan Kürşat is questionable. He notes that regarding Akan Kürşat's arrest in Rome, Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking action with lawyers.
The "Avrupa" newspaper, in its front page commentary, writes that the case for which Kürşat was arrested may be old, but it concerns the property problem and speaks of loot, meaning the Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied territories. “We did not distribute these spoils but sold them to foreigners. We're doing it now, too." "Avrupa" also writes that the actions of the lawyers of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Italy have not brought results so far.
The newspaper "Yeni Bakış" writes today that after the arrest of Kürşat due to his involvement in the sale of Greek Cypriot properties, the value of real estate and land belonging to Turkish Cypriots in the occupied territories has increased by 100%.
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