Cypriot Maronites demand to have the same rights they enjoy in the Republic of Cyprus in the occupied area as well

Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (08.08.11) under the title: “Human demand” reports that the Cypriot Maronites who are living in occupied Kormakitis village asked for having the right to vote and be elected and the right to be represented at the “TRNC parliament” as they have in “south Cyprus”.

As the paper writes, the Cypriot Maronites of Lebanese origin that are living in “south Cyprus” and constitute a big part of the population, have asked to have the same rights they enjoy in “south Cyprus” in the occupied area of Cyprus as well.

Commenting on the issue, Baris Mammali, a Turkish Cypriot lawyer, gave a conditional support to the Cypriot Maronites saying that if Cypriot Maronites are real citizens of this “country”, then they are owners of any kind of “citizenship right” including the right to vote and to be elected. And if these people demand this and the “TRNC citizenship”, then if we do not give them this right, it means that we are behaving contrary to the human rights and that we are doing a community discrimination, Mamali said.