KAMU-SEN chairman: “Turkish Cypriots live with the fear of losing their identity”Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (05.08.11) reports on a statement by the chairman of the Turkish Cypriot “public servants’ Trade Union” (KAMU-SEN) Mehmet Ozkardas, who said that the Turkish Cypriot “people” live with the fear and the worry of losing their culture and identity.

Issuing a written statement on the latest developments in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, Ozkardas said that the three most serious problems experienced in the occupied area are “the uncontrolled population, the illegal labour force, and the citizenship distribution”. He noted that these three problems should be seen from economic, social and cultural aspect, as well as from a political aspect, adding that the influence of these problems on the future of the Turkish Cypriots should be discussed.

Referring to the ongoing intensified talks on the Cyprus problem, Ozkardas stated that in such a period, all the NGOs, the political parties and consequently, the Turkish Cypriots have to focus on the solution in Cyprus, by noting that it is clear, that quarrelling for “domestic issues” will not benefit anyone.

Ozkardas reiterated that they will continue to oppose those three problems, stressing, inter alia, that with such practices, the demographic structure of the occupied area will change, the social and cultural structure of the Turkish Cypriots will be damaged, the political life will be influenced, and called on everyone not to remain silent.