Self-styled ministers are reportedly holders of passports of the Republic of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen (12.10.11) reports that the self-styled minister of foreign affairs Huseyin Ozgurgun, self-styled minister of finance Ersin Tatar, self-styled minister of education, youth and sports Kemal Durust, self-styled minister of health Ahmet Kasif and self-styled minister of economy and energy Sunat Atun are holders of the Republic of Cyprus’ passports.

Columnist Aysu Basri Akter, writing in the same paper, comments on the debate created after the statements by the self-styled minister of foreign affairs Huseyin Ozgurgun at Turkey’s Assembly that “100,000 Turkish Cypriots are holders of passports of the Republic of Cyprus” and that “the Greek Cypriots deceive their young people, the Turkish Cypriots with the passport”. Akter publishes, inter alia, the following commentary, under the title “Ozgurgun’s passport”:

“(…) The passports of the Republic of Cyprus is an issue exploited for years now. While efforts were exerted in the assembly [Translator’s note: The illegal assembly of the breakaway regime in the occupied areas of Cyprus] for enacting a law which envisaged punishment with imprisonment, MPs and Ministers holding passports were in newspapers headlines. Although years have passed, they are again newspaper headlines. Because the issue is exploited with hypocrisy. (…)

Today, the Turkish Cypriots not only take passports, but they also benefit from the Republic of Cyprus’ civil rights. With these passports, they benefit from specific conditions in education and in health.

Today, the Turkish Cypriots not only take passports, but for any kind of health problems the first they trust South Cyprus. With the health cards they benefit from broad health services for paying nearly nothing.

Today not only the Turkish Cypriots, but also the people who come from Turkey and settle in Cyprus demand to get this passport, and use legal means in order for their children who are born here [Translator’s note: in the occupied areas of Cyprus] to gain these rights.

Greek Cypriot lawyers are also deal with these cases.

Today the Turkish Cypriots, not only take passports, but they also work at South Cyprus… Some even prefer to live there.

While Ozgurgun was making complaints about this at Turkey’s Assembly, in the reality, he confessed that this land, which they named republic, cannot protect its citizens.

Otherwise, why are there en masse demands of ministers, MPs, and nearly the whole number of people of a country in order to get the citizenship of another republic?

There must be another meaning apart from being deceived. (…)

In reality, the Greek Cypriots should complain, and not our politicians for the passports which the Turkish Cypriots take. Because, the Greek Cypriots pay taxes and only those who’s earning within certain limits, may benefit from privileges in the public services.

For the Turkish Cypriots, however, there is not such limitation. They are not evaluated having as criteria their profit, staying in the South or paying taxes.

(…) Words alone cannot build either democracy or a state.”