“PEO demanded the removal of a anti-occupation banner”

Greek to English translation
Date: 06.09.2010 | 13:39
“PEO demanded the removal of a anti-occupation banner”
During the communal event for Peace Day on 1 September.
Nikos Stelgia

IMPORTANT STATEMENT: -THE TRANSLANTION IS BASED ON GOOGLE TRANSLATE. PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH POSSIBLE INACCURACIES. THANK YOU-

Turkish Cypriot activists complain that, during an event in Peace Day in the buffer zone on September 1, PEO demanded the removal of a anti-occupation banner.

According to members of the Turkish Cypriot New Cyprus Party (YKP) and various Turkish Cypriot left-wing groups, the PEO has reacted to the banner bearing the slogan "We protest against the occupation" under the pretext that it sets a "risk" to the future of bicommunal action and collaborated with members of the UN in order to force for its removal from the site of the event. Faced with the strong attitude of the PEO, Turkish Cypriot activists objected, insisting the hanging of banners. Finally, thanks to their strong intervention, the banner was at the event.

The YKP, and other leftist groups of Turkish Cypriots express strong opposition to the presence of all military forces in Cyprus. This portion of the Turkish Cypriots proposes the removal of all armies from the island. At the same time, it emphasize that the future presence of Turkish Cypriots in their homeland is under threat. According to this point of view the initiatives of the Turkish Cypriot leadership and the cooperation with Ankara lead to the alienation of the Turkish Cypriots from their homes. Faced with this situation, Cypriot activists propose the reunification of the island based on the eradication of ethnic, religious, racial and other kinds of discrimination.

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