Children performance groups from various countries including Serbia were invited to participate in the 19th International 23rd of April Children’s Festival organized as part of the annual 23rd of April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day celebrations.
A group of children from Serbia that arrived at the Larnaca Airport in South Cyprus in order to attend the festival was refused entry into TRNC by Greek Cypriot police after being kept waiting for hours. Our Ministry’s diplomatic efforts to allow access for the Serbian group in the presence of the UN Peacekeeping Force throughout the day were unfortunately rejected and with no warning and without being allowed to exit the airport, Serbian children aged 10-11 were sent back to their countries in a cruel and inhumane way by Greek authorities in a private aircraft.
The aforementioned incident is the product of such a mentality that cannot even tolerate Turkish Cypriot children’s interaction with children from foreign countries and represents the latest example of Greek Cypriot Administration’s well known policy that intends to isolate Turkish Cypriots from the rest of the world.
It is once again proven that the current vision and mentality of the Greek Cypriot side have not changed, and that its restrictive attitude as well as its desire to subjugate the Turkish Cypriots still continues. The attitude of the Greek Cypriot side makes one requestion how a new partnership is to be established and even if realised, how it is to be maintained.