Letter from the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL to the President of the Republic on the issue of Turkish Cypriot workers and students
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 14th May 2020, Nicosia
The General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL Andros Kyprianou sent a letter to the President of the Republic last week on the issue of the Turkish Cypriot workers and students, citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, working and studying, respectively, in the free areas while residing in the occupied territories.
The text of the letter follows:
“I am communicating with you on the issue of the Turkish Cypriot workers and students, citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, who work and study, respectively, in the free areas while residing in the occupied territories.
It is a fact that the current reality with the pandemic does not permit the Turkish Cypriot workers to go on a daily basis to and from their work in the free areas. This leads to job insecurity on the one hand and on the other, it causes problems regarding the smooth operation in companies in which they are employed (for example, the construction sector).
A similar problem will also arise with the Turkish Cypriot students in English-speaking schools in the free areas, who may be called upon on May 21 to return to their schools with the rest of their classmates.
The issue arises because of the relevant decisions taken by the occupying authorities specifying that those who enter the free zones, upon their return to the occupied territories, will be forced to go into quarantine.
We request that you inform us whether the authorities of the Republic have elaborated a plan or intend to do so, with regards the terms and preconditions under which the daily passage of these compatriots will be facilitated, for work and study purposes, in the event of the unilateral lifting of the relevant restrictions on the part of the occupying authorities.
Furthermore, we consider it necessary that the possibility of taking initiatives to examine ways and procedures to facilitate the crossing to and from the occupied territories of these persons should be the subject of reflection, together with the implementation of the necessary measures for the protection and safeguarding of public health.
As AKEL, we are at your disposal for any contribution we are asked to make, to help solve this problem that concerns a large number of our Turkish Cypriot compatriots, but also a number of companies in the free areas of the Republic”.
