Greek Cypriots in Northern Cyprus

Enclaved Greek Cypriots are the Greek Cypriots who have remained in enclaved villages in Northern Cyprus after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.[1]

In 2014, the population of Greek Cypriots was 343. The Greek Cypriots in Rizokarpaso elects their muhtar in the elections organized in the south by Republic of Cyprus (that has no legal personality in the laws of Northern Cyprus).[2] The Greek Cypriots have no right to vote or run in elections.

Notable cases of discrimination

Eleni Foka was one of three Greek Cypriot primary school teachers in Karpasia, whose safety was called into question.[3][4][5] She was a teacher at the Greek-Cypriot elementary school in Ayia Triada, Yialousa, in the Northern Cyprus' Karpas region.[6] She took her issue to the European Court of Human Rights.[7] On 5 May 1994, her case was mentioned in a report submitted by the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. It stated that:

"At the beginning of March 1994, the Greek Cypriot teacher of the enclaved school in Ayia Triada, Ms. Eleni Foka, was very nearly expelled [from Northern Cyprus] after making a public statement to the effect that she felt threatened. It was only after repeated protests that her expulsion was prevented.[8]

In February 2011, it was announced that Eleni Foka has joined the participants of the Greek Cypriots, et al. v. TRNC and HSBC Bank USA class action.[9] In September 2014, United States Federal Court rejected the case of Greek Cypriots.[10][11]

In the 1996/7 school year the primary school in Ayia Triada had to close down "due to the denial of the Turkish occupational forces to allow the school teacher Mrs Eleni Foka to return to her village, regardless of the intense efforts of the [Republic of] Cyprus government for her return."[12][13] The Cypriot Financial Mirror newspaper has recorded that as recently as September 2008, the government of Northern Cyprus has prevented schoolteachers from returning to the primary school in Rizokarpaso.[14]

See also

• Turkish Cypriot enclaves, between 1963 and 1974
• Rizokarpaso
• Rizokarpaso Primary School
• Kormakitis

References

1. Continuing concern for the enclaved Greek Cypriots in the occupied areas Archived 2009-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, United Nations, 11 March 1999.
2. "Rumlar Türkler'e izin vermedi" (in Turkish). Haberturk. Retrieved 20 Feb 2017.
3. Early day motion 734, Eleni Foka, Houses of Parliament website, 2 March 1994.
4. Η Δασκάλα των κατεχομένων μιλάει στο ΣΚΑΪ.gr (Eleni Foka television interview on Sky) Skai.gr, 8 August 2010. (Greek language)
5. Η Δασκάλα των κατεχόμενων της Κύπρου και η σύγχρονη Οδύσσεια! (Eleni Foka television interview) Pyles.tv, 25 August 2010. (Greek language)
6. Case of Foka v. Turkey(Application no. 28940/95), European Court of Human Rights, 24 June 2008.
7. Press release issued by the Registrar, Chamber judgments concerning Lithuania, Romania and Turkey, Foka v. Turkey (no. 28940/95), European Court of Human Rights, 24 June 2008.
8. Thirteenth periodic reports of States parties due in 1994 : Cyprus. 05/05/1994. CERD/C/263/Add.1. United Nations, International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, 5 May 1994."
9. ‘TRNC’ targeted as a commercial enterprise Archived February 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Cyprus Mail, 23 February 2011.
10. Abbott, Ryan (13 October 2014). "Property Spat Over Turk- Controlled Cyprus Fails". Courthouse News Service. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
11. "TOUMAZOU et al v. REPUBLIC OF TURKEY et al". Justia. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
12. Annual Report 2007 of the Ministry of Education, p.252, Republic of Cyprus Ministry of Education, 2007.
13. Cyprus protests new Turkish violations Hellenic Resources Network, 26 June 1997.
14. School year begins in Cyprus primary education, Financial Mirror, 4 September 2008.