Cyprus President to Meet Brave Cypriots

Interview on CyBC

The couple who raised three  Cyprus flags outside their shop in Famagusta and were duly arrested by the authorities after complaints from 5  mainland Turkey were later  interviewed on CyBC .  The interview was both emotional and tearful for the ladies,  Elita Michaelidou the CyBC presenter and Cinel Senem Husseyin, but the studio audience was not immune to crying either. CyBC later said that the greater  majority of callers to the programme were supportive of the couple’s actions.

After the interview, a government spokesman – Mr Nicos Christodoulides – contacted Cinel on behalf  of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nicos Anastasiades.

Christodoulides explained that the President had watched the programme and wanted  Cinel and Koray  to know that they had the support of the republic  and that he wanted to help them upon his return.

Background

The couple was charged for hanging 3 Cyprus Republic flags outside their shop in Famagusta in June of 2014.  Although not illegal,  Koray  was charged and the case dismissed by the court 4 years ago. The police took no notice and charged him again. This time Koray Basdogrultmaci wanted to show  the hypocrisy,  whereby the Cyprus Republic flag was flying in Turkey with the Turkish Prime Minister  Recep Tayyip Erdogan  present at the opening of the ceremony of the Mediterranean Games.

 

I am a Cypriot not a martyr
Kibrisliyim Sehit değilim
Είμαι ένας Κύπριος δεν είμαι μάρτυρας

 

Koray and Cinel call themselves CYPRIOTS with  no attached label. They happen to be Turkish Speaking Cypriots, who feel the laws and actions of  the Ankara regime are effected to drive out the indigenous Cypriots from the Northern part of Cyprus and make way for more Turkish mainlanders to arrive.

The couple are being  victimized in a blatantly political case brought about by 5 mainland Turks who complained to the authorities.  They say they are proud Cypriots who are willing to go to  to jail for their stance, and take the  battle to the European Court of Human Rights to protect their basic human right and Freedom of Expression.

Elita Michaelidou was quoted as saying “Today I experienced a miracle on the show, along with the self proclaimed Turkish speaking (not Turkish Cypriots) Cypriots who raised the Cypriot official flag against the occupying forces – the self-imposed pseudostate of Turkey – and for this they go on trial on Easter Monday at the pseudo-court in Famagusta. They did not fear the 50 thousand occupying army and said ‘even if they take my home – my homeland and my heart they cannot’

Sign the petition at Change.org to have the case dismissed

The CyBC Interview

Interview on SigmaLive Hangouts