Turkish commandos (and not Turkish police reported as in other cases in the past) apparently kidnapped two Greek Cypriots in the buffer zone in Bergama, near Dherynia last week. The shocking story was revealed on Sunday in the weekend edition of Dimokratia. The newspaper report said that the two men, aged 42 and 33 years old, were wondering in the area last Wednesday at noon in order to pick wild asparagus and since then their whereabouts remain a mystery.
The report in Dimokratia said that when the two men were kidnapped, two vehicles carrying Turkish special forces apparently appeared in the area and at gunpoint dragged the two men to the occupied part of Nicosia, where they are still being held captive until today. The incident, adds the same report, has mobilized both the Cyprus National guard, the police and the UN special forces have also been contacted.
In Nicosia, government officials are trying to keep a lid on the incident because they believe that the move is connected to the upcoming strategic agreement between Cyprus and Israel. The agreement focuses on the delimitation of search and rescue operations in the sea area between the two countries, where in practical terms the sea area between the two countries will be divided. This is something that Ankara definitely does not want and has something which it has warned against as well.
Cyprus and Israel believe that this cooperation will shield the energy investments made in the sea area between both countries.
The agreement in all reality is yet another slap to Turkey and the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus. Ankara has attempted, through its well known "diplomacy" to challenge this agreement on every possible level. In fact it has attempted to doubt the capabilities of Cyprus to provide SAR services in the whole region which falls under Nicosia's FIR.
The report in Dimokratia said that the agreement will be signed during the scheduled visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Cyprus some time in February.
References
- http://www.newsnow.gr/article/351073/tourkoi-komantos-apigagan-dyo-ellinokyprious.html
- http://www.inews.gr/0/tourkoi-komantos-apigagan-dyo-ellinokyprious.htm
- http://infognomonpolitics.blogspot.gr/2013/02/blog-post_3893.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+InfognomonPolitics+%28InfognomonPolitics%29
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