Cyprus disturbed over increasing Turkish settlers

24/04/2007
Financial Mirror

The Cypriot government is following closely developments in the occupied north and is concerned over land development and the settlement of the occupied areas, said here Tuesday Government Spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis.

Asked if reports are true over the increasing numbers of Turkish settlers in the occupied town of Morphou, an area which is usually settled by Turkish Cypriots, the Spokesman replied “this settlement has not been confirmed”.

In any event, he said, “if the relevant information which is being reported in the Turkish Cypriot press is true, then surely it is a disturbing development, just as very disturbing is the increasing number of settlers”.

To a question on the civil defence exercise that was held in the occupied areas with the participation of 35 countries among which EU member states, the Spokesman said that the Foreign Ministry looked into the issue and it was not confirmed that the EU countries or some of the other countries which participated represented their governments.

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