Selma Eylem says northern police sought statement over remarks to UN chief

Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot activist Selma Eylem said on Friday that police in the north had asked her to give a statement concerning remarks she made to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the situation in the northern part of Cyprus.

Eylem, a former president of the north’s senior school teachers’ union, said she declined the request after being told there was no offence or complaint against her.

Police contact

Eylem said a police sergeant from the judicial affairs department contacted her by telephone and asked her to provide a statement, according to Turkish Cypriot newspaper Yenidüzen.

“I asked whether there was an offence or a complaint, and he insisted there was not,” Eylem said.

She said the officer told her he had an “official document” and asked her to attend to give a statement. Eylem said she declined and ended the call.

Legal advice

Eylem said she subsequently contacted her lawyer, Oncel Polili, who spoke with police and advised her that there was no legal requirement for her to provide a statement.

Meeting with Guterres

The request concerned remarks Eylem made during a July 28 meeting with Guterres, who met civil society representatives as part of his contacts on the Cyprus problem.

Eylem attended on behalf of the bicommunal peace initiative and handed Guterres a joint declaration signed by 108 organisations.

She said she told Guterres that Cyprus’ division was harming both communities, while Turkish Cypriots faced particular consequences in the north.

According to Eylem, she told the UN secretary-general that “the northern part of the island has been transformed into a sub-administration of Turkey”.

She also referred to what she described as “assimilation policies” and alleged that Turkish Cypriots were “being turned into a minority through population transfers” of Turkish settlers.