Greek Cypriot Seeks Asylum
Cyprus Times Front Page
June 24, 2005
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Greek Cypriot Themistoklis Georgiu, after crossing to the TRNC, went to the authorities and claimed asylum.
Announcing his decision at press conference held at the Foreign Press Club yesterday, Georgiu explained in detail all the problems he claims to have suffered in the South since 1974. “I have been unemployed since 1974, due to health problems but the government hasn't helped me at all,” he said.
“I want Talat to give me a clean and dry place to live,” said Georgiu, explaining that his living conditions in the south were inhuman. “I was given a house, but due to my disability, access was nearly impossible. So I had to live in the shed next to it in unhygienic conditions alongside rats,” he added. “I practically live in my car; I only want a clean place to live. Even a nice place under a tree will do,” he said.
Themistoklis Georgiu tried to turn his shed into a liveable room, and asked the government for help to do so. In response he was told to get an architect to prepare a project and then they will finance the building costs. After spending much of his very tight budget on a project, the government, instead of keeping their promise to refurbish it, told him that the sheds where illegal and were to be knocked down. |
Living in an area where refugees from the North were living, but not being a refugee himself, made him feel unwanted in the area. “I have had several attacks on my car that had caused a great deal of damage,” he said.
About 19 years ago, Themistoklis Georgiu suffered a work-related accident at a construction site. He said he was struck on the head with an iron bar. “From that day onwards I haven't been able to sleep properly. Sometimes one hour, or sometime none at all,” he said. After incident, the Greek Cypriot government paid him benefits for 18 months, but when he decided to move in with his unmarried sister who suffers with cancer, the government decided he wasn't eligible for benefits and demanded the sum of 43,000 CYP back from him.
Themistoklis also explained that his wife also had health problems. “She has asthma, but the device she needs to breathe costs 250 CYP, but I couldn't afford it, and no one from the government has given us a helping hand,” he added. “The Greek Cypriot government's policy is based on, ‘if you are poor you can die,' so my wife who is partially blind never received any benefits from the government at all.”
“When I took the decision to seek asylum all my relatives turned against me. Even my wife threatened me with divorce,” he said. Trying to make a good impression, Themistoklis Georgiu said that during the war he was ill, and due to his illness he wasn't able to fight. So he never held a gun against a Turkish Cypriot he claimed.
“The only thing I want is to live an unproblematic life in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus . I am sick of unjust treatment, I want to live in peace and be able to access medical services with no problems,” he said. “Now take me wherever I need to go to officially claim asylum,” he concluded.
Later Georgiu was escorted to the Ministry of Foreign affairs in his car, which was decorated with TRNC and Turkish flags, where he met Ministry Political Affairs Advisor Kudret Akay.
After the meeting Akay spoke to the press. “Mr. Georgiu has explained his situation and has asked to claim asylum. Without wasting time we will take the matter to the minister and then the council of ministers. Meanwhile we have made the Ministry of Health aware of the situation and Mr. Georgiu will be taken to hospital and treated as necessary. It is obvious that Mr Georgiu has had health and social problems in the south.”
Georgiu was later taken to Nicosia Dr. Burhan Nalbantoglu Hospital in an official vehicle.
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