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17 June, 2019Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kudret Özersay stated that the exchange of criminals with the Greek Cypriot side was the result of informal talks with his southern counterpart, Andreas Mavroyannis.
Özersay made a telephone call to a program on BRT yesterday and stated that Hasan Işık Özgöçmen’s murder suspect’s extradition which took place through the UN was as a result of long-term negotiations. Özersay stressed that only information exchange through the technical committee could be done so far, the mutual exchange of suspects and criminals has not been established and added that this has been creating a problem.
Özersay’s statement is as follows:
“This is a result of a series of negotiations we have conducted through our Ministry. This is the result of my dialogue with the Greek Cypriot side months ago, assuming responsibility on behalf of the previous government. Only information exchange through the technical committee could be conducted so far and the exchange of suspects and criminals could not be arranged mutually and added that this has been creating a problem. We are pleased to have been able to reach such a conclusion and an unofficial consensus after months of negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side with the dialogue I have established. Because as of 13th June, we give a message to those who say “ I commit a crime on one side of the island and run to the other side, I live there as I want, and the crime I commit will be unpunished “. I think it is an important development in terms of deterring these crimes and those who are prone to commit crimes.
Özersay said that until very recently, it was possible to exchange information only through the technical committee but at this stage, the dialogue established between the two sides through the UN is a positive improvement.
Özersay stressed “This situation should not be exploited politically. This is a cooperation occurring as a result of an unofficial consensus. The sides should be in a dialogue to the advantage of both sides and make cooperation. We have been in dialogue on this issue and some other issues with the Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyannis for a while. This is a positive improvement. We will continue to be in cooperation to hand over the criminals especially the foreign nationals who commit a crime in one side of the island and escape to the other side of the island, and also to prevent their not being judged. In this context, I thank to the Greek Cypriot negotiator Mavroyannis, the Greek Cypriot side, the UN officials and my personnel at the Deputy Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who helped to reach such a result.