Ankara has reportedly appointed a ‘justice attaché’ to its ‘embassy’ in the north – a move seen by some Turkish Cypriot media as an attempt by Turkey to exert greater control and influence there.
Online news outlet Ozgur Gazete, which broke the story, was suspicious of the development.
“That ‘independent justice’ in the northern part of Cyprus vexes the AKP [ruling party in Turkey] regime is clearly shown through certain statements about our justice made by Turkish President [Tayyip] Erdogan on various occasions,” the outlet opined.
It said moreover that Turkey’s appointment of a ‘justice attaché’ to its ‘embassy’ comes amid ongoing discussions on establishing a ‘justice ministry’ in the north.
The north of Cyprus does not currently have a ‘justice ministry’.
“It is known that for some time now, efforts are underway to establish in our country [the north of Cyprus] a ministry of justice, which is a key component of the attempt to take over justice in Cyprus, and this is an issue debated among the legal community,” the outlet said.
According to Ozgur Gazete, the ‘justice attaché’ recently held a number of courtesy meetings with top officials in the north, including the ‘attorney-general’ and the ‘president of the supreme court’.
During these meetings, the Turkish ‘attaché’ said his job was solely of a technical nature – to assist in the transfer of documents between Turkey and the ‘TRNC’ in legal matters concerning Turkish citizens living in the north.
“But despite his reassurances, it was not clear why he had to visit key figures in the justice system here,” the outlet wrote.
Meanwhile Kibris Postasi newspaper quoted an MP of the north’s Republican Turkish Party as saying that the north of Cyprus “is not just any part of the world, and that they cannot allow a justice ministry to be established under the present circumstances.”
Cyprus-Mail