YBH Youth, calls on international community to work for free contacts in Cyprus

Patriotic Unity Movement (YBH) Youth, in an open letter yesterday called on the international community to work for free contacts among Cypriots. Turkish officials put new restrictions on movement across the border and many bi-communal activities are being cancelled due to these restrictions.

In an open letter, YBH Youth General Secretary Murat Kanatli stressed that there has been a news blackout concerning the 1st Youth Conference of YBH Youth, as well as its activities, due to orders given from `above`. The media is implementing an `embargo` on news about YBH Youth.

Turkish Cypriot Foreign Ministry officials changed the procedures concerning crossings between north and south Cyprus one day before the 1st Youth Conference of YBH Youth, on the 23rd of February and made it impossible for Greek Cypriot youth organizations’ participation in the conference. Since it was quite well-known that the new `procedures` would not be accepted by Greek Cypriot youth organisations, we beleive that this is a move to stop reconciliation activities coming with commands from above, he said. YBH Youth was not given `permission` to cross to the south while another youth group had `permission` and this also proves that it is a move to stop such activities.

Kanatli criticised those who `play the game of being government` and said that while there is a news blackout on YBH Youth and activities for reconciliation stopped, noone can talk of democracy in the north. No left ideology would accept to be ruled by commands and would never repress patriots and progressive people due to orders taken from above. And no left ideology would cooperate with reactionary repressive regimes. Kanatli was criticising the social democrat TKP, the Communal Liberation Party, currently in government.

YBH Youth General Secretary Murat Kanatli called on Turkish Cypriot youth to take a stand against these negative developments. He also called on the international community to work together in order to develop a stand against the prevention of reconciliation activities in Cyprus.