Restrictions hamper green line trade in Cyprus

Restrictions, imposed by the illegal regime in occupied Cyprus on Turkish Cypriots, undermine relations between the island’s two communities, the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has said.
CCCI President Manthos Mavromatis said that from August 2004 to November 2007, the value of sales from Turkish Cypriot businessmen to Greek Cypriot businessmen amounted to nine million euro.
The regime allowed the sale of Greek Cypriot produce in May 2005 and between then and November 2007 the value of goods sold to Turkish Cypriots was estimated at 2 million euro.
Speaking at a press conference, he criticised the Turkish Cypriot regime, in the northern Turkish occupied part of the country, for the restrictions it has imposed on the purchase of goods by Turkish Cypriots in the southern government controlled part of Cyprus.
”The decision of the regime seriously undermines efforts to strengthen relations between the two communities and violates European Union competition provisions,” Mavrommatis said, adding that the CCCI has sent a detailed memorandum to the EU Enlargement Commissioner, stressing that ”trade cannot be a one-way street but a two-way relationship, which would help the Turkish Cypriot community to improve its economic capacity.”
He presented statistics showing a decline in Greek Cypriot sales to the occupied areas from 1,2 million euro in 2006 to just 665.000 in the eleven months of 2007, whereas Turkish Cypriot sales to the government controlled areas rose to 3,7 mln euro by November 2007, compared to 3,2 mln euro in 2006.
”The decrease in Greek Cypriot sales is due to the fact that the Turkish Cypriot regime raises obstacles that do not comply with the provisions of the EU trade regulation through the Green Line,” CCCI President added.
He also referred to a recent ban, by the regime, on the purchase of certified potato seeds by Turkish Cypriots from the free areas, which led to the collapse of an agreement for the sale of potatoes grown in the occupied ares to the government controlled part of Cyprus.