POLITICS: Cyprus calls on EU to defend Turkish Cypriot journalists

Nicosia has called on the OSCE and the EU to defend free speech by supporting two Turkish Cypriot journalists being prosecuted by Turkey for defamation.

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Government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said Nicosia sought the intervention of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to defend freedom of expression and freedom of the press in the north.

He said there was concern over the prevailing climate of intimidation, especially the attempt to prosecute Afrika newspaper journalists Sener Levent and Ali Osman in Turkey.

Prodromou said that Brussels and the European Parliament were closely monitoring the situation.

“They are citizens of an EU member state, of whom a third country has no jurisdiction,” said Prodromou.

Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika came under attack in January, after declaring “yet another invasion” by Turkey, following its assault on Afrin in Syria.

The article in question, likened Turkey's military offensive in Syria to its military occupation of Cyprus northern third where Ankara has 35,000 troops stationed since 1974.

Reportedly, Levent and Osman were recently summoned to testify in a case filed in Ankara against them over the “insulting” headline criticizing Turkey’s military offensive in Afrin.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 collapsed in acrimony.

Afrika columnist Osman said he and editor-in-chief Levent did nothing wrong and have refused to cooperate with authorities.