For time being it might be better to avoid driving southside

[iancrumpy]

Hi guys,

According to http://www.haberkktc.com/haber/rum-poli ... 48555.html in retalliation for the 48 000 TL fine/bail imposed on the three GC police officers by TC courts yesterday, the southside GC traffic police are apparently stopping and fining drivers of TC-plated cars for, what the report says, are trivial reasons in an attempt to retrieve the 48 000TL fine/bail.

Yesterday the three police officers were firstly fined 10 000 TL each at a Turkish military court for entering a Turkish military zone ... and then asked to pay bail of 6000 TL each by Lefkoşa's civil court. They are requested to appear before the civil court on charges of carrying guns. They are now however, "back home" southside, and one wonders if they will return to face the charges.

However, returning to the main subject of this thread, it might be better, at least for the time being, to try and avoid driving southside.

Regards.
Crumpy

[iancrumpy]

Re : "... asked to pay bail of 6000 TL each by Lefkoşa's civil court" - Sorry, that's not quite right - At the civil court two of the officers were given a fine of 6000TL and all three were asked to pay bail of 5000TL - yeah, I know that doesn't add up to 48 000 TL, but that's what it writes in the report

[Marions]

thanks for the info. I guess it is perambulation time for a while!

[Soner]

Just drove to Larnaca Airport and back via Pile, not one sign of police there and back.

[iancrumpy]

Just drove to Larnaca Airport and back via Pile, not one sign of police there and back.

Soner, I'm sure the TC press have exagerated the story ... they unfortunately tend to do that when it comes to stories about the GCs' treatment of TCs ... in much the same way as the GC press tends to distort the news ... however I felt it was best to tell Kibkomers of what the TC press is writing on the matter.

[Soner]

Hi Iancrumpy, great to have you back! Yes I appreciate your input and good to warn others, I was merely making a statement of my experience today. Maybe someone else did get stopped and fined elsewhere in the South.

[dodger]

http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/201 ... pr.html#01

Another slant.

Paul.

[jamboree]

hello yesterday on the 3rd of october, my cousins were crossing to the south and asked if i wanted to cross so i joined them, we crossed from metahan crossing, when we got to the south check point you could see something was happening due to the large ammounts of police and protesters at the crossing going back north.

when we produced the ids and passports they were checked and questioned again and a again, the insurance was the same checked twice and once more for luck, eventually we got on the main road heading for lefkosa old town, just before the first roundabout a police car started flashing our car down, just past the roundabout by the church on the left we were stopped.

the police asked my cousin the driver for his id,drivers licence, and insurance, in a very rude and offensive manner. in this time the other police man was checking the car outside, in this time all the paper work was fine. then the other police man came and aked to see the passenger in the fronts id etc, then mine. all was fine then just as evry thing was ok and we were clear to go, they notice that i at the back did not have a seat belt on, so then all of our ids and passports were taken from us and we had to follow them to local police station where they issued me with a fixed penalty fine 85 euros. at the same time they issued another fine for my cousin the driver, but we could not understand what for? after disagring with them at the station we had the drivers fine cancelled. yes they were very rude and looking for any reason to book us. and we only saw tc cars being stopped on the way back. i did not know what had happened to the gc police untill i crossed back. it just goes to show how sad and petty things are on the south. by the way the police were traffic police, now knowing what i know it seems they are out for revenge for the others that were fined in the north.

from what i saw today the situation is not good in the south towards tcs not that they were that great any way. today was the first time i felt scared since the doors north and south. it is such a shame the roc lets this happen. if gc police officers (road traffic) are stupid to cross the green line with firearms then you deserve to be held in custody and fined, just like me the fool not wearing a seat belt in the back, so people be very carfull when crossing south from the metahan, the police on the south are looking for any thing to fine you for..

[paula121s]

Went through Pile and back through Metehan yesterday no problems

[stellasstar1]

While I'm sure it was horrible to be dragged off to the police station, the customs at the border often look to see if everyone is wearing a seat belt, and will stop you if you aren't. Never heard anyone being taken to the police station though for not wearing one.

[Jonnie]

Zero problems today did not even show passports.

[annanirvanna]

Jamboree - sorry to hear the blatent abuse the gc police showed you, well out of order!!! As an ex City of London police officer and am appalled by these officers victimizing ordinary innocent people coming from the North southbound & just because their colleagues where so stupid as to cross into the Turkish military zone. I thought the Egyptian police were bad enough.

NOTE for my checklist: another good reason for choosing TRNC over the South!!!

[jamboree]

annanirvanna thank you for your kind thoughts, i was only telling people here on this forum of what happened to me, yes is is not normal to be dragged to the police station for a seat belt,, and over next few week there will be more people comming forward with there accounts and experience of what has been happening on the south towards tcs, my cousins showed there kktc ids i showed my my british passport which made them even more aggressive towards me. it is a shame of the goings on in the south but i still belive that it is revenge for there police officers that were caught on the north. they know the law concerning the green line and they should not have crossed it and while in possesion of a firearm.
one more bit of advice to people crossing, yes make sure you have your seat belt on front and back, make sure your car is perfect as it would be required of you if you was in england ie tyres are road worthy and not bald, your lights and indicators are working, also do not overload or have to many passengers, and do not cross on your own. just be careful and safe is what i say to other people crossing.

[kaiserphil]

And never forget that, at any time, GCs have a tremendous inferiority complex. Don't ask me why, they have always been the same, from when I first was there in 1960.

[iancrumpy]

Ever since the arrest and court appearances of the three police officers, the former GC MP Marios Matsakis (shown below) and his supporters have demonstrated at Metehan. According to http://www.haberkktc.com/haber/matsakis ... 48852.html they were there again this morning and harassing apparently particularly the TCs, but this time, unlike earlier in the week, the demonstrators were unable to prevent cars crossing.

[Marions]

There is a reunion at Dhali on Monday night and some TC's are going over. Hope they get through O.K. I am going with a TC friend who has a British passport so we should be O.K, but already some people have opted out for fear of any 'happening'. fortunately we are ging in a GC car when we have crossed over. But what a rotten shame over this. Does nothing for 'entente cordiale' does it.

[cyprusishome]

Two different people told better half this morning that the protest at Metahan was quite intimidating and of course police not interested.

Lets hope they close the crossings and then the retail outlets south side may start to shout, I would imagine the shoppers from North are the small difference between closing down and keeping going in some cases.

[sparkymike]

We went through Pyla crossing on Thursday and had an overnight stay with friends who live near Larnaca, came back Friday evening and had no problems at all. we went through with our car, no searches on either side of the crossing. Hope this helps.