Austrian students in Turkish Cyprus despite Greek Cypriot propaganda
ISTANBUL
DHA photo
Some 5,000
students who have graduated from high schools in Austria have come to northern Cyprus for their traditional
graduation holiday X-JAM at the end of a three-month battle with Greek
Cyprus, daily Hürriyet reported today.
Greek
Cyprus allegedly began to impose an embargo in order to prevent the students
from spending the holiday in Turkish Cyprus, after Turkish officials
were challenged over their holding of X-JAM three months ago. Stories
about Turkish Cyprus were reportedly broadcast by
Greek Cyprus on Austria's
top broadcasters, saying "Turkish Cyprus is an occupied zone,"
and "There are landmines on the coast and thousands of Turkish
soldiers with heavy weapons are threatening civilians and
foreigners."
Nevertheless, the
students have still come to Turkish Cyprus as a result of
the efforts of Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bağış, the EU
Commission and the Austrian government to counter the Greek
Cypriot campaign, according to Hürriyet.
"If I
had not been in Turkish Cyprus last year, I would definetely
have given up. However, we could clearly see that this propaganda was
slander," Austrian official Dr. Alex Knechtsberger said.
The first
group of 2,500 students are in Turkish Cyprus now, and the rest
of the group is set to arrive next week, according to reports.
tourism, eoka,
