Cyprus News | Özgün Kutalmış Victims’ Election Candidate

Cyprus News | Özgün Kutalmış Victims' Election CandidateWithout Prejudice

Cyprus News | Özgün Kutalmış Victims’ Election Candidate

At the end of last week I met with journalist Özgün Kutalmış at the Teacher’s Union in Lefkosa.  Ozgun has been a staunch supporter of all property victims and I have met with him many times before. He has written about our problems and even had me as his guest in a two hour radio programme. Indeed it was through Özgün that I first became aware of the scurrilous newspaper articles in Yeniduzen and Halkin Sesi of 2nd March 2012 where the bank were insulting me, libelling me and calling for my deportation, indeed this was discusses in detail on the radio show.

“Deleted Bank | If the truth cannot be silenced then deport it!
Sunday, March 11, 201

It would seem that the bank and their legal team have now decided that since the truth cannot be totally silenced, deporting it would be a good idea. Who on earth advised them that this was a good plan? The legal team must be laughing all the way to the bank; I just hope they are re-investing the fees they are earning from the bank, with the same bank. I would be surprised if the legal team acting for the bank have time to act for any other client.

A good plan to my mind would be to find a solution and start a damage control exercise. I have to rely on what I read on the various forums coming out of the TRNC and in doing so realise I must then use a lot of common sense in sorting the wheat from the chaff.

It is extraordinary that a law designed to protect the banking industry from unfair, untrue and unjustified criticism that could lead to a potential ‘run’ on a bank is being brought into play in this case. I see absolutely no evidence that this could happen or indeed would happen because of anything said by any newspaper or forum I have read. That being so, why then has the bank, through their lawyers, suddenly gone so public after being so quiet for the preceding couple of years? It seems almost overkill; in their attempt to justify the unjustifiable they want a 66 year old woman deported. A more amateurish attempt to besmirch her character, I have yet to see. Turning her into a Greek sympathiser smacks of desperation, if that were so then surely there would be lots of evidence to support this allegation. All I have ever read is of Ms Read professing her love of the country and the people. I recollect reading somewhere that she was calling for the end of embargoes and recognition for the TRNC. This sort of comment certainly would not come from someone who is pro Greek Cypriot.

Setting all the various bodies on this woman seems like taking a sledge hammer to crack a nut. I have seen various photographs of Ms Read and she certainly does not look like a Mata Hari to me, more like Grannie Grove with a touch of Ena Sharples thrown in.

I think the time has come for all concerned to stand back and ask themselves, where is this going to end and is all the potential damage to the credibility of the TRNC worth it?”

In his article in Afrika Gazetesi, Özgün reports about the Karmi/Robb auction and give some detail of the SOCA -v- Gary Robb trial that confirmed as legitimate the interception by the UK police of money being transferred from a TRNC bank account to a bank account in Thailand for the benefit of Mr Robb. The Judge’s report was damning about the part played by a TRNC law firm.

Özgün writes in AFRIKA GAZETESI, a newspaper property victims have good reason to be grateful to. Not only do they support our cause but are unafraid to mention names.

Özgün is standing as a candidate for the Toplumcu Demokrasi Party (TDP) in the forthcoming election. I am apolitical and have no vote here anyway. Özgün has given me his word he will bring up the subject of property victims during his campaign and especially during any TV appearance. He also promised to give Laura the laptop a mention! I can only hope the new Government is formed by wo/men as brave and outspoken as Özgün.

Never give in never give up

Pauline Ann Read

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