Police: no report of Turkish Cypriot ‘attack’ in Troodos

Although it made front page news in the north, police said they received no information that a group of eight young Turkish Cypriots said on Monday they had been attacked by Greek Cypriots during an excursion in the Troodos mountain range.

Speaking to the Turkish Agency Cyprus (Tak), the group, all in their 20s and chose to remain anonymous, said they had stopped at the Platania picnic site to admire the view.

They said there were three cars with Republic of Cyprus registration plates parked near the entrance of the picnic site, with five or six people, aged between 25 and 35 years old, “drinking alcohol and chatting” to each other in the cars.

The group, they said, “initially began to make hand gestures towards the cars,” before moving towards the group of Turkish Cypriots.

They said that they then noticed that an “increasing number” of people were gathering, some of whom were carrying sticks, stones, and Greek flags in their hands.

According to the account, “one of the aggressors, who had stuck an A4-sized sticker on one of their cars and punched its window, approached one of the [Turkish Cypriots] wearing [football club] Galatasaray-branded clothing and punched him,” while another Turkish Cypriot was reportedly “injured by punches and stones.”

The Turkish Cypriots said they then tried to run away, before one of them slipped on the loose ground and fell. When the mob caught up with them, he was reportedly hit on the shoulders with sticks as he attempted to protect his head.

They said that another had reached a road and stopped a passing vehicle, asking its driver to call the police. The driver apparently said she would call the police, but then quickly sped off without making the call.

Having managed to regroup, they returned to the north.

The group said those who sustained injuries went to northern Nicosia’s Dr Burhan Nalbantoglu hospital for treatment.