Greek Cypriots warn Portuguese volleyball team over Ercan flight

THE Portuguese National Women’s Volleyball Team found itself embroiled in controversy surrounding the Cyprus problem after having arranged to fly to Ercan airport in order to play its away fixture against the Greek Cypriot team.

The Portuguese team had planned to fly to Ercan airport and then stay in a hotel in North Cyprus, crossing to the South only to play the match, before leaving the island once more from Ercan.

This idea was met with objection by the Greek Cypriot Volleyball Federation, with its chairman Michalis Krasias saying that the Portuguese players “would not be welcome” in the country, and that the team would not be provided with any transfer service or transport to the venue of the match if they stayed in North Cyprus.

It initially appeared that the Portuguese team were not going to back down and indeed fly to Ercan, citing economic reasons, given that there are no direct flights between either side of Cyprus and Portugal and Turkish Airlines happened to offer the cheapest flights on the required dates.

However, amid growing pressure, the team eventually bought tickets to Larnaca airport and arranged to stay in accommodation in the South.

In reaction to this, the Human Rights Association head Hasan Yılmaz Işık issued a written statement in which he appealed to the United Nations and the European Commission, calling the actions of the Greek Cypriot side “contrary to EU and UN principles on human rights”.