Washington based Attorney Athan Tsimpedes presented the merits of his class action lawsuit in the U.S against Turkey and the self-proclaimed “pseudo state” in the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus, during a vibrant discussion that was organized recently at the Stathakion Cultural Center in Astoria, by AKTINA FM and AKTINA TV, two highly rated media outlets on New York’s public station WNYE-91.5FM and WNYE-Channel 25, whose primary mission is the promotion and preservation of rich heritage, history and culture of Cyprus in America.
The discussion was moderated by Elena Maroulleti, President of AKTINA Productions, and included Dr. Kostas Mavrides, a scholar, political analyst and columnist who came from Cyprus especially for the occasion.
Despite the bitter cold, including parking difficulties created by the latest snow storm, about 100 Greek Cypriots attended the event, titled “The Ongoing Violations of Turkey on Cyprus - Decades later Greek Cypriots stand a chance of suing the aggressor in U.S. Courts.” Using slides, Mr. Tsimpedes outlined in detail the legal facts which support his case, while he also revealed documents that verify the illegal commercial activities in the US of Turkey and its puppet regime in the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus.
Tsimpedes presented and distributed the U.S “Certificate of Occupancy” of the self-proclaimed TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), that set up shop in Washington, DC, which verifies that it operates as a commercial enterprise and not as government. “The pseudo state has offices, employees, hires attorneys, involves itself in litigation in the United States and is selling properties under false title and illegally representing itself as a government through its trade name the ‘TRNC’ that subjects it to the jurisdiction of U.S courts,” he noted and further stressed that, “every time the pseudo state uses the TRNC logo it is violating the laws of the U.S and nations of the civilized world that have condemned the TRNC through UN resolutions. The United States does not recognize the illegal regime ‘TRNC”. Referring to the so-called “ambassador” of the “TRNC” in the U.S, Hilmi Akil, Tsimpedes stressed that, “he is not an ambassador, but a known lobbyist who enters the U.S under a business visa that supports the argument that the ‘TRNC’ is a business and not a government”.
The audience also had the opportunity to be informed and see for the first time specific confidential documents about the conspiracies surrounding the 2004 UN Proposal for the settlement of the Cyprus question, known as the “Annan Plan”. Guest speaker, Dr. Kostas Mavrides, a well known and outspoken scholar, who overwhelmingly supports the class action lawsuit spearheaded by Mr. Tsimpedes, and who was the first to expose these conspiracies in 2004 and more recently in 2010, explained that before he gave his “stamp of approval” to what the attorney is doing, he first dedicated more than nine months studying the case. “I stand before you today, very confident, and I can tell you that this case has many merits,” he stressed.
Another issue which was discussed by both speakers was the March 1, 2010 decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) which encourages Greek Cypriots to seek compensation for their properties in the Turkish-occupied north by bringing their claims before the so-called Immovable Property Commission (IPC) in the pseudo state. Both speakers stressed that ECHR’s decision does not force Greek Cypriots to bring their claims before the IPC, but it rather “suggests” to them to do so and they both urged everyone to avoid this “avenue” because as they explained this will support the ongoing efforts of Turkey and of the pseudo state to eventually completely expel the rights of the refugees in the Turkish occupied north.
Speaking to NEO magazine, Elena Maroulleti, President of AKTINA Productions, Inc., stressed that, “since the 1974 Turkish invasion and the subsequent illegal occupation of Cyprus, all Greek Cypriots who were forcibly expelled from the ancestral homes, including me, knew that Turkey violated U.S laws by utilizing American arms during its invasion and thereafter for its occupation of the northern part of the island... We always wondered whether or not we can sue Turkey and pursue our justice through legal avenues. Finally, we can, through this class action lawsuit and without jeopardizing the Cyprus talks currently underway and without giving any recognition to the self proclaimed pseudo state in the Turkish occupied northern part of the island. I am all for it and also a participant. If we lose, at least we’ll have the satisfaction that we have made an effort.”
The event was attended by several representatives from various Greek Cypriot and Greek American community organizations and was greeted by the very Rev. Archimandrite Sebastian Skordellos who represented his Eminence Archbishop of America Demetrios. Mr. Philip Christopher, President of the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus, also participated as did Mr. Elias Tsekerides, President of Federation of Hellenic Societies, Mr. Kostas Tsentas, Executive VP of the Cyprus Federation of America and Mr. Theodoros Pavlakos, President of the National Issues Committee of the Federation of Hellenic Societies.
