Fighting Crime on Both Sides

A total of 89 criminal cases have been jointly investigated by Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot police working together in the UN-backed Technical Committee on Crime and Criminal Matters (TCCCM), said a TCCCM spokesman.

“56 cases were passed from the Greek Cypriot side to the Turkish Cypriot side, and another 33 cases have been submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side to the Greek Cypriot side”, said Andreas Christofides, a TCCCM committee member.  

The spokesman said that "irrespective of the number of successes, the fact that after several decades of separation of the two communities, four persons, two from each side, are sitting one next to the other working in good faith trying to solve and overcome certain problems and difficulties."  

The TCCCM is now housed in its new building in what was a former UN Observation Post located in the western Nicosia section of the buffer zone. Commenting on the organisation,  Turkish Cypriot Representative Kudret Ozersay said he hoped that “the cooperation between the two sides will at one point turn into cooperation between the police forces of two future constituent States in a federal Cyprus”.  

Representative George Iacovou said the two sides were “pursuing a common vision” of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation that was being pursued at all levels, from the leaders right through to the technical committees. 

“I think we can build on that and have a settlement as soon as possible”, he added.  

The main financial sponsor to the project, US Ambassador Frank C. Urbancic Jr. said his country was “very proud to be associated with the JCR” and pledged the support of the United States to the two leaders as they moved forward in the peace process.