Matsakis: I was in love with a Turkish girl
By Jacqueline Theodoulou
DR MARIOS Matsakis had an affair with a Turkish woman when he was a student in London, he revealed to Turkish newspaper Vatan.
Talking to Vatan, the MEP was keen to prove that, despite his flag-snatching stunt, he had nothing against Turkish people.
Matsakis confirmed the love affair to the Cyprus Mail yesterday, joking: “Have they written about this as well? They’ll be writing about what I ate yesterday soon!”
“When I was a student in London in the early 1980’s I had a relationship with a Turkish girl, a fellow-student of mine”, he said.
But marriage was never an option, as neither of them was ready for it.
“We were young at the time. The fact that she was Turkish certainly wouldn’t have stopped me. The relationship just didn’t work out,” said Matsakis.
The pair kept in touch briefly after splitting, but lost contact eventually.
Matsakis was in the news on Tuesday after venturing into the buffer zone and taking the flag from the Turkish observation post.
Turkish Cypriot papers reported that a warrant for his arrest was to have been issued yesterday.
Matsakis said he hadn’t heard about this, adding he had received death threats.
“I had two phone calls in which my life was threatened. One was from the occupied areas; the person spoke to me in English. The other was from the Greek side; the person spoke to me in Cypriot. He said that I was going to get shot.”
He made light of it, however: “One such phone-call amongst the hundreds of congratulatory ones is not so bad.”
President of the Republic Tassos Papadopoulos was critical of Matsakis’ ‘theatrical’ actions. “There are not many people who approve of Mr. Matsakis’ actions”, Papadopoulos had said.
Matsakis admitted relations with the President had always been rather strained, except during the referendum when they were both campaigning for a ‘no’ vote.
“We have had different approaches on matters for a long time; the Annan referendum united us,” Matsakis said.
The MEP’s flag snatching has sparked feelings of insecurity in Athienou, the village’s Mayor Gavriel Kazazis said. The village is in the buffer zone, close to the observation post visited by Matsakis on Tuesday.
Some houses are just 100 metres from the Turkish guard-posts.
“When you are so near you can hear them (Turkish soldiers) when they’re talking, see them when they’re moving and something like this happens, insecurity increases”, said Kazazis yesterday.
“Farmers are ploughing their fields, which are situated next to the guard-posts. There has always been a sense of insecurity to some degree, but now its worse”.
Matsakis brushed aside the Mayor’s fear. “I don’t see how there can be a broader problem. I don’t see how the farmers are in danger. If the Turkish guards were to shoot me then yes, I see it. Shoot the farmers? No, I don’t”, he said adding, “The only man whose life is in danger, is me. Nobody else, just me.”
“Insecurity is something that should be felt by all Cypriots, considering the situation”.
Kazazis was so incensed with Matsakis’ action that he had asked for the MEP’s prosecution. “You can’t just carry out actions like these that may hurt the rest of the public,” he said.
But a defiant Matsakis asked: “I would like the Mayor of Athienou to tell me for which crime I should be prosecuted.”
As for the people of Athienou, Matsakis reminded them that when they were in danger, he always came to protect them.
“Ask the mayor of Athienou if he remembers this: during times of crisis, was Matsakis not in Athienou at nights?”
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
By Jacqueline Theodoulou
DR MARIOS Matsakis had an affair with a Turkish woman when he was a student in London, he revealed to Turkish newspaper Vatan.
Talking to Vatan, the MEP was keen to prove that, despite his flag-snatching stunt, he had nothing against Turkish people.
Matsakis confirmed the love affair to the Cyprus Mail yesterday, joking: “Have they written about this as well? They’ll be writing about what I ate yesterday soon!”
“When I was a student in London in the early 1980’s I had a relationship with a Turkish girl, a fellow-student of mine”, he said.
But marriage was never an option, as neither of them was ready for it.
“We were young at the time. The fact that she was Turkish certainly wouldn’t have stopped me. The relationship just didn’t work out,” said Matsakis.
The pair kept in touch briefly after splitting, but lost contact eventually.
Matsakis was in the news on Tuesday after venturing into the buffer zone and taking the flag from the Turkish observation post.
Turkish Cypriot papers reported that a warrant for his arrest was to have been issued yesterday.
Matsakis said he hadn’t heard about this, adding he had received death threats.
“I had two phone calls in which my life was threatened. One was from the occupied areas; the person spoke to me in English. The other was from the Greek side; the person spoke to me in Cypriot. He said that I was going to get shot.”
He made light of it, however: “One such phone-call amongst the hundreds of congratulatory ones is not so bad.”
President of the Republic Tassos Papadopoulos was critical of Matsakis’ ‘theatrical’ actions. “There are not many people who approve of Mr. Matsakis’ actions”, Papadopoulos had said.
Matsakis admitted relations with the President had always been rather strained, except during the referendum when they were both campaigning for a ‘no’ vote.
“We have had different approaches on matters for a long time; the Annan referendum united us,” Matsakis said.
The MEP’s flag snatching has sparked feelings of insecurity in Athienou, the village’s Mayor Gavriel Kazazis said. The village is in the buffer zone, close to the observation post visited by Matsakis on Tuesday.
Some houses are just 100 metres from the Turkish guard-posts.
“When you are so near you can hear them (Turkish soldiers) when they’re talking, see them when they’re moving and something like this happens, insecurity increases”, said Kazazis yesterday.
“Farmers are ploughing their fields, which are situated next to the guard-posts. There has always been a sense of insecurity to some degree, but now its worse”.
Matsakis brushed aside the Mayor’s fear. “I don’t see how there can be a broader problem. I don’t see how the farmers are in danger. If the Turkish guards were to shoot me then yes, I see it. Shoot the farmers? No, I don’t”, he said adding, “The only man whose life is in danger, is me. Nobody else, just me.”
“Insecurity is something that should be felt by all Cypriots, considering the situation”.
Kazazis was so incensed with Matsakis’ action that he had asked for the MEP’s prosecution. “You can’t just carry out actions like these that may hurt the rest of the public,” he said.
But a defiant Matsakis asked: “I would like the Mayor of Athienou to tell me for which crime I should be prosecuted.”
As for the people of Athienou, Matsakis reminded them that when they were in danger, he always came to protect them.
“Ask the mayor of Athienou if he remembers this: during times of crisis, was Matsakis not in Athienou at nights?”
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
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