Greek arrested in north for second time after entering army base

The Greek national who appeared in court in the north on Monday apologising for an anti-Turkish rant was arrested again on Wednesday after entering a Turkish military restricted area.

The man, aged 34, had been given “a second chance” by the judge on Monday, but found himself out of chances in military court on Thursday, ordered to remain behind bars for two months subject to a trial.

Police officer Kadir Cetin explained that the man re-entered the north at around 3.30pm on Wednesday, before being found later that afternoon by soldiers on duty in a restricted area in the northern Nicosia neighbourhood of Caglayan.

In addition to being held in custody for two months, the man will also be taken to the Baris Mental and Neurological Diseases hospital for examinations.

Cetin also confirmed that a letter had been written requesting that he be declared persona non grata in the north.

Wednesday’s arrest was the man’s second in six days, having been apprehended on northern Nicosia’s central Arasta street after approaching a woman, asking where she was from, and attempting to punch her while shouting “Cyprus, Russia, and Greece are brothers! Turks out! This is Greece!”