A European Commission spokesperson on Tuesday said the European Union “does not recognise the self-proclaimed state in the northern part of Cyprus and its so-called judicial system” after the arrest of five Greek Cypriots last month.

The spokesperson told the Cyprus News Agency that the EU is “actively cooperating with many actors on the ground” and that it is “in constant contact with the United Nations”.

“The European Commission expresses its concern about the so-called persecution of five Greek Cypriot citizens in the northern part of Cyprus,” they added.

They said the EU “recalls that property disputes, including related charges, are a central element of the current political tensions” between the island’s two sides, and that the settlement of the property issue is a key element of the overall settlement process.

“The EU remains fully committed to a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem, within the UN’s framework, in accordance with the relevant UN security council resolutions and in accordance with the principles on which the union and the acquis communautaire are founded,” they said.

The five Greek Cypriots were arrested in the village of Galatia, near Trikomo, on July 19, and have remained in custody since then.

One of the five is accused of entering the north illegally, with the other four accused of aiding and abetting them, with prosecutors alleging that when the five crossed into the north from the British base of Dhekelia on July 17, only four identity cards were shown to the Turkish Cypriot police at the crossing point.

They will next appear in a military court in northern Nicosia on Thursday, when it is expected a formal trial will begin.

Two of the five had been handed three-month remands in a separate case at a civilian court in Trikomo last month, accused of privacy violations, trespassing, and breaching the peace. That case will continue at the end of October at the latest.