Van parked and locked on the top deck of the ferry, I had a nose around as the ferry was being readied to set sail. I watched as two men wearing ear muffs started to fire up the eight enormous generators located at the sides of the top deck. The row those generators made were loud enough to wake the dead. I made my way up to the passenger lounge. On entering and in the decor it looked more like a 'doss house.' To be fair it was the lorry driver’s lounge and as such they were strewn around on the very hard type bench seats, some of them were already snoring their heads off! There was no way I was going to get any shut-eye with the row going on so I decided to go back to the van to get the only book I had at hand, Person to Person (As already mentioned) I noticed a few passengers/lorry drivers were still in their vehicles. I presumed they were not considering going to sleep with the noise of the generators which were no more than a metre and a half from their ears.
By the time I returned the snoring had become a fully orchestrated crescendo of noise, interjected by a few farts here and there to break the monotony! I did give it a go, all of five minutes before I gathered my bits and headed back to the van. The snoring reminded me of when my dad used to visit me I made him sleep downstairs in the living room as his snoring was louder than the exhaust of a Harley Davidson Softail! The roar of the generators was a worry but I had to give it a try and once I closed the windows the noise at least was a steady drone. A few minutes later I was away with the fairies!
I awoke with someone shinning a bright light in my eyes. A few seconds later I realised the bright light was the sun low on the horizon. Looking at my watch confirmed it was 8.15 in the morning and land was just a hop away and the Kyrenia Port was straight ahead. I followed the line of vehicles pouring off the ferry and parked the van with the rest of them. I grabbed all my documents and followed the rest of the bods and fell in line at passport control, which went smoothly enough. It was customs next and this is where things began to gain momentum. Naively I'd not realised when the customs took my passport and punched in my name, up came the fact I had a motorbike in the back of the van. The customs officer called over a bloke in civvies and spoke a few words in a gruff voice. Turning to me the 'civvies' indicated to follow him and I was not about to disobey.
He marched me out of the customs hall, across a car park to another building which was the customs offices. 'Oh dear,' I thought, 'here we go again!' I was taken to the second floor where I was taken into the office of whom I presumed to be the chief customs officer. He was a man of few words. At least those few words were in almost perfect English. 'Do you intend to reside in here in North Cyprus?' I told him I was heading straight to the border to settle in the South where I already had a property lined up to rent. 'You need insurance for both your vehicles.' I told him I'd arranged insurance for one month when I entered Turkey. 'This is not Turkey.' He said in an irritable voice. 'This is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and you must have insurance. If you are going straight to the border you will still need insurance for the van. I will give you this yellow sheet of paper which you must sign and present to a TRNC customs officer as you arrive at the border crossing. It is important you hand this paper to him and tell him to call me on this number.' He scribbled down a note with the telephone number. 'Is that it, can I go?' 'Yes you can go to agent to get insurance then you can go.' He waved me out of his office and the bloke in civvies marched me to the building next door. I was relieved of a further 35 Lira for seven days insurance (Even though I only needed it for that as I was heading straight for the border to the south, or that's what I thought?) The civvies bloke then marched me back to the customs hall where my passport was stamped (Unknown to me at the time, that stamp was to be my downfall!) and I was told I could go to the exit barrier where my passport was again checked and I was free to go.
Relief swept over me in waves as I drove out of the port and headed for the border crossing of Pyrgos which is where I was advised to cross as it was the nearest point to where my friends in the South lived. I inserted one of my favourite cd's, Crystal Ball, a powerful pomp rock album from the seventies by American band Styx and pumped up the volume! I was happy as a 'pig in shit.' Three hours later and after losing my way at least half a dozen times I reached the border crossing on the Turkish side. I asked for the customs officer, as I'd been instructed to and handed over the 'important' yellow sheet of paper. Unfortunately he spoke not a word of English and I was waved through in the blink of an eye. A few minutes later I reached the Greek side of the border still on a high.
As I pulled up at the first window a border policeman appeared and asked me for my passport and international insurance, both of which were at hand. 'This insurance is not valid in our country.' He said indignantly in an English Cambridge accent! 'If you look at the small print on the next page you will see it is valid in your country and all of Europe!' 'Oh so it is,' he spat back, without even the mere hint of an apology. Without another word he waved me on to the customs window. A pleasant looking man with a beaming smile came out to me and asked for my passport. After studying it for a full minute he went back in his office. He returned a few minutes later and asked, 'what is the purpose of your visit to Cyprus?' I told him I had come to make a new life in his country. His smile disappeared as he told me I could pass but my vehicle could not! My jaw dropped, my eyes widened and I thought my hearing was playing me up! 'Excuse me but can you repeat that?' And he did, expanding on what he first said. 'Your vehicle entered our country through an illegal port and I cannot let you drive it into our country!
I had no choice but to turn back but as I drove back towards the Turkish side I began to get angry and when I get angry it’s not a pretty sight! I turned straight round, after explaining to a bemused customs officer what had just happened. Surely he must have known I would be turned back? I was not about to argue the point with him as I had a multitude of questions on my mind that needed answers!
Many months before I set of on my journey I researched the exact subject on the internet and knew about the possibility of this problem arising but was lead to understand if I paid the customs duty on my van and my motorbike I could enter South Cyprus! Apparently I was wrong but I still cannot and will not accept it. If my van and I came into Cyprus via an illegal port why was I allowed to enter but my vehicle not?
I now know the answer, it's simply because I hold a European passport and have the right of passage without hindrance! But surely by preventing me from crossing with my vehicle and possessions, that is hindrance is it not? I also have to ask the question, if my vehicle is registered in the UK and has a European log book, European insurance, surely then it too should have the right off passage! I'm afraid I just don’t compute in this simple brain of mine!
I drove straight past the border police window and drew up at customs. And put my argument to the customs officer and to give him his due he phoned his immediate boss but the answer was still the same! I told him as politely as possible under the circumstances that I could not accept their decision and would take the matter further. By this time his smile had gone and he told me to take his advice, which was: Go back to mainland Turkey, drive through Syria to Israel and take a boat to Limassol which is a legal port for entry to Cyprus. I’m afraid I lost it at that point and told him in no uncertain terms what I thought of his advice. And I added, ‘if I was your boss and found out you advised a European citizen to drive through a war zone, I give you instant dismissal!’ I then spun round and stormed out.
I got back in the van and I started to drive back towards the Turkish border when I saw a UN vehicle ahead of me. I flashed my light and they came to a halt. I jumped out and told the two officers what had just happened. They told me to follow them to their headquarters inside the neutral zone and told to wait outside. One of the officers came out five minutes later and told me he would come back with me to the Greek border crossing point as he had never heard of this happening before. I got to the Greek crossing point before the UN officer and parked by the border police window, which was the only available parking place. The policeman stormed out and told me to move my vehicle. I refused saying I parked here previously and it was the only place to park! ‘If you do not move now I will arrest you.’ He shouted. I shouted back. ‘For what?’ He said for not obeying an order. I told him where he could stick his order!
Thankfully at this point the UN officer came running up. ‘Gentlemen please stop this. What’s the problem officer?’ He told the UN officer and the officer turned to me and asked me please move the van back to where he parked his car, so I did as requested.
The customs officer was having a donner as we strolled up to his office door. To be honest I was so wound up at this point I didn’t take in a word that was said. Given the chance I would have stuffed his kebab up his arse!
The UN officer took me to one side and said he was as puzzled as I was but told me I was wasting my time and should take up the matter with the British Embassy in Nicosia. He then left and I got back in the van. As I drove past the border policeman’s window I scowled at him. Unsurprisingly he scowled back. Wanker went through my mind!
On my return to the Turkish side I phoned my friends in the South and told them what had just happened. They advised me to try another crossing. What a good idea I thought. It wasn’t but I tried another two crossings but at the last one the border policeman was shaking his finger and pointed for me to go back even before I came to a halt! He came up to my window and told me if I didn’t turn around and go back he would impound my van. ‘Over my fucking dead body you will!’ I replied as I turned round and returned the way I’d just come.
By this time it was about 10pm and I felt deflated, tired and very hungry. I stopped at a Turkish café not far from the border and treated myself to a kebab, a smoke and a hard think about my next move. I decided to go to Nicosia and the Ledra crossing where I knew there was a UN building. Unfortunately it was too late to speak with an official and decided to hop into my hammock for a well-deserved kip.
I was up with the lark, gathered my documents and headed for the UN office. They were most helpful and a phone call to the British Embassy arranged for me to speak with a consular officer but as it was Saturday it would not be possible until Monday. They also called a UN policeman to talk over the matter with me. He was intrigued to hear my experience and took notes but told me very little could be done and I would have to re-consider my position because such matters can take a long time to resolve, if ever! But like both UN contacts he made notes and said the incident would be officially logged and if I took the matter further their names could be used in my quest for a fair hearing. That was good enough for me.
It was now time to think of what I was going to do with myself over the weekend and I decided I needed to have some time to chill and get my thoughts together. I made enquiries and decided to head for the North-West of the island to a hotel near a place called Iskele. I decided on the Cyprus Gardens Holiday village and it was a wise choice. The accommodation was first class as were the facilities. My room was no more than a hundred paces from the Mediterranean (See photo) I already mentioned the friends I made there.
In the meantime a very good friend of mine offered me the use his apartment near Kyrenia until the end of July and I gratefully accepted his offer, which is where I am right now. Yesterday I completed and sent an official electronic complaint to the European Union Ombudsman stating I believe my human rights have been violated by the Greek Cypriot Authorities by restricting my passage to the Republic of Cyprus. I will not hold my breath as to if or when my problem will be dealt with. I have already decided if I can’t make it to the South I will stay here. I thank all the people who have gone out of their way to help me and make me feel at home here in the North. You know who you are.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day as I have to go to Nicosia to see customs and immigration officials. I also have the name of an advocate who loves to take on cases against the South. I will report the outcome of my day tomorrow. Oh, it is tomorrow J
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