Για να μείνει κάτι όρθιον σε τούν' το τόπο!

Η Καρπασία εκπεμπει SOS - κινδυνεύκει άμεσα που την ασυδοσία τζιαι την αισχροκέρδια! 

Δαμέ περιγράφεται γιατί εν σημαντική η Καρπασία τζιαι πόθεν κινδυνεύκει τζιαι δαμέ ανακοίνωση της Πρωτοβουλίας του Εθνικού Πάρκου Καρπασίας. Το ίδιον κείμενον εκυκλοφόρησεν τζιαι στα αγγλικά τζιαι παρατίθεται πιο κάτω. Τα μηνύματα που έρκουνται έν' νναι καθόλου ενθαρρυντικά αφού οι εργασίες για διεύρυνση του δρόμου όϊ μόνο συνεχίζουνται, αλλά ούτε νομικά μέτρα που έγινεν προσπάθεια φαίνεται να αποδίδουν, ούτε προσπάθειες στην Ε.Ε. αφού η περιοχή χαίρει προστασίας στα πλαίσια του προγράμματος "Natura 2000"


Τα τελευταία "νέα" περιγράφουνται συνοπτικά:

"The destruction in Karpaz continues full-speed. Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan’s son visited the mayor of Karpaz (also from Turkey) last week. Ambassador of Turkey in Northern Cyprus said they will do anything the mayor wants them to do. So there is a special arrangement between the mayor and Erdogan. Ministry of Environment of the Northern Cyprus is out of order. EU is out of order. We sued the Ministry of Transportation for this project and the judge keeps postponing the case so justice is out of order. 15000 festival tickets are sold and organizers said there is no way of stopping it (with a greedy smile). They already started building structures at the Golden Beach in Karpaz and road expansion is more destructive than before. We, the local environmentalists, will have demonstrations and actions against this but we need international individuals to help and fight against this. Petitions and websites. First target Silk-Route Festival organisers, performers and ticket buyers/sellers. Please show that against all we can save Karpaz for healthier and happier generations." 


Το μέγεθος της καταστροφής ΜΟΝΟ που το δρόμο, φαίνεται σε τούτην τη φωτογραφίαν (που το http://www.facebook.com/groups/karpazmilliparkinikoruyalim/)

Εβαλτήκαμεν σε τούτον τον τόπο να με αφήκουμεν τίποτε όμορφο όρθιο τζιαι τίποτε που να αξίζει. Ούλλα να τα ξεπουλήσουμεν τζιαι να τα κάμουμεν χάϊ τζιαι τρέντυ - με γαούϊριν, με βράχον, με ερπετό, με πεταλλούδα, με τες λατζιές πιλέ!

Χρειάζεται ΑΜΕΣΗ ΔΡΑΣΗ. 

Όποιος/ α, έσιει ιδέες, μπόρει να κάμει κάτι, να με διστάσει να επικοινωνήσει ΑΜΕΣΑ - ως που εν φως τζι' ανώρα.

What is the importance of Karpas/Karpaz?

        Karpas/Karpaz peninsula  is one of the highly prominent and pristine geographical beauties of Cyprus which has coastline on both the north and south borders extending to a total length of 103.5km. Karpaz had received its first legal protection in 1977, when it was declared as a National Park. Survey work shows that there are 13 different EU priority habitat types within the protected area.  Large part of  Karpaz  forms SEPA (Special Environmental Protection Area) and  has been selected as a potential NATURA 2000 site (EU funded €5 million for the technical guidance of protection and the management of the site) among six others in Northern Cyprus where due to the presence of a combination of important habitats which are listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) and the presence of a number of species which have national and/or international importance in nature conservation terms. Flora and wild fauna of Karpas/Karpaz peninsula are also protected under Bern Convention , which is also adopted by European Environment Ministers.

v  The protected area covers a total area of 9,645 ha. and the habitats consists of an extensive interior region with hill formations, open plains with stream beds, endemic plants and the coastal zone. National Park by itself covers 2000 ha of Karpas/Karpaz, including the half of the endemic plants in Cyprus such as;

·         Euphorbia paralias (Endangered)

·         Juncus maritimus (Vulnerable)

·         Valantia muralis (Endangered)

·         Ophrys kotschyi (Vulnerable).

v  Different types of birds including migratory birds (The Endemic Cyprus Wheatear, Cyprus Warbler, Common Cranes, Honey Buzzards, Marsh Harrier, Audoins Gull) ,

v  Invertebrates (the Cyprus Meadow Brown, Paphos Blue, Two Tailed Pasha, Pigmy Skipper, Lang’s Short Tailed Blue) ,

v  Mammals/Sea mammals (monk seals, Egyptian Fruit Bat, Greater Horseshoe Bat),

v  Marine Turtles (Green turtles and Loggerhead Turtle) and Reptiles.

v  Beaches in Karpas/Karpaz such as Ronnas Beach and Golden Beach  are natural habitats and main nesting sites for endangered Green turtles (chelonian mydas) and the Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and these beaches  stays within the borders of national park. Simply, They can’t be touched!

What’s been happening in Karpas/Karpaz recently?

         In 2007,  Power has been brought to Cape Victory by the Turkish Cypriot administrations, starting from Dipkarpaz which covered  the most of the Karpas/Karpaz SEPA. Although there weren’t any habitants to use the electricity that has been brought to the aforementioned area,  it was just an infrastructure work to make Karpas/Karpaz SEPA an ordinary touristic zone in the future.  Recently, a road expansion work (10m wide) which is funded by Turkey, led by Turkish Ambassador to the Ministry of Transport of the Turkish Cypriot administration,   has already started in Karpas/Karpaz SEPA and first phase of the project (3.7Km) has planned to be finished in 4 months.  This  will endanger to touristic investments (hotels, casinos, Aquaparks, Night Clubs... etc).  Road expansion work has planned to be ready in 4 months time. The Karpas /Karpaz SEPA is extremely sensitive. Such a major upgrading of the road could have detrimental effects on the environment, as experience shows it is likely to increase traffic and visitor numbers to the protected area and the construction itself could lead to significant damage. Moreover, Fatal blow will be made by the three day music festival called “silk route festival” in September 2013, which will host 80,000 visitors on one of the intact beaches of Cyprus, The Golden Beach. The Department of Environmental Protection (of the Turkish Cypriot administation) forbids access to turtle nesting beaches from May to October between 10pm and 8am in an effort to protect the turtles. Lighting fires and using speedboats are also forbidden. Imagine the catastrophe made by  80 000 people in this unique nesting beach for three days long!!

Both Road expansion and Festival are ILLEGAL in this case, due to the protection made by EU.

        Consequences of these projects will be the loss of biodiversity (could be the end of many endangered species), environmental pollution (especially after the silk route festival) and after several years, Karpas/Karpaz will lose its Uniqueness and will become an ordinary touristic area. Ramifications will be irremediable!

We urge the EEC / Council of Europe to do what is necessary in order to:
1) ensure the enforcement of the laws and conventions mentioned above as agreed;
2) immediately cease the ongoing road widening project and re-plan all future developments according to the already established protective laws
3) hold the Turkish Embassy in North Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot  authorities, responsible bodies and the construction company accountable for their crimes against the destruction of this legally protected area.