National Service for Tourists

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 00:26

Hi, i've had some friends fly in to Larnaca from Larnaca who wanted to cross to the TRNC, however at the crossing they were both detained as they had not completed a national service for the TRNC. Both friends were born in the UK and are UK Passport holders but were told that as their parents are Turkish Cypriots then they are required to carry out a national service. Both have had to call back home (UK) to let their employers know that their week holiday will now last three months. As they were taken to the camp to start their national service it turns out that there were 16 other individuals also caught at the crossing. Does anyone know if the rules for UK citizens with TRNC parents have changed with refards to national service?

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 00:30

I've just tried to contact the TRNC Embassy in London but their official site is closed with the following message in Turkish and English:



http://www.northcyprus.cc/



"Servisiniz borcunuzdan dolayı kapatılmıştır."

"Your Services has been suspended due to payment issue."

LondonCypriot


Joined: 15/12/2008
Posts: 426

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 01:11

What they normally have to do is obtain exit papers. With the exit papers they can stay in the trnc up to 60 days, maybe 90 days now. Any one staying over the days limit will have to do an whole length or pay and some some few months.

LondonCypriot


Joined: 15/12/2008
Posts: 426

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 01:13

....anyone one staying in the trnc over their limit on their exit papers will have to complete military service.

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 08:19

TinLondon/Msg1:



If your information is correct, what, effectively, has happened to these UK born people is that they have been 'press-ganged', which, in this day and age, surely constitutes a clear violation of human rights. Of course, if they were born in TRNC, then it is a different matter.

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 08:28

TinLondon, I'm confused by this story. How did TRNC passport control discover that Brits with British passports are genetically linked to TCs? There is nothing on my passport saying who my parents are. But, as said above, if they were born in the TRNC and/or hold TRNC kimlik cards it would make sense.

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 08:28

Thats the law in TRNC.

With a TC parents you are also classed as TRNC citizen.Therefore you are required for national service.

I do beleive it is a money game,because you can pay £1500 and do 1 month or £3000 and do 2 weeks.

Unles you can obtain medical papers from UK(or elsewhre) stating your condition that might make you an exempt.However,you'd have to go through check ups here too.

No age limit either.

Visitor


Joined: 19/08/2010
Posts: 492

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 08:29

I am no expert but have been through the same reqirement. You are required to obtain exit and entry dates from the police. Then the army office gives you an exit peper to come and go. This process takes a couple of hours.



If however you exceed 90 days in a given year you are then required to do your military service. Or you can pay

It sounds like your friends are paying a part fee to do 3 months,



Where it gets complicated is if these guys lived in Cyprus prior to military age then they would be required to

again do military service, if they reurned within 7 years of leaving the island or there parents remained during

there absence.



Nationality has nothing to do with it. You are CYpriot by birth and cannot disolve your birthright. The FO and

others have advise on this matter as the same or similar position exists in the ROC.

negativenick


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 6023

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 08:35

another reason to give the place a very wide birth...............

Visitor


Joined: 19/08/2010
Posts: 492

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 08:43

The police do not normally check papers at these crossings. Its difficult to comment without all the facts.

The payments are 1500 for a limited stint of 3 months but you can do a month a year.



Or 3000 for no service at all.

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 09:02

Visitor;

I'm no expert on this subject since I did mine in full (2 years),back in the 80s,but my friend from UK paid £750 and did 2 weeks one year and the same next.

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 11:24

Thank you all for your comments, I know not all the facts are available but even with what i do know it does seem odd that theses people were detained unexpectedly at the crossing. The reason I ask, is that I too fall under the same catergory (born in the UK to cypriot parents) so need to be clear what the rules are before I travel this year because there's no way my company will keep my job open for 3 months. I've been travelling to the TRNC via larnaca for 8 years and I have never been asked about national service at the borders before.



Msg 6. I agree, I too asked the same question, how could they prove my parents are TC's? Yorgozlu, I think you're right, this is nothing but a money game, if the national service is so important to the TRNC, then there shouldn't be a opt out for cash option.



Does anyone have the contact deatils for the TRNC embassy in London (is there such a thing?) or correct website?

LondonCypriot


Joined: 15/12/2008
Posts: 426

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 12:17

http://www.mucahit.net/asal/asal%20sube/genelbilgiler.html

LondonCypriot


Joined: 15/12/2008
Posts: 426

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 12:27

http://www.mucahit.net/asal/askeralma_ENG.htm

Zoots


Joined: 05/02/2011
Posts: 669

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 12:29

Msg 2:



>> http://www.northcyprus.cc/

"Servisiniz borcunuzdan dolayı kapatılmıştır."

"Your Services has been suspended due to payment issue."<<



So the TRNC "embassy" in London has had its website taken down because they didn't pay the fee!

Priceless but unsurprising.

Visitor


Joined: 19/08/2010
Posts: 492

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 12:53

Tin the TRNC office in London will just refer you to the army office in Nicosia. I went through the same thing.

If you are UK born and have never lived in Cyprus or spent 90 days in a year in Cyprus. Its straight forward. You go to the police HQ in Nicosia and get a ins and outs form. This lists every visit you have made to the island when you arrived and when you left. You need to take your passport, Birth cert.



With this you go to the army office. They then issue you an exit paper and you can leave legally. Once you reach age 49 you will receive a permanent exemption as long as you do not stay more then 90 days.



Normally at the crossings to the ROC they do not ask for proof. They always do at Ercan. The reason they know you are Turkish Cypriot is probably from your name.

billyboy1


Joined: 01/06/2009
Posts: 590

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 12:54

i was born in Uk to Turkish Cypriot parents (both born in cyprus but moved to Uk at early age)....



My son was born in uk, his father is english thru and thru, both parents hold british passport as does my son....



where would my son stand with regards to national service in cyprus......my nephew who has the same situation had to do his service, but then he lives in cyprus.....

Visitor


Joined: 19/08/2010
Posts: 492

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 12:56

Heres a link look for the question on national Service



http://living-in-northern-cyprus.com/review/2010/09/north-cyprus-legal-advice-sep-october-2010/#National%20Service%20in%20North%20Cyprus

Visitor


Joined: 19/08/2010
Posts: 492

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 13:00

Billyboy your son would be regarded as a Turkish Cypriot. Forget passports you and he have automatic dual citizenship. Have a look at the British embassy website. As I said as long as he doesn't want to live in Cyprus and doesn't stay over 90 days I think he should be fine.

billyboy1


Joined: 01/06/2009
Posts: 590

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 13:16

Thanks "Visitor".....he really doesnt want to do it, he dont speak the language, has heard lots of storeis that also make him uncomfortable.....he is even considering joing the british army and then he would be exempt from turkish army ...

Visitor


Joined: 19/08/2010
Posts: 492

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 13:24

Billyboy I have nephews and cousins all born in the UK. Not one of them has had to do military service. You just have to make sure you are clear abt the rules.

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 13:34

You are obviously trying to contact a site that does not belong to TRNC Representative's Office! I would have thought that because there is no mention of TRNC or KKTC in its URL would have made you realize this! The correct address for the site is:

http://www.trnclondon.com/

Adress: 29 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3ED,United Kingdom - Tel: 020 7631 1920 - Fax: 020 7462 9785

The site is both in English and Turkish (Just click on the flag on top of the opening page). I suggest you contact them and they will advise you on exactly what you need to do. (Sorry to disappoint you Zoots!)

MUSIN M


Joined: 26/06/2008
Posts: 1352

Message Posted:
24/04/2011 13:43

tinlondon

these boys have more than likely been before signed up to settle their service one way or another and have now tried entering through the back door and have been caught out.



all my three boys have their exit papers and they were born in britain and they are half irish ,if you want to be treated fairly then play fairly,don,t get too smart .



musin



long live the kktc