Northern footballers’ relatives face trial
NICOSIA (AFP) – Relatives and friends of two Turkish-Cypriot footballers who went to continue their careers in the south have been arrested by Turkish Cypriot police and will be tried for «illegally» crossing to the south, sources in north Nicosia confirmed yesterday. AEK Larnaca on Monday became the first Greek-Cypriot club since the 1974 Turkish invasion to sign Turkish-Cypriot players, but twins Raif and Sabri Selden were promptly denounced as «traitors» by the media in the Turkish-occupied north. The sources said their sister Hailde Selden, aunt Emetullah Gurescioglu and two friends had been arrested on Wednesday on their return to the north after accompanying the brothers to Larnaca. They had appeared in court and been freed pending trial, but were ordered to report to the court weekly. Their identity cards had been seized.
