Cyprus-Forum.com

[Shipwreck]

A friend informed me that if your religion has changed from Greek orthodox to lets say Catholic you will not be called up, worth looking in to...

[pantheman]

I called one of the army advice bureau offices in Cyprus this morning and according to the person I spoke to, my cousin would be regarded as a Cypriot citizen if he remains on the island for longer than 3 months, therefore making him eligible for National Service. I told him my cousin would rather retain his British status and not apply for Cypriot citizenship, but he said it made no difference for people of Cypriot descent.

This is the biggest load of bollocks going. This idiot doesn't know what he is talking about. You should have asked him then, why these 'Citizens' cannot vote or why they have to pay a Cy£100 deposit when arranging a phone line (as they don't have Cypriot Citizenship status. Yes it is true, this is racial descrimination against EU citizens. A cypriot doesn't pay anyone else does. Check that.

Total rubbish.

To do national servive, you have to have Cypriot Citizenship. You don't just get it by living here for more than 3 months, you have to apply for it, period.

As EU nationals we can live and work in any EU country without such hinderences. Don't let this pillock put you off, its typical xorkates talk.

[strawbie]

I can understand why the military people feel that way. They aren't stupid, they know there are a lot of people who would rather not do military service for whatever reasons, but I'm genuinely surprised that they can take such a negative attitude from the start.

The whole legal situation is very complicated and the Cypriot government isn't doing much to clarify it. I have no idea about the intricacies of international law so I've contacted the EU Signpost Service who give legal advice on such things. It takes 8 days for them to reply but they should be able to give a definite answer as to how conscription relates to foreign nationals who don't apply for Cypriot citizenship, regardless of ethnic origin.

If the EU says my cousin can live over there without military service then there's no way the Cypriot government can force him to do it. Fair enough, he may not get all the 'benefits of citizenship' but he can live without them.

[Get Real!]

[dinos]

I thought this was kind of amusing...
http://www.mfa.gov.cy/mfa/mfa2006.nsf/A ... enDocument

"Aliens who are married to Cypriot citizens are entitled to apply for Cypriot citizenship, after completing three years of marriage and cohabitation with their Cypriot spouse. The marriage certificate, good character certificate, the birth certificate of the applicant and particulars of the Cypriot spouse (i.e. copy of Cyprus passport) are required. Also a certificate issued by the Chairman of Communal Council (Muhtar) stating that that two spouses have been living continuously in his sector for at least two years immediately prior to the date of their application, should be provided. The applicant must be legally residing in Cyprus. The application must be submitted on form M125 (in duplicate)."
________________________

Good luck to all that have to deal with the muhtars. Bring plenty of Geritol. And hope his memory goes back 3 years. (This is going to bite me on the ass at some point.)

Seriously, I figured the muhtar system would've been done away with by now.

[annaka]

During the late seventies when my son, then aged 20, came for a holiday he went to the Cyprus High Commission in London and they gave him a Peranent Life Exit Visa. On landing at Larnaca Airport he had to go to a side room to present this paper before leaving the airport and on his return to the UK this paper was checked and handed back and he was free to leave. There were many other male British Cypriots who didn't have the exit visa and had to go to the Ministry of Defence in Nicosia to get it. This often meant losing the flight and travelling later (or even a couple of days later).

My nephew got the paperwork from London, but still had to go to the MOD in Nicosia to get his exit visa. However, last year he turned 30 and was informed that after thirty he didn't need the exit visa.

We do have relatives whose son decided to stay here permanently and he did the three months' army service about five years ago.

My husband, who was born in Cyprus, moved to the UK in 1952 and when we came for holidays he was never asked for an exit visa. However, when we wanted to vote he had to re-apply for Cypriot Citizenship as he had been out of Cyprus between 1955-1960 and lost his citizenship. We both applied for Cypriot Citizenship and now are able to vote in the national and municipal elections.

Regards, Annaka

[annaka]

With regard to the usefulness of the village mukhtar we had to use ours when we decided to get married in the Church over here. After visiting the Archbishopric in Nicosia, they asked for a paper signed by the village mayor to say we had lived the previous 44 years in harmony. Being a really good friend, the mayor obligingly signed on the dotted line.

Annaka.

[dinos]

With regard to the usefulness of the village mukhtar we had to use ours when we decided to get married in the Church over here. After visiting the Archbishopric in Nicosia, they asked for a paper signed by the village mayor to say we had lived the previous 44 years in harmony. Being a really good friend, the mayor obligingly signed on the dotted line.

Annaka.

Annaka, my comments regarding the muhtars were mostly in jest.

However, the fact that they remain is puzzling to me. Can't the laws be changed to require the documents to simply be notarized? Do we really need to hang onto out-dated remnants of previous Turkish occupations (that's basically why the muhtars exist in the first place, isn't it)?

Coming back to the original intent of the thread, three months of military service won't kill anybody. My opinion here is in line with Eliko and DT - Why seek to live on Cyprus and then try to wriggle out of such a small duty? What an insult to all the folks that had to serve their 26 months!

[strawbie]

I don't see where I have insulted anyone in my posts. I have merely been requesting information and advice, a perfectly valid reason for starting a thread.

None of this is about 'wriggling out' of anything. It is about finding out my cousin's legal obligations and rights in the event of his relocation to Cyprus and ensuring that his health is not further jeopardised by putting him in an inappropriate situation.

I am getting the facts and he will make his choice. If it comes down to 'if you want to live in Cyprus then you have to go in the army' then fair enough, he will know the price he has to pay if he really wants to stay there.

I understand and respect the viewpoint of those that feel he should serve, and I agree that he should if he were fully fit and able, but I can assure you that he really isn't, and if that means getting clarification on his rights as an EU citizen in order to ensure his health is not jeopardised then so be it.

Some people may see this as some sort of excuse to avoid 'doing his duty', but if you consider a 15-year illness as 'wriggling out' then there is nothing I can say to convince you otherwise. It's your opinion and you're entitled to it, but I don't agree with you.

[annaka]

This is rather long, but may answer a few of your questions.

In accordance with the provisions of the Law relating to National Guard, there is compulsory military service for all male citizens of the Cyprus Republic including persons of Cypriot descent on the male side. Persons of Cypriot descent on the male side (that is all who have a Cypriot father) are liable for compulsory service even if they do not have Cypriot citizenship. The obligation commences in the year the person becomes 18 and continues to the year of his 50th birthday.

Quote:
Repatriated Cypriot conscripts who had their permanent family home abroad for a period of more than 10 years, are entitled to reduced length of service according to their age on the date of their settlement in Cyprus as follows:
Over 26-50 years old 3 months service
Over 18-26 6 months service
Over 13-18 12 months service
Over 10-13 18 months service

The above reduced period of service is effective provided that the repatriates whose age has been called up for enlistment enlist within 4 dates of enlistment after the date of repatriation. In the case of their enlistment after 4 dates of enlistment they will be obliged to serve an additional 3 months.

Also, Overseas Cypriots who during their permanent residence abroad have performed compulsory military service for a period of at least 11 months in any other country of which they are also nationals, are obliged to serve only three months after their repatriation.

The terms and new length of service will also apply for those repatriates already performing military service.

Quote:
All those who are not Cypriot citizens but are of Cypriot descent on the male side (i.e. their father or grandfather was of Cypriot descent even if they had not acquired Cypriot citizenship) and were born in 1960 or after, are obliged to do military service. All those who belong to the above category and were born in 1959 or before, are not obliged at present to do military service. They may, however, if they wish, enlist in the National Guard as volunteers and after serving for six months only, apply for Cypriot citizenship without being liable for any further military obligation.
Before departing from Cyprus, all those aged between 15 and 50 who are liable for military service require an Exit Permit which is issued by the Ministry of Defence and local District Enlistment Offices in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos. To facilitate these persons the following arrangements have been made:

(a) Presentation of "Marching Orders" or "Certificate of Emigration"
All those who have done their military service may leave Cyprus without an Exit Permit provided that on departure they present to Passport Control at the airports or ports from which they are departing, the original "Marching Orders" or Certificate of Emigration". Certificates of Emigration are issued by the Enlistment Offices supervising them.

(b) Presentation of "Certificate of Exemption"
All those who are exempted from compulsory military service by reason of permanent residence abroad, may leave Cyprus without an Exit Permit provided that they present to Passport Control the original of the "Certificate of Exemption", provided that their departure from Cyprus is within three months from their arrival. In the case where their stay in Cyprus exceeds three months, they require an Exit Permit from the Issue of Exit Permits Office of the Ministry of Defence in Nicosia. Certificates of Exemption by reason of permanent residence abroad, are issued by the Ministry of Defence upon the application of those concerned on the special form provided by Embassies and Consulates abroad or the Ministry of Defence in Nicosia.
All those entitled to a Certificate of Exemption are urged to submit their applications without delay to the Ministry of Defence to secure the above Certificate, which relieves them of unnecessary inconvenience and expense during their visits to Cyprus.
All those who have been exempted for other reasons (health, dependants, prisoners of war, missing father or brother etc) must apply to the National Guard Enlistment Office in the district in which they were born to secure a "Certificate of Emigration" which, as mentioned above, will allow them to leave Cyprus without an Exit Permit. Otherwise they must secure an Exit permit directly from the Exit Permit office of the Ministry Defence in Nicosia.