The Greek Cypriot father of five-year-old Stylianos who was abducted by his foreign mother and is now stranded in Turkey is appealing to officials to intervene so that the boy returns home to Cyprus.
Turkey which still occupies part of Cyprus since a 1974 invasion does not recognize the Republic.
Stylianos was abducted by his mother two months ago after his father – Kyriakos Bambakas, 33, from Limassol – had won the custody case following the couple’s separation.
The mother, along with two of her relatives, tried to escape to Canada with forged documents and were arrested in Istanbul on November 11.
Detectives hired by the father said they are all under confinement in an apartment until the set day of trial in the Turkish court.
Despite efforts by Interpol Cyprus and steps taken by the Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the return of the minor to Cyprus there was no response from Turkish authorities.
Bambakas went as far as to call on the President to intervene in this humanitarian case.
