The north’s ‘foreign ministry’ on Thursday night accused the Republic of Cyprus of intending to “mislead the public” in its reaction to the arrest of five Greek Cypriots in the north last month, with all five having their remands extended for a further seven days earlier in the day.

It focused its attention on a statement which had been made earlier in the day by the Republic’s foreign ministry, and said that that statement “contains allegations which are incompatible with legal facts regarding the ongoing judicial process regarding five Greek Cypriot administration citizens in the TRNC”.

“First of all, we would like to state that we categorically reject the baseless allegations, which are devoid of historical and legal facts … and we would like to remind you of the fact that the only occupation on this island was the usurpation of the 1960 bicommunal partnership state by the Greek Cypriots, and the transformation of that state into a Greek Cypriot state,” it said.

It added that “the TRNC authorities are the sole competent authority within the TRNC, and the cases in question are being conducted within the framework of the principles of judicial independence and the rule of law, as guaranteed by the TRNC’s constitution”.

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“As a democratic state governed by the rule of law, the TRNC constitutionally guarantees the right to equal treatment and a fair trial for both citizens and all foreigners within its borders,” it said.

It then said that reports that some of the five arrested Greek Cypriots had applied to the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) for compensation for property they owned in the north before 1974 are “completely unfounded”.

“As is well known, it is the Greek Cypriot administration which has engaged in politically motivated obstructive behaviour and rhetoric regarding the IPC, which is recognised by the European Court of Human Rights as an effective domestic remedy,” it said.

On this matter, it then criticised the arrests made by the Republic of Cyprus of people accused of selling or developing Greek Cypriot-owned land in the north, describing those arrests as a “deliberate and organised attempt to exploit legal matters as a political tool”.

“Therefore, the Greek Cypriot administration is the last entity which can comment on this matter,” it said.

It then added that the Republic “has a poor record of using the law as an instrument of politics” and that as such, it “is not in a position to advise the TRNC”.

“We call on the Greek Cypriot administration of southern Cyprus … to abandon such misleading and politically motivated futile attempts to influence the ongoing independent judicial process in our country,” it said.

Earlier, the Republic’s foreign ministry had said it “condemns in the strongest possible terms the ongoing and blatantly illegal, provocative, and inhumane detention of five citizens of the Republic of Cyprus by the Turkish occupying forces”.

“The occupying regime disregards every notion of justice and aims, through abduction and hostage-taking, to escalate intimidation, as well as to target and influence those who choose to address the so-called Immovable Property Commission in the occupied areas,” it said.

It added that it has “lodged relevant complaints, demarches, and representations” to the United Nations and within the framework of the EU, as well as with third countries, and is “intensifying these efforts in order to put an end to the unlawful detention of the five citizens of the Republic and of the EU”.

“Given the continuing provocative and blatant violation of any notion of justice, the Republic of Cyprus is, among other things, examining the legal remedies it can activate against Turkey, including proceedings before the ECtHR,” it said.

Earlier on Thursday, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis had said Thursday’s extension of the five’s remands confirmed “beyond any doubt” the “total absence of any basis for their unlawful detention, which is a gross violation of fundamental legal principles and human rights”.

He described the arrests as an “illegal act by Turkey and its subordinate regime”, and said they “confirm [Turkey’s] deliberate and cynical disregard for all notions of legality”.

In addition, he called on the public to “exercise extreme caution” when travelling to the north.

The five will next appear in court on August 21, when it is expected a formal trial will begin.

The three-month remands handed to two of the five Greek Cypriots at a court in Trikomo last month are still in force, with those remands set to expire at the end of October.

The Turkish Cypriot authorities also arrested two Turkish Cypriots, an 83-year-old estate agent and an employee of the north’s land registry, on suspicion of aiding and abetting the five. They were both released on bail on August 7.