Man ordered to see shrink after flag incident

A Greek Cypriot man accused of indecent behavior following an attempt to place a Greek flag at a monument in the north has been ordered to see a psychiatrist.

According to local media, a man described as Greek Cypriot was arrested on a charge of indecent behavior last week by Turkish Cypriot police following his failed attempt to place a Greek flag at a Victory Monument outside Famagusta city walls in the north.

After the initial arrest and subsequent three-day remand, the suspect appeared in a Famagusta courtroom this week where prosecutors requested an additional day in detention to allow a psychiatric evaluation to be completed.

The delay came about after reports said the man had already been examined by a medical board, with a police officer testifying before a judge that the suspect invoked divine intervention during the incident.

“God told me to do it,” the suspect said based on the officer’s statement in court.

It was stated during the hearing that the chief medical doctor for mental disorders would have to meet with the suspect before the judge could rule on the case including the possibility of imposing an appropriate sentence.

Reports said the man had been seen by members of the public in an attempt to unravel or hoist a Greek flag at a roundabout, with some motorists slowing down out of curiosity.

He was then approached by officers who detained him before he could complete his mission.

Some ethnic groups in the north called the incident a “heinous crime” propagated by ELAM mentality, a reference to the pro-Greek nationalist party in the south.

The identity of the suspect was not clear while some reports suggested he had flown to Larnaca International Airport in the Republic of Cyprus and then crossed into the north as a visitor.

Hoisting a foreign flag is not a crime in the northern part of Cyprus, which is not recognized by any country except Turkey.