UK CYPRIOTS DEMAND AN END TO 40 YEARS OF TURKEY’S INJUSTICES IN
CYPRUS
British Cypriots and politicians from across
Britain’s political spectrum demonstrated in great numbers on Sunday, in a show
of solidarity against Turkey’s intransigence over efforts to end its continuing
illegal military occupation of the northern part of Cyprus. The National
Federation of UK Cypriots’ annual rally at Trafalgar Square saw thousands of
protestors make their voices heard to deliver a clear message to Turkey and to
the British Government.
A petition was delivered to Prime Minister
David Cameron, in which the National Federation of UK Cypriots’ President, Mr
Peter Droussiotis, called upon Mr Cameron to apply leverage on Turkey to
withdraw its occupying troops and to play an active and positive role in current
efforts to reunite Cyprus for the benefit of all Cypriots. A letter of protest
to the Turkish Ambassador to the UK was also delivered to the Turkish Embassy in
London.
The annual London “Rally for Cyprus” was
organised by the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK to mark the 40
th anniversary of the illegal invasion of Cyprus by the Turkish army on
20 th July 1974.
The keynote speaker at the event was Mr
Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, Minister for Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism of the
Republic of Cyprus. The Minister said that: “It was really far too long to have
to wait for forty years for justice to be served in Cyprus, especially when the
just cause of the island has been recognized by numerous resolutions of the
United Nations and is based on the principles and values of the European
Union.” The Minister also pointed out that the Cypriot people are the only
European citizens who are denied basic human rights in their own country,
because of the Turkish military occupation.
He added: “What is urgently required are
steps to enhance the mutual trust between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Turkey has
to decide whether or not it wishes to take concrete steps to build confidence
and improve the political climate. It is to this end that President Anastasiades
has proposed confidence building measures including the Famagusta
proposal”.
The rally in Trafalgar Square was also
addressed by British politicians from the main parties.
In his introductory speech, Mr Peter
Droussiotis, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK,
welcomed and thanked all of those present, in particular Minister Lakkotrypis,
the Mayors of the occupied towns of Kythrea and Lapithos, Theresa Villiers MP,
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and a member of the British Cabinet, the
Greek Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Mr Konstanitnos Bikas, the Cyprus High
Commissioner to the UK, Mr Euripides Evriviades, and members of the British and
European Parliament and the Greater London Assembly Sir Alan Meale MP, Mike
Freer MP, Charles Tannock MEP and Andrew Dismore AM.
After welcoming the rally, Mr Droussiotis
articulated called upon the international community to act on Cyprus. He
said:
“Today we remind the world of the utter
injustice of the continuing division of Cyprus, the disgrace of a divided
capital in a united Europe. We condemn the ethnic cleansing, the cultural
genocide, the religious desecration – these consequences are the pernicious
legacy of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus in 1974.
“The tragedy of Cyprus is compounded because
the will of the United Nations has been defied, with complete impunity, by
successive Turkish governments, for 40 years, which makes today an anniversary
of failure too – the failure of the international community to hold Turkey to
account. So we call upon Britain, which has moral and treaty obligations to
Cyprus, and upon the European Union, whose values and principles are being
arrogantly defied by Turkey, to put pressure on Turkey to help deliver a free,
united Cyprus for all Cypriots. And we ask Britain and Europe to make it
unequivocally clear to Turkey that it will never join the EU unless it leaves
the island.
“Forty years on, the flame of liberty in our
hearts still burns; it will not be extinguished; our hope endures; the dream
lives on; the struggle continues and will not stop until the bells of freedom
ring from every corner of the island.”
Petros Kareklas, Mayor of occupied Kythrea,
speaking on behalf of the Occupied Towns and Municipalities of Cyprus, pointed
to the destruction of the island’s cultural and religious heritage in the
occupied areas. He demanded the immediate removal of Turkish troops from Cyprus
and noted that while a solution was desired by virtually all Cypriots, any
settlement must safeguard the unity of the state and the peaceful co-existence
and prosperity of all Cypriot citizens in their own country. He added his
deepest thanks to British Cypriots and the Federation for their efforts in
pressing for an end to the division of Cyprus.
Andrew Dismore, a former MP and current
member of the Greater London Assembly, then addressed the rally. Speaking in
fluent Greek, Mr Dismore said that “the eyes of the world at present are on the
crises in Syria, Iraq and the Middle East, so it is important not to forget
Cyprus, which makes it even more vital to have events such as this rally for as
long as the injustice of a divided island remains”.
Charles Tannock, a Member of the European
Parliament for London, told the rally that he will again prioritise the
instigation of a resolution to focus the newly elected European Parliament on
the issue of Varosha and Famagusta, and the reunification of the island. Mr
Tannock went on to state that the recent interest of the USA in the Cyprus
problem bodes well for the prospects of a solution under the United
Nations.
Sir Alan Meale MP spoke of how Cyprus “deserves justice, as a member
of the European Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations” and highlighted
“the sacrifice of so many Cypriot lives to protect freedom and democracy in two
world wars”. He further called for a redoubling of efforts in searching for the
fates of people still missing and unaccounted for since the invasion.
Also at the rally to demonstrate their solidarity with the Cyprus
cause were long-standing friends of the island Theresa Villiers MP, Secretary
of State for Northern Ireland, Mike Freer MP, and former MP Ian Twinn.
Additionally, the Cyprus High Commissioner, Mr Euripides Evriviades, and the
Greek Ambassador, Mr Konstantinos Bikas, were on the platform together with
Federation officers and members of its Executive Andreas Papaevripides
(Federation Treasurer and President of POMAK), Bambos Charalambous (Federation
Vice-President), Michael Ellinas (Vice-President), Ninos Koumettou
(Vice-President), Michael Kashis (Secretary), Suzy Constantinides (Chair,
Organising Committee), Christos Karaolis (also Nepomak President), Neophytos
Nicolaou, George Adonis, veteran Executive Secretary Andreas
Karaolis and former Federation and POMAK President Charis Sophoclides visiting
from Cyprus.
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