The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Wednesday called on the United Kingdom to end the injustice against Turkish Cypriots in the country.
Speaking to the British channel G.B. News, President Ersin Tatar pointed out one of the injustices: the lack of direct flights from the U.K. to Turkish Cyprus.
Easing the isolation imposed on them would contribute to peace, Tatar said, adding that the unequal treatment of the Turkish Cypriots needs to be reviewed.
Highlighting the benefits of a two-state solution for Cyprus, he said cooperation in many areas, such as energy, water and natural resources, would benefit both Turkish and Greek Cypriots on the ethnically divided Mediterranean island.
He reminded the U.K. government that, as one of the guarantor powers of Cyprus, it has responsibilities and obligations to both peoples on the island.
Decades-long dispute
The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.
In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.
The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the European Union in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots thwarted a U.N. plan to end the longstanding dispute.
Türkiye fully supports a two-state solution on the island of Cyprus based on sovereign equality and equal international status.
Unjust isolation
Tatar’s plea was echoed by Turkish Cypriote non-governmental organizations who called on the new U.K. government to take stronger and more decisive action to address the growing challenges faced by the island’s Turkish Cypriote community.
The NGOs are advocating for increased diplomatic efforts to end the “unjust isolation” of Turkish Cypriots, urging the Labour government to implement new policies that prioritize the safety of Turkish Cypriots and contribute to long-term stability.
Alp Cengiz Alp, a member of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, emphasized the significance of the U.K.’s longstanding ties with the island.
“Turkish Cypriots are citizens of the U.K. government, and we have many British visitors who live comfortably on the northern side of the island. We want to arrange for a direct flight to Northern Cyprus so that the communities of Northern Cyprus, in a humanitarian sense, can be connected to the wider world,” he told Anadolu Agency (A.A.).
“We are going to ask the members of the U.K. Parliament directly about this,” he added, underscoring the urgency of the request.
‘Violating’ E.U. principles
Alp said Turkish Cypriots hoped for progress when the Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the E.U. in 2004, but the move had the opposite effect.
“There were three aspects: trade, financial assistance and ‘the Green Line.’ Since 2004, the E.U. has provided some assistance to the TRNC annually… to support the people and increase their welfare,” he explained.
On the other hand, the Greek Cypriot administration has been acting counter to the E.U.’s principles, he said.
“What the Greek Cypriot administration is doing directly opposes the philosophy and principles of the E.U. On the one hand, you have the E.U. seeking to increase the well-being of Turkish Cypriots, while a member state … is taking steps to do the very opposite,” he said.
The resulting isolation has, according to Alp, only worsened the plight of Turkish Cypriots.
U.K.’s role
With a new Labour government in power following years of Conservative rule, Turkish Cypriots are optimistic for meaningful change and progress.
Alp emphasized Britain’s importance as one of the three guarantor powers: “We consider the UK to be a neighbor, and as such, we will expect them to approach these matters with greater sensitivity and to show more attention.”
He said Turkish Cypriots, particularly the youth, feel excluded from the international community as they are unable to participate in global events and forums.
“Our people, our youth are unable to join international organizations. They’re not able to participate in them, which is a source of great sadness,” he said.
Beyond regional concerns
The Protection Rights Initiative, a coalition of six civil society organizations from the TRNC, recently held meetings in London to raise awareness about the pressing issue of immovable properties in Northern Cyprus.
The coalition called on the international community to address what it described as an international human rights issue, stressing that “this matter extends beyond regional concerns and significantly impacts the global pursuit of justice and human rights.”
Representatives of the coalition also held a meeting with Nesil Çalışkan, a Turkish Cypriot who is Labour’s M.P. for Barking, East London.
They expressed their concerns about the ongoing property disputes and called for the Labour government to treat the issue as a priority.
At a press conference last week, members of the Protection Rights Initiative pointed out that Greek Cypriots have open access to property rights in the TRNC.
They condemned the Greek Cypriot administration for arresting third-country nationals under the pretext of property rights violations, arguing that such actions are “contrary to international law.”
