British MPs have been asked by members of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities in London to convey the message to the UK government that it needs to adopt a more active role in supporting a viable solution to the Cyprus issue by calling on Turkey to withdraw its forces from the island and hand back Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants.
A well attended event at the British Parliament on Wednesday evening, organised by the Famagusta Association UK, heard from members of the community as well as British MPs comprising the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cyprus.
The President of the Association Dr Vassilis Mavrou summarised actions taken in order to maximise pressure on Turkey so that it implements the High Level agreements and the UN Security Council resolutions to return the city of Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants under the legitimate government of Cyprus.
He emphasised the collection of more than 50,000 signatures for a petition organised by the Famagusta Association UK in close collaboration with Turkish Cypriots. As he noted, the petition was handed to Prime Minister David Cameron as well as a number of British and international politicians, leaders, institutions and dignitaries. He also referred to a survey conducted in the occupied part of Cyprus by the Turkish Cypriot organisation ‘Famagusta Initiative’ which found that 73% of the respondents supported the return of Famagusta.
“We are asking the British government and especially the Foreign Office to change its policy of one of rhetoric support to an active and constant pressure on Turkey to remove its army of occupation from the island and work for a lasting solution,” said Dr Mavrou.
He also read out a message by the Mayor of Famagusta Alexis Galanos, who could not attend the meeting, in which he proclaimed the return of Famagusta “a great step towards encouraging the necessary psychological environment for the solution of the Cyprus problem and the reunification of this beautiful European island.”
In his introductory remarks, the chair of the meeting and Chairman of the APPG for Cyprus Matthew Offord MP (Conservative, North London) commented that the return of Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants is an issue for which progress could be achieved. He described the opening of the city’s port as a move with both national and international benefits.
Ferdi Suleiman, President of the Turkish Cypriot Democratic Association, a London based expat organisation, spoke of a “Cypriot tragedy” and condemned the nationalistic sentiment in both communities. He said that Turkish Cypriots have also suffered a lot, to the extent that they are “almost an extinct community.” He described how the flow of settlers from Turkey keeps going strong, resulting in high unemployment for Turkish Cypriots who then have to migrate. He also referred to cases of violations of the indigent population’s human rights and declared that the status quo “needs to be ended.”
He stated that many Turkish Cypriots are convinced that Turkey has been following “a deliberate policy of not only creating the conditions for the migration but is also implementing a deliberate policy of assimilation, of integration of the Turkish Cypriots economically, politically, socially and culturally.”
Criticising the British stance with regard to the Cyprus issue, Mr Suleiman commented that some people say that failure to carry out its obligation as a guarantor power means that the UK forfeits its right to the sovereign bases on the island. In terms of what the UK can do, he suggested a more active role in encouraging a positive outcome in the negotiations, as it happened in Northern Ireland, and the application of more pressure on Turkey. He described the return of Famagusta and the opening of its port as two issues that could prove the catalyst for a comprehensive solution.
David Burrowes MP, another Conservative North London MP, said that he and his colleagues that have been active supporters of the Cypriot cause could and will work for a motion on Famagusta to be debated in the House of Commons, so that the issue becomes a foreign policy objective. He also called on the Cypriot communities in the UK to get more active and call for a “free Famagusta”.
Conservative MP Nick de Bois added that his colleagues could help with the international appeal of the Famagusta return cause, while Sir Roger Gale, the fourth Tory MP present at the meeting criticised the British government for differentiating between the situation in Ukraine and the one in Cyprus.
