THE annual conference of the UK Labour Party took between 23 September and 26 September, in Liverpool. Within the annual conference, the recently established “Turkish Cypriot Friends of Labour Party” held a reception.
For the first time, a Turkish Cypriot reception was held at the annual conference of a UK political party. The Shadow Foreign Minister Khalid Mahmood, MPs Joan Ryan and Catherine West, Leader of Enfield Council Nesil Çalışkan, Haringey Council Deputy Leader Emine İbrahim, TRNC London Representative Oya Tuncalı, Turkish London Embassy Undersecretary Özkan Duman and many councillors attended to the reception. Alongside member of parliaments from Northern Cyprus; CTP MP Armağan Candan, HP MP Erek Çağatay, and UBP MP Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu.
The opening speech was made by the Enfield Council leader Nesil Çalışkan, Çalışkan stated that this initiative of the Labour Party is an important step in terms of increasing the visibility of Turkish Cypriots in the UK.
Shadow Minister Khaled Mahmood asserted that the UK played an important role in the solution of the Cyprus problem and that he was hopeful that a solution would be reached as soon as possible.
Hence Joan Ryan said that it was very significant for the MPs from Cyprus to participate in the Labour Party conference.