News: Nafiya Horozoğlu
THE Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Minister of Tourism and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu, is making attempts to facilitate the travel of the citizens of the UK to Northern Cyprus.
Speaking to Londra Gazete, Atoğlu pointed out that Turkish Cypriots living in the UK faced a high cost to travel to the TRNC saying he has made demands to the Supreme Council of Health for alternative solutions to look at reducing the cost.
Ataoğlu made the following statement to the Londra Gazete: ‘‘Our brothers and sisters in the UK are of great importance to us and we do our best for them to come to their hometown and visit their family and loved ones. Within the scope of the fight against coronavirus, we are trying to make the right decisions by keeping the precaution and putting the health of everyone in the foreground.”
Adding “Someone who wants to travel from the UK to the TRNC faces a cost of about a thousand pounds for PCR tests and quarantine fees. Therefore, we are consulting with the Health Supreme Council for alternative solutions to reduce this cost. I have put forwards different options to be evaluated, which included looking at passengers travelling from England to the TRNC by plane not require a pre-flight PCR rather the option to have the test performed here. On the other hand, may be looking at home quarantine and looking at options for those people who have had both their vaccine dose or antibody test will be evaluated and a decision made as soon as possible. ”
Ataoğlu also made a call by referring to the statements made by former Foreign Minister Jack Straw, who supported the recognition of TRNC and support for direct flights in this direction saying ‘‘ Not having a direct flight to Northern Cyprus is a violation of human rights. It is very important for us that former UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said, “We can take a step towards getting to know the TRNC and start direct flights.” Therefore, it is our call to our citizens living in England, non-governmental organizations and institutions; “direct flight is our fundamental human right, let’s raise our voices together to gain this right.”
