Turkish Cypriots residing in London and its surrounding areas came together to protest the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on the 49th anniversary of the coup carried out by the Greek junta on July 15, 1974.
The demonstration took place in front of the Greek Embassy in London, where protesters waved Turkish flags and expressed their opposition to the isolation of the TRNC with colorful chalk messages on the streets, stating, “The rights of Turkish Cypriots are important.”
Kenan Yaman, the Chair of the British Turkish Cypriots Association (BTCA), who participated in the demonstration, explained that they organized the protest to remind the world of the coup that the Greek junta carried out 49 years ago in Cyprus. He emphasized, “The real invader in Cyprus is Greece. We have come here to remind them of that fact. Our aim is to convey the truth to both the world and our own people.”
The demonstration also saw the participation of human rights organizations’ representatives, including Azize Solman, the president of “Embargoed!” (Ambargoluların), as well as Taşkın İsmet and Nejla Clements, who attended in a secretarial capacity.
The protest aimed to raise awareness about the situation in Cyprus and the isolation faced by the Turkish Cypriots, shedding light on their rights and calling for an end to the international restrictions imposed on the TRNC.