The Protection Rights Initiative from Northern Cyprus held a series of meetings in London on Thursday 5 September 2024 calling on the international community regarding the pressing issues surrounding immovable properties in Northern Cyprus saying “This matter extends beyond regional concerns and significantly impacts the global pursuit of justice and human rights.”
The Protection Rights Initiative is made up of 6 civil society organizations from the the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with officials from the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry, Turkish Cypriot Construction Contractors Association, Turkish Cypriot Hoteliers Association, Turkish Cypriot Bar Association and Turkish Cypriot Realtors Association in London last week.
The members first met with with Turkish Cypriot MP for Barking Nesil Çalışkan in parliament within the framework of its contacts. They expressed their views on the issue of the new government under the Labour Party acting more fairly as the guarantor of Cyprus and ending the unfair embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot community in Northern Cyprus.
Following this the Protection Rights Initiative visited to Turkey London to London Ambassador Osman Koray Ertaş, Counselor Aslı Pakfiliz Kaya and Communications Counsellor Büşra Aktuna were also present.
Regarding the event, Ambassador Ertaş stated that ‘it is important for the legitimate demands of the Turkish Cypriot people and the recent unjust and baseless actions of the Greek Cypriot Administration to be explained to the UK public by civil society representatives’, and Turkey ‘will continue to work for the end of the restrictions imposed on the Turkish Cypriots and to bring the legitimate demands of the Turkish Cypriots to the agenda with the UK authorities and the public.’
The Protection Rights Initiative held a press conference where they pointed out that the path to access property rights for Greek Cypriots in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is open, and stated that the arrests of third-country nationals by the Greek Cypriot Administration on the grounds that this right is violated are “contrary to international law.”
It was stated at the meeting that the path to access property rights in the TRNC for Greek Cypriots was open, and that the arrests made by the Greek Cypriot Administration of third-country nationals on the grounds that property rights were violated were “contrary to international law.”
In the afternoon following a press conference with the press, they visited the British Foreign Office to meet with official and then the TRNC London Representative Çimen Keskin in her office and informed her about the latest developments.
The Rights Protection Initiative from the TRNC, which completed its contacts in London, stated that the delegation will continue to hold talks in Brussels and Salzburg.
