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Blair’s legacy to Turkish Cypriots: more empty rhetoric - 16 May 2007

UK Prime Minister Blair responds to Ata Cholak’s petition


16 May 2007: Along with announcing his retirement as UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair has also responded to the direct flights petition on his 10 Downing Street website that started in December 2006 and recently concluded having attracted almost 8,000 signatures. In his statement, Blair repeats the British Government’s commitment to ending the isolation of Turkish Cypriots, but claims ‘legal barriers’ prevent the UK from permitting direct flights to Ercan airport. Human rights group Embargoed! criticised Blair and his Government for evading their responsibilities, a stance which has prompted Cyprus Turkish Airlines (CTA) to start legal action against the British authorities.

Ata Cholak of Embargoed!, who initiated the petition, said, “In three years, not a single embargo has been lifted. On the eve of his departure, Blair could have played a positive role to help end the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. Instead, the PM’s statement – ‘Yes to lifting isolations, but No to direct flights due to legal obstacles’ – shows he is still hiding behind empty words.”

Mr Cholak launched the petition on Blair’s official website to show support for the CTA’s application for direct flights between the UK and North Cyprus. The application was rejected by the Department of Transport, resulting in a legal challenge being filed at the British High Court on Monday 30 April. Embargoed! has welcomed the legal action claiming it will help to establish a clear ruling on an issue that has been debated for decades. The group believes there is nothing in the 1944 Chicago Convention that would preclude direct flights to North Cyprus, as it aims to encourage and permit international flights, not stop them. They also dismiss as groundless Blair’s claim that under the Convention, permission is required from the Greek Cypriot controlled Republic of Cyprus, which has no effective jurisdiction over the north of the island.

“The UK, like the rest of the international community, has got itself so tied up in red tape over Cyprus that it is totally incapable of making any moves to help the Turkish Cypriots. It’s gross hypocrisy that the British Government can break international law to go into Iraq, but then hide behind it to avoid helping Turkish Cypriots.” said Cholak. He continued, “We [Embargoed!] believe CTA’s challenge will help remove the so-called legal impediments that have kept the Turkish Cypriot people isolated for decades.”
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Notes to editors

Tony Blair’s official response to Ata Cholak’s direct flights petition
“Lifting the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots remains a priority for the British Government. Europe wants to put market forces at the service of a settlement in Cyprus, and to promote reunification of the island by bringing Turkish Cypriots closer to their fellow European citizens. Direct flights between European airports and Ercan would represent a big step in that direction.

Following the receipt of an application from Kibris Turkish Airlines, the Government has carefully considered whether it would be possible to approve direct flights from the UK to Ercan airport in northern Cyprus. We have received clear legal advice that, under the terms of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, the Republic of Cyprus would first have to designate Ercan as an international airport. They have not done so, and we have concluded that to approve such flights would be incompatible with both our international obligations under the Chicago Convention and our domestic legal obligations.

The UK remains firmly supportive of the European Union's commitment to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, and supports the Presidency and Commission's efforts to do so. The EU's Financial Aid Regulation, which was agreed last year, is a key step in that direction. This 259 million euro package represents one of the highest levels of EU aid per capita. The money will be used to fund practical projects, developed in partnership with the Turkish Cypriot community. These should improve the quality of life of ordinary Turkish Cypriots. We also continue support the German Presidency's efforts to reach agreement on a direct trade regulation.

The legal barriers to starting direct flights underline the need to redouble our efforts to achieve a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem and to achieve better economic integration between the communities.”

About Embargoed! – www.embargoed.org
Embargoed! is an independent human rights group campaigning for the immediate and unconditional end to all embargoes against North Cyprus. The group was launched on 4 March 2005 and aims to play an active role in raising awareness about the isolation of North Cyprus and lobbying world leaders and institutions to restore the fundamental political, economic and social rights of Turkish Cypriots.

Contact Embargoed!:
• Telephone/fax: + 44 (0)20 8279 8561 • Email: mail@embargoed.org;
• Post: Embargoed! Suite 205, 14 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 1JY

Press Enquiries:
Ms. Ýpek Özerim T: +44 (0)777 623 0466 E: ipekh@excite.com



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