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British Foreign Minister Miliband Struck by ‘Operation Pabuc’ - 23 February 2009

The British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is the latest politician to be struck by a ‘shoe protest’. The Foreign Secretary was handed a second hand slipper – called ‘pabuc’ by Turkish Cypriots – during a central London dinner yesterday evening by human rights group Embargoed! in protest at the British Government’s failure to end the isolation of North Cyprus. The ‘pabuc’ was wrapped in what Embargoed! described as a “worthless letter” from former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw who back in November 2005 promised action on direct trade and flights to North Cyprus following a 16,000 strong petition calling on the British Government to do so.

The protest – codenamed ‘Operation Pabuc’ – was devised by Embargoed!, renowned for its creative campaigning, following other international ‘shoe protests’. It took place at Ozer restaurant on Sunday 22 February where the Foreign Secretary was the keynote speaker at a Turkish community fundraising dinner for Enfield North MP Joan Ryan. Embargoed!’s Community Relations officer Ismail Veli presented the ‘pabuc’ after Mr Miliband’s speech. The exchange between them was as follows:

IV: “I’m returning to the Foreign Office a letter Jack Straw sent me 4 years ago.”
DM: “Can you send to my office? Sorry did you say ‘return’? What is it [feeling package]? Why are you returning it?”
IV: “Because the 16,000 people who signed the petition to support the lifting of embargoes against Turkish Cypriots are upset that the promises made by the UK government have not been kept, that the promises are not even worth the paper they’re written on. I'm therefore returning the letter and slipper as a symbolic gesture of our disappointment.”
DM: nods and partially pulls out the slipper from the letter parcel, which he then takes and leaves the restaurant.

Embargoed!’s Ismail Veli said, “Operation Pabuc was a peaceful stunt to let the British Government know we have not forgotten about their promises. Our worthless gift to Mr Miliband reflects their [UK Government’s] worthless promises to Turkish Cypriots about ending their isolation.” He continued, “4th March 2009 will be the 45th anniversary of the start of the embargoes against Turkish Cypriots. Hiding behind the lack of a comprehensive solution is not an acceptable position. Britain is a Guarantor Power in Cyprus – it can and must do more to sort this terrible situation out.”
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