Press Releases

Embargoed! AGM keynote speaker Sir Michael Graydon says ‘Action not Words’ needed on North Cyprus isolation - 01 December 2006

London, 29 November 2006: Human rights group Embargoed! held its second annual general meeting (AGM) on Tuesday 28 November, where it presented a review of the past 12 months to members and also elected in the eight new officers for its Executive Council. The UK’s former Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon also addressed the members as the AGM’s keynote speaker.

Embargoed!’s AGM was held at Salieri restaurant, Covent Garden, London, and was attended by one third of the group’s membership. The evening kicked off with registration and refreshments. Chairman Bulent Osman gave a presentation on the group’s activities and performance from November 2005 to October 2006, while Treasurer Zeki Mehmed reported on the group’s finances. Members then took part in a ‘Questions and Answers’ session, before moving to take a secret ballot to elect the new committee, followed by an address from the keynote speaker Sir Michael Graydon.

Sir Michael talked about his military and personal experiences in Cyprus, as well as the ongoing injustices faced by the Turkish Cypriot people. While encouraged by the dynamism of Embargoed!, he believed historically Turkish Cypriots had not been active enough consistently nor had they always presented their case sufficiently clearly to the outside world. Concerned that the British Government had, “failed to turn its words on ending Turkish Cypriot isolation into action”, Sir Michael urged Britain, “to take the lead in commencing direct flights with North Cyprus”.

In his address, Embargoed! chairman stated that the group had made “steady progress on its campaign mission” and paid tribute to the inspiring work of the group’s active members who, with minimal resources, “continue to punch far above their weight with their quest for justice for the people of North Cyprus”. Looking ahead, Osman said the group would continue “to raise awareness, build relations, and push for the end of at least one major embargo on North Cyprus”.

The people returned to serve on the Embargoed! Executive Council for the following 12 months:

Bulent Osman, Chairman (re-elected)
Ergin Balli, External Relations Officer (re-elected)
Huseyin Ekmekci, North Cyprus Community Relations Officer
Mumune Kok, Secretary
Zeki Mehmed, Treasurer (re-elected)
Suzan Nuri, Fundraising
Ipek Ozerim, Campaigns and Communications Officer (re-elected)
Ismail Veli, UK Community Relations Officer (re-elected)
-Ends-

Notes to editors

The photo is of Sir Michael Graydon and Embargoed! chairman Bulent Osman

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

Press Enquiries:
Ms. İpek Özerim
T: +44 (0)777 623 0466 E: campaigns@embargoed.org




Embargoed!
Campaign to end the international isolation of Turkish Cypriots and their homeland of North Cyprus
www.embargoed.org

End the discrimination! Click here http://www.embargoed.org/charter_petition.php to sign the online Charter petition to end 42 years of embargoes

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


Back to press releases