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Selfish North Cyprus Travel Companies Slammed - 12 March 2007

Embargoed! has criticised travel agents and tour operators to North Cyprus for failing to get behind the campaign for direct flights. The human rights group twice contacted 75 UK based tourism companies to ask for support in lobbying the UK Government to grant licenses for direct flights between the UK and North Cyprus. Only two responded, one favourably, while another refused to support the campaign because they claimed they were ‘commercially better off with flights making the compulsory Turkey stop-over’.

Embargoed! member Ata Cholak, who launched the e-petition on Tony Blair’s website three months ago, stated, "Travel agents dealing with North Cyprus, many of whom are Turkish Cypriots, have been totally apathetic to the petition. Unfortunately, their main concern appears to be that direct flights would increase competition, which would impact their profits. This narrow, selfish view is very disappointing for those of us working to end the international isolation and for the people of North Cyprus itself.”

7,600 people have signed the 10 Downing Street petition that is open to all UK citizens or residents. The e-petition is located at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Direct-Flights/ and runs until 5 April 2007.
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Notes to editors

Full petition text: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Direct-Flights/
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to support the recent application to the UK Civil Aviation Authority for direct flights between London and Ercan airport in northern Cyprus. Nearly 3 years have passed since the referendum in which Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the UN brokered comprehensive settlement, yet northern Cyprus remains isolated in spite of commitments from the UN, the EU, HM Government and the PM personally to end isolations."

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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