Cyprus Protests Anglo Turkish Strategic Partnership

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation, news in Greek 3/11/07 (www.cybc.com.cy)

2:30 min




The Cypriot community in Britain yesterday (2.11.07) staged a massive demonstration outside the residence of the British Prime Minister to express their indignation and anger at the British Government's decision to sign an agreement of Strategic Partnership with Turkey.

In a letter conveyed to the British Prime Minister, they ask him to clarify his positions on the Cyprus issue.

Images-chanting: Turkish troops out of Cyprus.
Placards: Gordon Brown Forget Cyprus - Forget Votes; Prime Minister do not relinquish Human Rights; Greek Cypriot refugees demand their homes back; Brown please help us end the Turkish occupation.

With their demonstration outside the Prime Ministerial residence and the letter to the British Prime Minister the Cypriot community took a series of measures as a reaction to the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Britain and Turkey. Cypriot students at Universities in London and beyond provided their active support.

Student (interviewed on camera) : We are here today to express our indignation at the agreement which was recently signed by the British and Turkish Governments. We want to show the British Government that this kind of agreement will not pass without being challenged and that we are opposed to efforts which seek to establish illegal situations on our island and we will always demonstrate against them.

The demonstration was organised by the British Federation of Cypriot Organisations which sent a letter to the British PM asking him to reiterate Britain's support for a Cyprus solution based on international law, and reiterate that the British Government will strive for a reunited Cyprus with no Turkish army of occupation and to state that Britain supports implementation of the 8th July Gambari Agreement.

Peter Droussiotis (interviewed on camera) (President of Federation of Cypriot Organisations in Britain): As British citizens we feel great dissapointment that Britain, as a guarantor power of the independence, territorial integrity and security of the Republic of Cyprus not only does not support these significant positions but instead tries in every way to promote the Turkish positions on the Cyprus issue.

Reimen Mpoil (interviewed on camera) (German MEP): For me, as a European citizen, its a very strange declaration because a member state of the European Union is dealing with the special problems of Cyprus, talking with a third country which is asking for membership now. They should respect more the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus.

The initiatives by the National Federation will continue with meetings with British Officials.

Placards shown:
Freedom and Justice for Cyprus; Europe end Turkish occupation now; Turkey is guilty of Genocide in Cyprus, Kurdistan, Armenian and Turkey.

Tags: cybc nationalfederation cypriot organisations united kingdom britain british government foreign office strategic partnership agreement turkey peterdroussiotis demonstration downing street protest greek greeks anger letter indignation cyprus unity sovereignty gordon brown prime minister david milliband foreign secretary

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