Turkish and Greek Cypriot community leaders in talks

UK Cypriots and Turkish Cypriot trades unions push for bi-communal action to reunite Cyprus

Turkish Cypriot trades union leaders from occupied northern Cyprus met with the President and members of the Executive Council of the UK Cypriots’ Federation in London Thursday evening. The convivial meeting at the bi-communal Cypriot Community Centre in Haringey, confirmed a shared vision of a free, united Cyprus and unanimous support for co-ordinated action by Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot communities everywhere, aimed at an end of Turkey’s military occupation and the country’s reunification.

The trades unions delegation was on a four day visit to London, meeting British politicians and trades unions, UK Cypriot community groups and other civic society organisations. Sener Elcil Hassan, General Secretary of ‘Cyprus Turkish Teachers Trade Union’ (Turkish Cypriot Primary teachers’ union) (KTOS), said that the visit aimed to inform UK politicians and other influential groups of the many difficulties faced by the Turkish Cypriot community in occupied Cyprus, to highlight Turkey’s deliberate “imposition of demographic changes” on the island and to demand that the Cyprus issue becomes a top priority of the international community.