Over 200 people gathered outside the Turkish Embassy in London on Tuesday to protest the pseudostate’s illegal “Unilateral Declaration of Independence.”
UK Cypriots and Cypriot students from across the country joined the protest, along with representatives of the Armenian and Egyptian diasporas who joined to demonstrate their solidarity with Cyprus against Turkish aggression.
On behalf of the community, the President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK and various student groups delivered a letter to the Ambassador of Turkey to the UK.
“At a time when Russia’s attempts to illegally occupy and annex the territory of Ukraine have been met by unanimous international condemnation, Turkey must realise that unilateralism has no place in contemporary international relations,” the letter wrote.
The Federation’s President also sent a letter to UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, urging him to act for Cyprus.
The president of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, Christos Karaolis noted that Sunak, during his leadership campaign, pledged his “support for a negotiated settlement, reflecting UN resolutions and leading to a bizonal, bicommunal federal state with single citizenship and international legal personality” and called for the “illegal occupation regime to refrain from provocative actions.”
Karaolis also requested the Prime Minister to ensure consistency in foreign policy saying: “just as the UK has led the international response against Russia and rejected its expansionism, I urge you and the Government to hold Turkey to the same standards.”
