Turkish Cypriots stage demonstration in front of Greek Embassy in London

By Aysu Bicer and Zuhal Demirci

LONDON (AA) - Turkish Cypriots living in London protested the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on the 49th anniversary of the Greek junta's coup in Cyprus on July 15, 1974.

A group of Turkish Cypriots, led by the civil society organization called "Embargoed," organized a demonstration in front of the Greek Embassy in London.

The group members carried banners with the words "Greece, acknowledge the occupation of Cyprus" and held flags of the TRNC.

They also wrote "The rights of Turkish Cypriots are important" on the street in front of the embassy using colored chalk.

The group called "Embargoed," which carries out various campaigns in the UK to end the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people, aims to draw attention to the recognition of the rights of the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriot people in the international arena.

"Our goal is to present the truth to the world," said Kenan Yaman, the president of the British Turkish Cypriots Association (BTCA), who participated in the protest.

He said they organized the demonstration in front of the Greek Embassy in London to "remind them of the coup carried out by the Greek junta in Cyprus 49 years ago."

"The real invader in Cyprus is Greece. We came here to remind them of that fact at the Greek Embassy. Our goal is to present the truth to both the world and our own people," he added.

- Decades-long dispute

Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation led to Turkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkiye, Greece, and Britain.

The Greek Cypriot administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted the UN’s Annan plan to end the longstanding dispute.