Direct flights petitioner pledges to continue despite UK rejection

THE author of a petition calling for direct flights between the UK and North Cyprus has said he will not give up, despite being rebuffed by the British government.

Kadir Kanizi, who lives in London, launched the “Authorise direct flights to North Cyprus” petition on the official UK Government and Parliament petitions website at the end of April, as previously reported by this paper.

The petition quickly garnered more than 12,000 signatures, above the minimum 10,000 required to generate a response from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

In its official reply, the FCDO used an almost identical form of words it had issued to a previous petition on the same topic, stating that the “UK Government has no plans to authorise direct flights between the UK and the north of Cyprus” and that such flights would “breach obligations under international law”.

Reacting to the petition reply, Mr Kanizi said: “The UK government response to my direct flights petition is extremely disappointing. In the post-Brexit era, when we expect the UK to flex its muscles as part of the new ‘Global Britain’ strategy, we see it meekly stay in the same place on Cyprus that it was in the European Union.

“The [FCDO] claims the UK can’t ‘breach international law’ . . . yet there are regular flights between the UK and Taiwan, a country which the UK does not politically recognise, and nor is Taiwan a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

“If the UK can make an exception for Taiwan, then why not North Cyprus? Indeed, the FCDO’s entire play on international law is disingenuous given the UK’s abject failure to uphold its legal obligations as a Guarantor Power towards Turkish Cypriots, as set out in the 1960 Treaties that established an independent Cyprus.

“Instead of treating Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots equally, the UK pursues a deliberate policy of discrimination against Turkish Cypriots and their North Cyprus homeland.

“This policy not only undermines the fundamental rights of Turkish Cypriots, but also helps prop up the politically damaging status quo in Cyprus.

“It is totally unacceptable, especially given the UK’s historic ties with Cyprus.

“Has the UK government forgotten that it was Turkish Cypriots who stood by Britain during the Cyprus Emergency when Greek Cypriot terror group Eoka was attacking British military personnel and civilians?

“We certainly haven’t forgotten British troops in Cyprus who tried to save our families during and after the Bloody Christmas period of December 1963, when they were brutally attacked by Greek Cypriots as they seized control of the Republic.

“That coup and the events immediately after led to the deaths of hundreds of Turkish Cypriots, while displacing 25,000 more.

“The FCDO is well aware that the power-sharing Republic of Cyprus was destroyed by these events and there have been two separate ethnic administrations in Cyprus ever since.

“There is no legal, political or moral basis for Greek Cypriots to be treated as the ‘sovereign authority’ for the entire island; they have never, nor do they currently represent Turkish Cypriots.”

Referring to numerous failed UNled attempts to resolve the decadesold Cyprus dispute, most notably the rejection by Greek Cypriots of the “Annan Plan” in 2004 and the collapse of talks for a federal solution in 2017, Mr Kanizi said it was unfair that “Turkish Cypriots are the only ones penalised”.

He continued: “They have been frozen out of the EU, denied direct trade, flights and more. How can the UK government justify such a stance when it pledged to end Turkish Cypriot isolation back in 2004?

“It’s about time the UK created a more honest Cyprus policy, one based on the historical facts, the UK’s legal obligations to the two sides and the current realities on the island.

“The campaign for direct flights will continue. I fully intend for this petition to hit the 100,000 target, so we can debate this issue in [the UK] Parliament.

“I trust over the coming months, many more people and politicians will help vocalise the need for direct flights to North Cyprus, and for the rights of Turkish Cypriots to be fully recognised by Her Majesty’s Government.”

The petition can be signed until October 30, 2021. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, then it will be considered for debate in the UK Parliament.

The FCDO’s response in full: “The UK Government has no plans to authorise direct flights between the UK and the north of Cyprus.

“In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ as an independent state.

“The United Kingdom recognises the Republic of Cyprus as the sovereign authority for the island of Cyprus. As a result, the UK Government cannot negotiate an Air Services Agreement with the administration in the north of Cyprus.

“The Republic of Cyprus has not designated any airport in the northern part of Cyprus with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); as such, no airports in that part of Cyprus are listed by ICAO as open for international traffic.

“The UK High Court also ruled in 2009 (Kibris Türk Hava Yollari v Secretary of State for Transport) that allowing direct flights to Ercan airport in the north of Cyprus would breach our international legal obligations.

“This is because it would fail to respect the Republic of Cyprus’ rights under the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, including to choose which airports to designate as customs airports. This ruling was endorsed by the Court of Appeal in 2010.

“In light of the above, it would be unlawful for the Government to authorise direct flights to the northern part of Cyprus.”