Can Koçak sees British fingerprints on Erdoğan’s attack on democracy
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Baku during the World Leaders Climate Action Summit (12-11-2024).
“While Erdoğan wages war on Turkey’s workers’ movement by jailing socialist MPs, the British police’s harassment of London’s Kurdish community reveals how much this authoritarianism has stretched to Britain”.
This is the introduction to an article by Can Koçak published on the website of the Tribune magazine.
Can Koçak teaches media and journalism at the University of Sussex and is the representative of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (Türkiye İşçi Partisi – TİP) in Britain.
The broad summary of Turkey’s current political landscape, according to the author, is one where an MP is imprisoned despite multiple rulings demanding his immediate release and elected mayors are replaced by government appointees.
Can Atalay is the MP the author is referring to. He was elected as an MP for the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) by the people of Hatay in the general election held in May 2023.
Can Atalay is a human rights lawyer known for advocating for the rights of workers, dissidents, miners, political prisoners, journalists, and victims of institutional neglect, oppression and marginalisation.
At the time of his election, he was in prison as part of the so-called Gezi Park trials – the government’s means of punishing the largest uprising the country had witnessed.
“Attempting to overthrow the Government of the Republic of Turkey”, was the unfounded allegation on which the prison sentence was based.
Atalay was expected to be released after the election on the basis of parliamentary immunity but that was disregarded by Erdoğan’s police state.
Consequently, he took his case to the Constitutional Court, the highest judiciary authority in the country, and that court ruled that Atalay’s rights to be elected, to engage in political activity, and to have personal liberty and security had been violated.
Worldwide demonstrations were organised by the party to demand freedom for Can Atalay including 12 consecutive weeks of sit-in protests in London alone, which were held by TİP Britain.
His case is currently with the European Court of Human Rights. The immediate release of Can Atalay is crucial for the people of Hatay Province.
That was the province that was particularly affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February 2023 and its people have since endured the consequences of neoliberal and neo-colonial exploitation.
After local elections in March 2020 the government’s crackdown on elected representatives went on unabated.
Following its failure to be the leading party in election for the first time since 2022, the Erdoğan’s AKP (“Justice and Development Party”) appointed trustees to seven municipalities held by opposition parties, bringing the total to 149 since 2016.
The moves have predominantly targeted officials from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party.
Most of these municipalities are in the south-eastern part of Turkey, which is heavily populated by Kurdish people.
A “war on terror” is the rhetoric which attempts to “legitimise” such attacks on the right to vote and be elected.
According to the author of the article in the Tribune, that rhetoric “also provides context for the police raid on 27 November 2024 at the Kurdish Community Centre in North London, carried out as part of an investigation on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)“.
It is “noteworthy”, according to the same author, that such action by the Metropolitan Police “coincided”, among other things, with a meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, during which they discussed a “joint action against terrorism”.
Finally, the author of the Tribune article concludes:
- “In light of this conjuncture, the sudden raid on a community centre invites speculation about potential relationships between the governments of Turkey and the UK, the various factions within the PKK, and broader developments in Syria and the Middle East”.
- “Then again, regardless of how one might interpret and connect these, it is telling that in its detention of political activists, the UK government is employing the same rhetoric used by the Turkish government to justify appointing trustees in place of elected officials”.
- “The newly elected Labour government, which had pledged to address the historical injustices created or exacerbated by 14 years of Conservative rule, appears to be following the footsteps of its predecessor and, more alarmingly, those of authoritative governments who pay no regard to the people’s will”.
We sincerely hope that the author’s fears and allegations will be proved unfounded and the Labour government will make a decisive contribution to the full restoration of human rights and political freedoms in Turkey.
UN Secretary invites Christodoulides and Tatar to a meeting on 13 August
The President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, has been invited by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to a trilateral meeting on the Cyprus issue, with the aim of resuming talks.
During his speech at the annual anti-occupation event for Famagusta, held at the Cultural Centre in Deryneia, President Christodoulides revealed that he received an invitation from António Guterres for a trilateral meeting on the Cyprus issue on August 13th and emphasized that he has responded positively.
Mr. Christodoulides also mentioned that the leader of the Turkish Cypriots, Ersin Tatar, has not yet responded and expressed hope that his response will be positive.
In the meantime, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Giorgos Gerapetritis, expressed the view that elements from the past, specifically from Crans-Montana, can be utilized in the dialogue on the Cyprus issue, while also adding “new elements”. According to the Greek Foreign Minister, this could give a greater impetus to the efforts.
So far, we have not been able to clarify, what Mr Gerapetritis has in mind when he talks about “new elements”.
Tuesday 13th is an “unlucky coincidence” according to Greek superstition. Let’s hope it will be lucky this time.
Kissinger: “a war against Russia” and “not a war about the freedom of Ukraine”
Henry Kissinger with the then German chancellor Angela Merkel on June 21, 2017. It seems that they were both far wiser than today’s US/NATO/EU leaders.
First of all, let’s make one thing clear. We don’t support the Russian invasion in Ukraine. We don’t support the invasion of any country by any country. We don’t support war. We don’t support aggressive military alliances. We don’t believe that war ever solves problems. It only creates more.
Once we made that clear, we would like to ask a couple of questions. Who provoked this war. How did this war start?
In our view, this war would not have happened if the USA did not interfere absolutely everywhere across Europe (including Ukraine and Ukrainian politics) and the entire world and was not using NATO to practically create a world empire.
This has been happening for as far as I can remember in my life and my age permits me to remember fairly long. I don’t suppose many of you are aware, for example, that napalm bombs were first used by USA forces in Greece in the 1940s when they intervened in order to keep in power an oppressive regime of their own liking.
Demonising Putin and Russia doesn’t explain or solve the problem. The ones that are trying to be hegemonic over the entire world are the USA/NATO, not the Russians.
The Russians and the Chinese are just reacting to that and the Russians have reacted wrongly. In fact, that’s what the USA wanted in the first place. Divide and rule.
After the collapse of the USSR, the USA tried to dominate Russia, which is a rich country, and exploit its resources. To some extent they were succeeding during the Boris Yeltsin years. In fact, the USA even supported Putin as Yeltsin’s foreign secretary and later as his successor.
Unexpectedly, Putin put an end to that regime. That was when the USA started losing control of Russia and that’s of the essence of the current problem.
Also, the USA make unilateral decisions about sanctions and expect to force all other countries to conform. Forcing other countries to follow their sanctions is contrary to the most basic principles of International Law.
Only the United Nations, through the right procedures, have the right to impose sanctions which would be binding on member states.
The war in Ukraine is not really for the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and cannot be expected to lead to that. Neither Russia nor the USA/NATO want to admit it but this is clearly a war between the Russian Federation (and potentially it’s whatever allies) and the USA/NATO by proxy.
Superpowers have created nuclear weapons to blackmail the rest of the world. You don’t suppose that Russia, whose nuclear capabilities are roughly comparable with those of the USA, is going to allow itself to be beaten by Ukraine.
The parallel economic war, which has exceeded every precedent in the history of world conflict is already ruining our economies and our lives.
The war in Ukraine is the product of economic/hegemonic antagonisms between superpowers. If not stopped, it could lead to a world war and a nuclear holocaust.
If you don’t wish to listen to me, listen to what the late Henry Kissinger, the supreme brain of USA diplomacy had said.
“Veteran US statesman Henry Kissinger has urged the West to stop trying to inflict a crushing defeat on Russian forces in Ukraine, warning that it would have disastrous consequences for the long term stability of Europe”. (Daily Telegraph, 23-04-2022).
Henry Kissinger also warned: ““Negotiations need to begin in the next two months before it creates upheavals and tensions that will not be easily overcome”.
Kissinger was very clear and his stern warning still stands. “Ideally, the dividing line should be a return to the status quo ante. Pursuing the war beyond that point would not be about the freedom of Ukraine, but a new war against Russia itself.”
Unfortunately, Henry Kissinger’s warning has not been listened to and we are still on the same dangerous road.
Orban thinks Trump will broker peace in Ukraine but the EU will pay the price
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and former US President Donald Tramp had talks “about chances of peace”.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on 18/07/24 released a letter he addressed to the heads of European Union countries where he presented his impressions from a recent series of visits, which included meetings with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in the USA.
Mr Orbán’s meetings with the presidents of the Russian Federation and China provoked angry reactions by many of Hungary’s NATO and EU partners.
The Government of Hungary doesn’t support the USA/NATO/EU idea of continuing their proxy war to Russia’s “ultimate defeat” – as they hope – and the letter, which Mr Orbán sent to European Council Chairman Charles Michel on 12/07/24, outlines his assessment of meetings he held during his diplomatic initiative in an attempt to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.
Regardless of the backlash among EU leaders, for meeting Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping without first consulting his EU partners, thus “undermining EU unity on Ukraine” and “giving the false impression that he represented the bloc”, it would be interesting to look at the essence of the matter and ask ourselves whether Mr Orbán’s findings were reasonable and objective or not.
After all, Mr Orbán’s diplomatic initiative was of an exploratory nature. He never claimed that he represented the EU during this particular series of visits and made it clear that he was conducting “discussions, not negotiations”.
Mr Orbán’s findings
Some of Mr Orbán’s findings, in his letter, which he released on his website on 18/07/24, are as follows:
- It is a general observation that the intensity of the military conflict in Ukraine will radically escalate in the near future.
- Putin and Zelenskyy are unlikely to undertake initiatives for a ceasefire or peace negotiations to bring an end to the war.
- The warring parties “will not start searching for a way out of the conflict without significant external involvement.”
- The EU, along with the United States and China, are the only global powers that can influence developments in the conflict.
- The EU “has copied the pro-war policy of the US,” and should break with Washington and pursue efforts for a ceasefire.
- He thinks that Donald Trump will act as a “peace broker” in the event of an election victory this November, a scenario he described as “likely.”
- Trump “will not wait until his inauguration but will be ready to act as a peace broker immediately. He has detailed and well-founded plans for this.”
- Mr Orbán seemed to confirm the fears of Ukraine and many NATO members that as president, Trump would probably oversee the cutting of U.S. financial and arms support for Kyiv.
- If Trump wins the election, “the proportion of the financial burden between the US and the EU will significantly change to the EU’s disadvantage when it comes to the financial support of Ukraine.”
In the meantime, as a response to Mr Orbán’s visits to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing, as well as a meeting with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate, some governments are considering boycotting upcoming informal meetings in Budapest in connection with Hungary’s holding of the EU’s six-month rotating presidency.
Our opinion
In our opinion, such reactions are completely unjustified and harmful for the cohesion and authority of the European Union itself and show how blindly the EU has been aligned to the USA/NATO under the presidency of Ursula von der Leyen.
In fact, Mr Orbán’s visits have done no harm to anybody – but, unfortunately, have not achieved anything practical either from the point of view of a ceasefire or peace in Ukraine
His findings though are a very reasonable assessment of the current situation and the prospects of the conflict in the forthcoming months, especially in the context of the economic consequences for Europe.
It now seems almost certain that Donald Trump will win the next USA presidential elections and a new picture will emerge. Mr Orbán’s prediction stands a very good chance of being proved right.
Orbán’s post on X
Viktor Orbán posted a video on X on 19/07/24 which shows himself and Donald Trump praising each other. The text reflects his hope that Trump will bring peace. It reads:
“I believe President @realDonaldTrump did not survive the heinous assassination attempt by chance. He survived for a reason: to bring #peace to the world once again. God bless him!”
The economic benefits of immigration and the lies of populist propaganda
A scene from he U.S.-Mexico border fence
Immigration is the number one political concern for Americans for the third month in a row, wrote Rana Foroohar on 8 July in the Financial Times.
Something similar is happening in the UK, in our native country, Cyprus, and in Europe generally. Immigration has become the source of escalating political friction.
Despite all that, and contrary to the prevailing feeling, immigration “is greasing the wheels of the US economy”, according to Rana Foroohar, who is “global business columnist and associate editor at the Financial Times, based in New York”.
What American voters across the board do not seem to realise, says the FT columnist, is that migrants are a key reason inflation in the US has not risen further and faster.
She analyses the social and political circumstances that led to immigration being thought of as “the number one political concern for Americans” and goes on to comment “the hypocrisy of this whole debate”. According to the FT columnist:
- “Economically speaking, immigration is far from being America’s worst problem”.
- “In fact, it’s the quickest way to address pressing labour shortages and inflation”.
- “Apollo’s Torsten Slok recently produced an eye-catching graph showing the rise in the foreign-born labour force, which has increased 11 per cent since February 2020 while the native-born labour force has remained flat”.
- “That means the entire growth in the US labour force is coming from immigration”.
- In fact, “migrants are a key reason that inflation in the US hasn’t risen further and faster”.
In recent years, America has had “both robust growth and lower inflation” than any other wealthy country while net immigration was at its highest level in two decades, especially in lower wage sectors like agriculture, construction, childcare, and hospitality.
That was “one of the biggest puzzles of the last year”. Immigration was the answer to that puzzle, as noted by none other than Goldman Sachs, the American multinational investment bank and financial services company.
According to the FT columnist’s analysis, while policymakers have mostly been focused on getting higher skilled immigrants, more immigration of lower-skilled workers is good as well.
High growth and low inflation are not the only benefits of immigration. There are “studies showing that it can boost the wages of native born workers as well”.
Despite the rhetoric of immigrants “taking” the native born workers’ jobs (an argument cynically and incorrectly employed by populist propaganda), “there is complementarity between the two groups”. Some examples are caregivers, cleaners, gardeners for working families or immigrants working in hotels or restaurants.
A second Trump administration could have a dramatic effect of the USA economy. A shortage of skilled staff is already an obstacle to investment in the USA. Older staff retire but there is little interest in joining among younger people.
The picture is similar in Europe. Anti-migrant sentiment has been an obstacle to growth for some time.
In the UK it seems that the new Labour government prefers job retraining for native-born citizens in order to address labour issues.
In Japan growth had been limited for a long time by the absence of women and migrants in the workforce but now they are trying to encourage migrant labour.
Two Cypriot Labour MPs: Bambos Charalambous and Nesil Caliscan
Bambos Charalambous, MP for Southgate and Wood Green, and Nesil Caliscan, MP for Barking
The members and friends of the Labour Cypriot Society worked hard during the pre-election period, shoulder to shoulder with other Labour members and supporters and now, together with the landslide victory of the Labour Party, they are able to celebrate the election of two Cypriot Labour MPs.
- Bambos Charalambous has become the MP for the newly-created seat of Southgate and Wood Green.
- Nesil Caliskan has become the new Labour MP for Barking after retaining the seat held by her predecessor, Dame Margaret Eve Hodge.
Bambos Charalambous
Mr Charalambous, who previously represented Enfield Southgate, won the new cross-borough constituency comfortably, with a vote share of 51.1%.
The Conservative candidate, Eric Sukumaran, was second with a vote share of only 17.6%, followed by the candidates of the Green Party with 12.3%, the Liberal Democrats with 8.6%, Reform UK with 6.9%, the Workers Party with 1.8% and the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition with 1.7%. Turnout: 59%
The boundary of the seat takes in the western part of Enfield borough and the areas of Wood Green, Bounds Green and Turnpike Lane in Haringey borough, encompassing seven Piccadilly Line tube stations.
Ballot papers in the constituency were counted overnight at Lee Valley Athletics Centre in Edmonton, following the general election on 4 July.
Asked what the new Labour government will do for people living in Southgate and Wood Green, Mr Charalambous said: “There will be more support, particularly now there is a Labour government, with a Labour council and Labour MPs working in tandem. It will help solve problems we have around housing and poverty.”
Mr Charalambous had previously served as a shadow minister. In response to a relevant question, he said he would be ready to serve in government if asked by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
He added that he was looking forward to getting to know his new constituents in Haringey, who he is representing for the first time.
Nesil Caliscan
Nesil Caliskan has become the new Labour MP for Barking with 16,227 votes, retaining the seat held by her predecessor, Dame Margaret Eve Hodge, who stepped down after representing the Barking constituency since 1994, and on 4 July was asked to become a peer in the House of Lords.
Reform UK’s Clive Peacock came second with 5,173 votes, followed by the candidates of the Green Party with 4,988 votes, the Conservative Party with 4,294 votes, the Workers Party of Britain with 3,578 votes, the Liberal Democrats with 1,015 votes, an Independent with 753 votes and the Christian People’s Alliance with 449 votes. The voter turnout for Barking was 45.85%.
During her speech, Ms Caliskan said: “It is time for change in our country and I am so proud to be elected as member of parliament for Barking”.
“I am humbled of course to follow in the footsteps of Margaret Hodge who has served Barking outstandingly for three decades.”
She added: “I pledge to the people of Barking that I will always be on your side, thank you for giving me the honour of being elected as your member of parliament.”
The constituency was created in 1945 and since then has always been represented by the Labour Party.
Before becoming an MP, Ms Caliskan was the Leader of Enfield Council and had been a councillor for 15 years. She was also Labour’s chief of the Local Government Association (LGA).
Which UK newspapers support a Labour victory on the 4 July election and why?
In my 52 years in the UK, I find the 2024 UK general election is the most amazing in terms of how many newspapers and other mass media have expressed their support for a Labour victory.
It is important to see why these newspapers and other mass media support a Labour victory in the 2024 election because that predictably reflects what they and their readers would expect from a Labour government in future years.
The Sunday Times, the Financial Times, The Sun and the Economist have all urged UK voters to back Labour. The four titles, which have all previously backed the Conservatives, have called for a change of Government.
The Sunday Times said in its leader column: “The period since 2016 has been defined by political chaos that has fatally distracted the political class from those issues that matter most to voters — healthcare, schools and the economy.
“Britain now needs a radical reset. If the Tories are due a period in opposition, that can only mean a Labour government. Starmer should be praised for hauling his party back into the mainstream.”
The Financial Times also supports Labour, emphasizing liberal democracy, free trade, and an open, outward-looking Britain. They see Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour as an opportunity for a fresh start.
“The Labour party of Sir Keir Starmer is better placed today to provide the leadership the country needs…
“Much of the country hankers for a fresh start. Labour should be given the opportunity to provide it.”
The Sun announces it is switching its support to Labour on the eve of the election. After years of critical coverage, the tabloid backs Labour for the first election since 2005, saying: “It is time for a change”.
The Murdoch-owned title rejected Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, dubbing it “a one-man band which at best can win only a handful of MPs” despite policies which it said had “struck a chord with millions”.
The Economist, with an editorial article under the title “Keir Starmer should be Britain’s next prime minister” and the subtitle “Why Labour must form the next government”, asserts that “elections are about the best available choice” and it goes on:
“If we had a vote on July 4th, we, too, would pick Labour, because it has the greatest chance of tackling the biggest problem that Britain faces: a chronic and debilitating lack of economic growth”.
The Evening Standard, which backed the Conservative Party in the 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019 elections, reversed course the day before the 2024 election and endorsed the Labour Party.
The Independent, despite its name, has endorsed Labour. They appreciate Labour’s promises of change and hope, especially in economic matters.
The online title said: “Labour promises change and offers hope. In Rachel Reeves, Sir Keir will have a chancellor seen as sound on the economy, who promises to keep a steady hand on the wheel of the nation’s finances, after the wild lane-changing of the brief – but immensely damaging – tenure of Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng. We hope their mantra will be to be compensatory and not too confiscatory.”
Meanwhile The Guardian has backed Labour for a fourth time in a row. The Guardian’s leader column on Friday 29 June, which was published in its Saturday print edition (the biggest sale of the week) said: “Labour has climbed out of the crater of its 2019 defeat, and it stands on the brink of power with some eye-catching policies.
“On the environment, workers’ rights and housebuilding, it signals a break with the past, and a very welcome desire to save capitalism from its failures and excesses. I
“Its most popular policies are interventionist: banning junk food and creating a publicly owned green energy company. How refreshing to hear that government programmes and stronger trade unions make economies more productive and equitable.”
The Observer signalled its backing for Labour with a front-page editorial saying voters have “a historic opportunity to evict one of the worst governments this country has ever endured”.
Scotland’s Daily Record has announced it is asking its readers to vote Labour after not explicitly backing any single party at a general election since 2010.
It said in a major front page article on Tuesday 25 June: “This election is not about independence. It’s about poverty, spiralling mortgages, soaring bills, the cost of living crisis, a crashed economy, dodgy contracts, broken public services, a failed Brexit, Partygate. It’s about kicking this vile and corrupt Conservative government out of office.”
It only asked Scottish voters to vote for the SNP in regions where Labour is not strong because in such regions “a vote for the SNP is the best way to topple the Tories”.
The Daily Mirror followed The Telegraph’s Conservative endorsement by declaring itself for Labour, writing in a “Voice of the Mirror” editorial published late on Friday 24 May that “the new generation needs a Labour government more than ever”.
The Sunday Mirror wrote: “Britain deserves change after 14 years of chaotic Tory rule.”
Additionally, it’s interesting to note that substantial percentages of the readers of the newspapers that endorsed the Conservatives (for example around 40% in the case of the Daily Express readers) were willing to back Labour.
Theresa Villiers’ mysterious Cameron video clip “of support for Cypriots”
David Cameron, Foreign Secretary for a few more days
As a friend said, Chipping Barnet Conservative candidate Theresa Villiers was obviously rattled by a statement made to Parikiaki UK Cypriot newspaper by Chipping Barnet Labour candidate Dan Tomlinson, so she enlisted Foreign Secretary David Cameron to provide a video with “a statement of support for Cypriots”.
The outcome was a “mutilated” video, which was posted by Theresa on Facebook, and nobody could explain why this short video (in which the Foreign Secretary is repeating their usual empty promises) ends in the middle of a sentence:
“We recognise the right of the Republic of Cyprus to benefit from its Exclusive Economic Zone and will work to deepen t…” To deepen what?
It seems that the video was originally longer and part of it (for a mysterious reason) was unprofessionally removed in the middle of a sentence.
In any event, UK Cypriots are fed up with Conservative MPs, such as Theresa Villiers, who have been indulging in “caressing the ears” of Greek Cypriot nationalists/rejectionists for a very long time, while their successive governments have been doing nothing to match their promises with actions.
Regarding Cypriot lives in the UK, David Cameron’s reference to our “thriving community” paints an unreal picture.
The truth is that the majority of UK Cypriots are poor working people facing the same problems as the rest of the British people, as a result of the misery created by Conservative policies.
The rich have been getting richer and the poor have been getting poorer in the UK Cypriot community as in the broader UK society.
Full transcript of Cameron’s video
Here is a full transcript of David Cameron’s video clip which was posted by Chipping Barnet Conservative candidate on Facebook:
“We have a thriving community of more than 300,000 Cypriots here in the UK and I hugely value your rich contribution to our national life across so many different areas.”
“The UK has long had a close relationship with Cyprus; and I’m proud that this Conservative Government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cyprus to take our partnership to the next level. Through this agreement we will enhance research collaboration between our universities and boost opportunities for trade in things like professional services and shipping,”
“Under a Conservative government the UK will continue to support Cypriots in their efforts to secure a just and lasting settlement in accordance with the existing UN parameters of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, with political equality.”
“We recognise the right of the Republic of Cyprus to benefit from its Exclusive Economic Zone and will work to deepen…”
Significantly, Facebook comments were disabled after a single unfavourable comment. That’s a comment in itself – for Theresa Villiers.
Dan Tomlinson, Chipping Barnet Labour candidate, brings hope for all UK Cypriots
Dan Tomlinson, Labour candidate for Chipping Barnet during a visit to the Cypriot Community Centre in Wood Green.
Barnet is one of the “Cypriot” areas of London and we are lucky to have a young man such as Dan Tomlinson, as the Labour candidate for Chipping Barnet. Those were our thoughts after reading the wonderful statement he gave to Parikiaki regarding UK Cypriots and Cyprus and more particularly what we call the Cyprus problem.
Our impression from what we read and hear is that Mr Tomlinson, who is an economist, is a very cultivated, intelligent, approachable and interesting man. If successful, he will be the best Barnet MP for a very long time.
Barnet really and truly needs a change after a very long era of Conservative MPs. This is a marginal seat and the votes of Barnet Cypriots could make the difference. The UK Cypriot community can play a significant role in this election.
The main points
The main points of Dan Tomlinson’s statement are as follows:
- He appreciates that many people want Britain “to be more active in bringing about peace, reconciliation and reunification” in Cyprus.
- Therefore, “a difficult reckoning with the past – including Britain’s historic role” in Cyprus – is “he only way forward”.
- His aim is always “to unite and not to divide”. “Labour wants a Cyprus that fairly represents its communities and that allows all Cypriots to live together in justice, peace, and security”.
- It is important for British politicians to support efforts to preserve Cypriot communities’ heritage and to bring Cypriots together.
- UK backing for the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus CMP could be improved. He criticised Conservative politicians who despite their “loud statements” about Cyprus failed to deliver on that issue.
- The British presence in Cyprus confers “a particular responsibility to do far better in actively engaging to find a solution, rather than watching from the sidelines as the current UK Government has done”.
- A Labour government is likely to work together with the EU “to protect the sovereign rights of Cyprus and prevent violations of the rules-based order that governs our seas”.
Mr Tomlinson’s full text
“In Chipping Barnet, where I’m Labour’s candidate to be the next Member of Parliament, many people have expressed to me their desire for Britain to be more active in bringing about peace, reconciliation and reunification. This process requires a difficult reckoning with the past – including Britain’s historic role in the island – but it is the only way forward”.
“My aim will always be to unite and not to divide. We are the party that put an end to decades of conflict in Northern Ireland through the Good Friday Agreement. I’m proud also of our role in helping Cyprus to become a European Union member. Labour wants a Cyprus that fairly represents its communities and that allows all Cypriots to live together in justice, peace, and security”.
“In this same spirit, it is important for British politicians to support efforts to preserve Cypriot communities’ heritage and to bring Cypriots together. I applaud the work of the United Nations Development Programme that preserves religious buildings of all communities across the island. People have told me how important it is to see places of worship restored after years of neglect and sometimes vandalism”.
“Similarly, it is vital to support the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP). There were 2,002 persons missing in Cyprus from the fighting in the 1960s and 1970s, with 955 still officially missing. For all the loud statements from Conservative politicians about Cyprus, UK backing for the CMP could improve. The CMP deserves support to carry out its vital work – ending the years of torment for families who had no grave to visit and suffered grief mixed with uncertainty”.
“The UK’s continued presence in Cyprus at our Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, along with our leading role in the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNIFCYP) confer a particular responsibility to do far better in actively engaging to find a solution, rather than watching from the sidelines as the current UK Government has done. While the 2022 enactment of the agreement with the Republic of Cyprus on the UK’s Sovereign Base Areas was very much welcome, this came in the wake of years of indecision, at a cost to the people who live there”.
“I also believe that peace must be accompanied by prosperity, which is why Labour has called on the UK government to work with the EU to protect the sovereign rights of Cyprus and prevent violations of the rules-based order that governs our seas”.
“Cyprus has suffered for long enough under the weight of its history, and the consequences of those terrible weeks in 1974. As we approach the fiftieth anniversary, I will be steadfast in my support for all efforts to bring about healing, peace, and a better future”.
[Dan Tomlinson’s statement was sourced from the website of Parikiaki. Parikiaki is the only remaining weekly newspaper of the UK Cypriot community. It publishes both a website and a printed edition.]