An attempt by Cyprus Turkish Airlines and a tour operator CTA Holidays to overturn a 35 year ban on direct flights to the self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" has failed to achieve a judicial review.
In the decision to reject the appeal the government argued that lifting the ban would "contravene the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation."
At present anyone wanting to fly to northern Cyprus must first go to Turkey first via Mersin and then take a short journey to the pseudo-state.
It is believed around 100,000 Brits fly to northern Cyprus each year, with the CTA tour operators arguing that direct flights would mean cheaper air fares and shorter travelling times.
The court heard that the flight ban unfairly restricted Turkish Cypriots and their companies wishing to travel and conduct business with the EU and the rest of the world.
Currently the Republic of Cyprus is investing 650 million Euro's in the new Larnaca International Airport and upgrades have already been made to the Paphos International airport, with capacity of 7.5 million passengers when construction completes this year.
Barry, like most Greek/Greek Cypriot people and their sympathisers you also have a very convenient memory. In your version of history nothing happened before 20 July 1974. It seems forgotten are the hundreds of British soldiers and in some cases their families murdered by the Greek Cypriot Terrorist organisation “EOKA”, in the 50’s and 60’s, forgotten are the atrocities carried out against the smaller Turkish speaking population by EOKA from the day after the Cyprus Constitution came into being in 1960, and forgotten are the facts that the Turkish speaking population lost their homes from that time, not as late as 1974. It seems it is also forgotten that in 1960 Makarios, the head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church and the State of the Republic of Cyprus was in with EOKA and the likes of Sampson, the organisation leader. The fact that he was promised the post of the Head of the Greek Orthodox Church including Greece once Cyprus was ceded to Greece may have had something to do with it. Once the Generals in Greece were ousted thanks to Turkey’s proactive stance in Cyprus and the possibility of war against Greece, the post offer to Makarios was gone. This might explain the attempted assassination of Makarios on 18 July 1974 by supporters of “Enosis” (union with Greece) those supporters being EOKA and the Military Junta in Greece. Where you learnt your History I don’t know but I would hazard a guess it was not by reading a cross section of the free press or in any academic institution in the free-world where you might have read a few different prospective drawing an opinion. In my view the Greek Cypriot people of 1974 had a choice to make, they made the wrong one and now the Turkish Cypriots have a safe haven and are enjoying a historic right “Spoils of War”. Any EC member purchasing former Greek Owned property in the North has a few options, I’ll just say, “Trust Law” we have a great collection of laws on Trust in the UK, just put your property in one.
Barry Telfer
Date Added: Sunday 02 August, 2009
OK the Turkish propaganda machine has gone into over drive again with this clever portrayal that the Turkish Cypriots are the victims. Enough already, lets accept the facts. If after July 1974 the Turks were only acting in Cyprus as defensive move to protect the Turkish Cypriots then why on earth are 40,000 heavily armed Turkish troops in Cyprus still? Why have all international monitors cited Turkeys ethnic cleansing of in the north used as an example of this brutal method to eradicate any trace of Hellenism. You want partition? Then you will be banned from flying to your illegal, criminal haven, so that you can enjoy the properties that you live in, which by the way are owned by Greek-Cypriots in most cases. Oh so that you sleep well at nights those nasty Greek-Cypriots will be pursuing you greedy Brits who purchased these homes in the British courts and will seize your assets! The law will prevail, Turkey will be punished and justice will be served!
sal johnson
Date Added: Saturday 01 August, 2009
Because of an illegal junta from greece that went to the independant republic of cyprus in july 1974 turkish army had to step in as england sat on the sideline - turkish cypriots were massacred by the national guard and other greek cypriots- the international press was really against greece and certain elements in cyprus - this is FACT - CHECK THE PRESS KNOW YOUR FACTS - turkish cypriot men hoarded into coaches and later killed whilst in some villages the women kids and old people were killed to annilihate turkish cypriots - YES many turkish cypriots are victims - unfortunately greek and greek cypriot history books dont teach these facts -
how conveniant
Donovan Masters
Date Added: Thursday 30 July, 2009
What a lot of horse manure! Just because you write it does not make it true. Where do you get your facts? The ban exists purely because of an unjust UN decision. A UN that was frustrated by a Greek lobby which won a few supporters at a time when Turkey was considered the poor man of Europe and had few if any friends at the UN. I suppose a history where you occupy your neighbours lands for a few hundred years might leave one with few friends, but that is closer to the truth than your erroneous propaganda.
If we are talking about why Turkish forces entered Cyprus on 20 July 1974, it was to crush a Greece backed effort together with the illegal Terrorist Organisation EOKA in Cyprus from annexing Cyprus to Greece. The fact is this started on the 18th July 1974, hundreds of people were killed, the majority of which were Turkish. This was a written plan of Genocide, to ethnically cleanse the island of Cyprus of anyone Turkish. I refer you the book by Harry Scott Gibbons Genocide Files in this regard.
Turkey might have invaded Cyprus in 1963 when EOKA’s first efforts to cleanse the island of Turks was started. Then, a little show of force seemed to have quelled EOKA’s efforts, but sadly the Turkish population moved into four enclaves and lived like refugees and thousands left Cyprus for new lands all over the world. Hence the much reduced ethnic Turkish population on the island.
As for your non point of Turkish settlers. Is it not a Greek saying “a Turk is a Turk regardless where they are from”? There might be a few settlers from Turkey but your 160,000 figure must also include those children that were born in Cyprus, now Cypriots. You make no mention of the 250,000 non Cypriots now in in the south, why not?
So when you speak of stolen lands and shame, if EOKA and Greece were successful in 1974 would they be ashamed? I think not, they just underestimated their foe and will now have to live with it.
One final thought for you Andreas, when Cyprus was ceded by Britain after the Ottoman Empire collapsed, and nearly all the Aegean islands and Crete were cleansed of Turks, did you think Turkey would never have desires on protecting its underbelly from an age old enemy? The first opportunity it got it probably took, to take the Northern shores of Cyprus. If you also think that their EC aspirations will out-way their national security then you like many others who hope of a Cyprus settlement are dreaming. Just as the Greek Orthodox Church believes their Highest Church is still in “Constantinople” and that one day it will once again be part of the Hellenic Empire, you can presume the same of Kyrenia Port. Good luck.
Andreas Alexandrou
Date Added: Thursday 30 July, 2009
The article omits to mention why the ban on flights to northern Cyprus exists. It is because northern Cyprus is a part of the Republic of Cyprus presently under Turkish military occupation. The majority of population of the occupied area was inhabited by Greek/Christian Cypriots (80%) who were subjected to ethnic cleansing. To compliment the ethnic cleansing of the Christian Cypriots the Turks put in place a programme of colonisation and as a result over 160,000 mainland Turks reside in the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus, supported by 40,000 Turkish Troops.
Direct flights to the occupied area are banned because they are illegal. You can only to occupied Cyprus via Turkey because that country, despite European Membership aspirations, has a total disregard for its neighbours and International Law, which it is willing to break without hesitation.
That is why flights are banned. Those who holiday in the occupied area, taking advantage of the ethnic cleansing and stolen land should be ashamed of themselves.
