Rally for Cyprus 2010 - 2of7 Peter Droussiotis
Clip 2of7,
Peter Droussiotis, as
President of the
National Federation of Cypriots in the UK addresses the meeting
"UK CYPRIOTS
CALL ON CAMERON TO
ACT FOR
JUSTICE AND
UNITY IN CYPRUS"
National Federation of Cypriots in the
United Kingdom
Britannia Road,
London, N12 9RU.
Tel: 020 8445
9999 Fax: 020 8445 9977
http://www.cypriotfederation.org.uk
19th July
2010 -
Press Release
British Cypriots joined politicians from across
Britain's political spectrum yesterday to condemn
Turkey's intransigence over efforts to end its continuing illegal military occupation of the northern part of
Cyprus.
A petition was delivered to
Prime Minister David Cameron, calling for the UK to use its influence with the
Turkish Government in order to press Turkey to withdraw its occupying troops and to play an active and positive role in current efforts to reunite Cyprus for the benefit of all Cypriots.
A letter to the
Turkish Ambassador to the UK was also delivered following a demonstration outside the Turkish
Embassy in
London.
Later, a march through the heart of London culminated in a mass rally in
Trafalgar Square. The annual July London "
Rally for Cyprus" was organised by the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, to mark the twin anniversaries of the fascist coup by the military junta then ruling
Greece on 15h July
1974, and the illegal invasion of Cyprus by the
Turkish army which followed 5 days later, on
20th July 1974.
Twelve days before the rally, on 6th July 2010 , an event took place in the
Houses of Parliament to offer support to relatives of people still missing since Turkey invaded the island in the summer of 1974 and to lobby politicians for their support.
The rally in Trafalgar Square was addressed by several
British politicians from the main parties. Mr Peter Droussiotis, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, and
The Minister of
Communications and
Works of the
Republic of Cyprus, Mrs
Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, also addressed the event.
In his opening address, Mr. Droussiotis said:
"We expect the new
British Prime Minister David Cameron whom we petitioned at
10 Downing Street today and the new
Foreign Secretary William Hague to tell Turkey that it must change its tune on Cyprus, that it must, at long last, change course, if it wants to make further progress in
Europe.
"Turkey's unacceptable behaviour in Cyprus must not be rewarded; it must be punished if it is not corrected.
The new British government has a unique opportunity to help bring this about -- to make this vital and principled change to its approach to Turkey."
Tribute was then paid to former MPs in attendance, still showing their support for Cyprus;
Tom Cox,
Eddie O'Hara,
Andrew Dismore and
Ian Twinn. Respects were also paid to
Rudi Vis, the former MP for
Finchley and Golders Green and a long-standing friend of Cyprus and the UK
Cypriot community, who died earlier this year. Other parliamentary supporters of the Cyprus cause in attendance included
Transport Minister Theresa Villiers MP,
Mike Freer MP,
Matthew Offord MP,
Alan Meale MP and
Jim Sheridan MP.
The Cyprus
High Commissioner HE
Alexandros Zenon and his
Deputy Mr Dimitris Hatziargyrou represented the Cyprus
High Commission at the event while the Mayors of the occupied towns of
Kyrenia and
Morphou, Mrs
Maria Ioannou and Mr
Charalambos Pittas, respectively, represented Cypriot towns and villages under Turkey's military occupation. (more follows
...)
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Organised by the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, there are full details of speeches and copies of press releases available at:
http://www.cypriotfederation.org.uk/
Part of Theatro Technis' Cyprus
Week 2010:
http://www.theatrotechnis.com
Video source:
http://www.youtube.com/grokked