Fifty British politicians are advocating for the approval of direct flights to the TRNC

Two prominent political parties in the UK have appealed to the Foreign Minister to revoke the “punitive and unfair prohibition” on direct flights to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). A cross-party group of 50 influential British politicians endorsed a letter addressed to Lord David Cameron.

In their plea, past and present parliamentarians voiced grave concerns about the treatment of the TRNC and called for “the commencement of direct flights from the United Kingdom to Ercan International Airport - the largest airport on the island of Cyprus.”

The letter was drafted in response to a call to action from the Turkish Cypriot diaspora, numbering 300,000, and was dispatched to the Foreign Minister as a last-ditch effort before the dissolution of parliament for general elections.

The authors of the plea highlighted that the UK allows flights to countries not recognized by the UN, such as Kosovo, and to countries it doesn’t diplomatically acknowledge, such as Taiwan. This prompts questions as to why Northern Cyprus is omitted from this list.

Signatories stressed that flights to the TRNC do not pose a safety hazard, as Ercan Airport complies with international aviation safety standards and accommodates hundreds of thousands of passengers annually.

Representatives from the two leading British political parties also warned that if the UK continues to disregard the TRNC, it “risks surrendering influence to countries like Russia and Iran, jeopardizing Britain’s strategic foothold in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

According to The Independent, signatories of the appeal to the Foreign Minister include former Labour Foreign Minister Lord Stro and former Tory party leader Sir Ian Duncan Smith.

The initiative was led by TRNC President Ersin Tatar, who has also championed efforts to pursue a two-state solution. Cypriot Turks living in the UK, along with their friends and families, have rallied in support of the campaign.

“Approximately 300,000 Turkish Cypriots reside in the UK, while 15,000 British expatriates consider Northern Cyprus their home. Burdensome and unnecessary flight restrictions only impose a harsh burden on those wishing to visit relatives or vacation. It’s time for the UK to lift its regressive ban on flights to the TRNC, a promise made 20 years ago that remains unfulfilled,” stated Chet Ramadan, founder of the “Freedom and Justice for Northern Cyprus” organization.