Geceye, KKTC Londra Konsolosu Cem Topçu, Liberal Demokrat Parti Haringey Belediye Meclis üyeleri Fiyaz Mughal ve John Oakes ile Communication Workers Union’dan Linda Roy ve Race and Women’s Advisory Committee Başkanı Colin Bell’in de aralarında bulunduğu 250 konuk katıldı.
Gecede Hollanda’dan gelen sufi sanatçı Şeyh Ahmet’in ‘Way of Love’ dans gösterisi ve gecenin sonunda da yardım amaçlı piyango çekilişi yapıldı.
Ambargolu’ların Başkanı Fevzi Hüseyin, Kıbrıslı Türkler üzerine adil olmayan izolasyonların kaldırılması için mücadeleyi sürdüreceklerini söyledi.
Kuzey Kıbrıs’taki referandumda Annan Planı’na “Evet” denilmesine karşın izolasyonların kaldırılmayarak Kıbrıslı Türklerin cezalandırıldığını ve “Hayır” diyen Rum Kesimi’nin ödüllendirildiğini belirten Hüseyin, Britanya’da hükümetin izolasyonlara karşı hiç bir şey yapamamasının büyük bir ayıp olduğunu öne sürdü.
Bir süre önce Kuzey Kıbrıs’ı ziyaret eden Liberal Demokrat Partili Fiyaz Mughal da Kuzey Kıbrıs Türkünün toptan cezalandırılmasının kabul edilemeyeceğini belirtti.
John Oakes da barış görüşmelerinden memnun olmasına karşın İskandinavya’daki Uluslararası Adil Ticaret Fuarı’nda Kıbrıs Rum Kesimi’nin KKTC standının kaldırılması için baskı yapmasını görüşmelerin ruhuna aykırı olduğunu söyledi.
FOTOĞRAF: Ambargolu’ların Başkanı Fevzi Hüseyin (ortada) ile Demokrat Parti Haringey Belediye Meclis üyeleri Fiyaz Mughal ve John Oakes
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Embargoed!’s annual dinner
UK based human rights group Embargoed! recently held their annual dinner and dance at the prestigious Regency Banqueting Suite, Tottenham. The evening saw a line up of fantastic entertainment that climaxed with the ‘Way of Love’ presentation by Shaikh Ahmed and his Sufi dancers from Amsterdam.
Over 250 guests attended the dinner and dance in Tottenham, which was graced by guests from the Liberal Democrat Party, Haringey councillors Fiyaz Mughal and John Oakes. Also in attendance was a strong delegation from the Communication Workers Union that included National Officer Linda Roy and Chairs of the Race and Women’s Advisory Committees, Colin Bell and Cllr Pat Clouder, (Labour, Croydon). Cem Topcu, representative from the TRNC office in London was also present.
During his speech the Chairperson Fevzi Hussein rallied the guests by stating “Embargoed! will keep up the pressure to get the unjust embargoes lifted”. He encouraged everyone to support the campaign and to also become a member of Embargoed! He added “It is offensive to Turkish Cypriots that four years after they voted for the Annan Plan, not one embargo has been lifted. There are some 200,000 Turkish Cypriots in the London area alone, but the British government has failed to deliver against its original calls to get these unjust embargoes lifted. All we have seen is shameful back-tracking”.
Liberal Democrat councillor Fiyaz Mughal lent his support to the Turkish Cypriot cause by saying “The collective punishment of the Turkish Cypriots is morally unacceptable since it also imposes an economic, social and political embargo on generations who have had nothing to do with historic events. Not only are the embargoes and sanctions counter-productive, they impact on whole populations and set back the cause of mutual understanding and co-operation for decades. We all have a responsibility to ensure that no population suffers from such impacts which are fundamentally immoral”.
Cllr John Oakes, who with Cllr Mughal recently visited President Talat to explore the current situation, started his speech in Turkish to a rapturous applause from the guests, added, “I am pleased that both sides have expressed total and sincere commitment to the current talks aimed at achieving a lasting bi-lateral solution in Cyprus.” “But last month, Greek Cypriot estate agents forced a Scandinavian Trade Fair Organiser to cancel all the stands booked by estate agents from Northern Cyprus, on the grounds that its government was not internationally recognised. This sort of vicious discrimination hardly creates the right climate for a successful joint existence on the island”. “I invite the Greek side to back the aspirations of President Christofias with deeds: follow the ‘Way of Love’ and end these embargoes.”
The evening saw the start of a membership-drive by Embargoed! and new members from all ethnic backgrounds are strongly encouraged to join the organisation.
For more details please go to www.embargoed.org or email [email protected]
