To whom it may regard,
It has come to our attention that your University has a specifically designed webpage for
prospective students from the so-called “Turkish Republic of North Cyprus”. Firstly, by
referring to the occupied Northern part of the Republic of Cyprus as just “TRNC”, you are
directly recognizing, supporting and promoting an illegal pseudo-state, which is the result of the
brutal Turkish military invasion and thus you are in direct conflict with many UN resolutions and
International law. Your actions ignore the extensive and on-going violations of human rights which
occur from the day Turkey invaded Cyprus, a country which is a full member of the European Union
since 2004. The pseudo-state that you promote, the so-called “TRNC”, is recognised only by Turkey
and represents nothing more but four decades of pain and suffering of the 200,000 refugees, the
families of the 1619 missing persons and the descendants of the thousands of brutally murdered
soldiers and civilians.
UN Resolution 550 (1984), “Reaffirms the call upon all States not to recognise the purported state of
the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” set up by secessionist acts and calls upon them not to
facilitate or in any way assist this the aforesaid secessionist entity.” The Council of Europe,
responding to Cyprus΄ Interstate Applications, has found Turkey, through the relevant reports of the
European Commission of Human Rights, responsible for serious violations of the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, in the part of Cyprus
occupied by Turkey (Cyprus v. Turkey, Joint Apps. 6789/74 and 6950/75, 26 May 1975; Cyprus v.
Turkey, App. 8007/77, 10 July 1978). In addition, the European Court of Human Rights in its decision
regarding the Fourth Interstate Application by the Cyprus Government against Turkey, (Cyprus v.
Turkey, App.25781/94, Judgment of 10 May 2001), finds Turkey guilty of gross violations of human
rights in Cyprus and in continuing violation of a number of articles of the ECHR (Articles 3, 8, 9, 10, 13
of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol 1 to the Convention). Furthermore, in the landmark case of
Titina Loizidou, a Greek-Cypriot refugee from Kyrenia, the European Court of Human Rights held that
the denial to the applicant of access to her home in the occupied by Turkey territories of Cyprus and
the loss of control of her property was imputable to Turkey and its subordinate local administration.
The Court ruled that Loizidou remains the legal owner of her property in Kyrenia, and that Turkey is in
violation of the European Convention not allowing her to access her property (Loizidou v. Turkey,
(Merits), Case no. 40/1993/435/514, Judgment of 18 December 1996).
It is important for us to clarify and for you to bear in mind that our movement is not against UK
Universities accepting Turkish Cypriot students from in the occupied areas of Cyprus; however, by
creating a specific webpage for Turkish Cypriots from the occupied areas, you are differentiating
between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and therefore you strengthen the segregation that
exists as a result of the 1974 Turkish military invasion. Furthermore, by referring to the occupied part
of Cyprus as “TRNC”, you are reinforcing Turkey’s imperialistic ambitions for their illegal state to be
recognised around the world.
Upon these facts, we request some explanations as to why your University has ignored all the
aforementioned facts, international law, as well as the feelings of your Greek students and went on to
create the specific webpage.
Thank you in advance for your co-operation and understanding.
Yours sincerely,
Andreas Pantelides
On behalf of Cypriot student movement METOPO UK, letter to SOUTH BANK UNI
