Jones said that forcing passengers flying to and from the TRNC to disembark in Turkey and change planes is both “cruel and arbitrary”.
He said that there was a time when the UK had a sensible approach to bilateral ties with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and he pointed to historic ties between the country and the UK.
The UK government’s current position on flights arbitrarily penalises 300,000 Turkish Cypriots living in Britain, and those living in North Cyprus – including 15,000 British expats, Jones stated.
It would be hypocritical of the British government to continue to support the embargoes, he said, pointing out that the UK did not reject Kosovo or Bosnia when they declared their independence.
Direct trade and flights are in Britain’s national interest, he said. Failing to seize this opportunity gives Iran, China, Russia an open goal, Jones emphasised.
