Turkish Cypriot parliament speaker in London on first visit since assuming office last year
Students from Hornsey Atatürk School welcomed Turkish Cypriot parliament speaker Sibel Siber with dance and song
THE SPEAKER of the Turkish Cypriot parliament, Sibel Siber, was joyously welcomed by schoolchildren at the start of her London visit.
In a whirlwind start to her first trip to the British capital, Ms Siber, who is Turkish Cyprus’s most senior woman politician, attended a ball organised by the Vatan Cultural Turkish Music choir. The following day, she visited Hornsey Atatürk school, before attending a reception in her honour at the Turkish Cypriot representative’s office on Monday.
Among those greeting Sibel Siber was Aysın Yılmaz of the Union of Turkish Cypriot Associations
EU PROMISES ‘NOT KEPT’
The ball, at the Regency Banqueting Suite, was the third annual event by the choir held to mark the spring. It was attended by Sarah Ludford MEP; Oya Tuncalı, the Turkish Cypriot representative in the UK; and Turkish Cypriot MPs Birikim Özgür, İzlem Gürçağ, Esat Serdaroğlu and Zeki Çeler. Also present was Mustafa Beyazbayram, the Turkish Cypriot consul in London, and Aysın Yılmaz, of the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations in the UK.
Students from Hornsey Atatürk School welcomed Turkish Cypriot parliament speaker Sibel Siber with dance and song
Ms Ludford, who spoke at the event, called on everyone present to remember to vote in the 22 May local and European elections. She said the European Union had not treated the Turkish Cypriots justly and had failed to keep the promises it had made, adding that Turkish now needed to be an official European Union language.
Ms Siber, who was next to speak, said she was delighted to be among Turkish Cypriots in London and promised to listen to the issues and concerns raised by people that she meets during her trip.
Students from Hornsey Atatürk School welcomed Turkish Cypriot parliament speaker Sibel Siber with dance and song
SCHOOL VISIT
The parliament speaker then visited Hornsey Atatürk school, one of the first Turkish schools to be established in the country.
She was greeted on her arrival by school director Türker Çakıcı and Turkish Cypriot education attaché Hasan Kortay, alongs’de teachers, parents and students.
There was a festival-like atmosphere in the closed sports hall where she was received, with cultural and folk dances on display.
Mr Çakıcı told Ms Siber that there were more than 20 thousand Turkish children in schools across Britain, but that only 3,000 attended Turkish schools and that they expected support to try and bolster the numbers.
Ms Siber, for her part, said she had been moved by the success shown by Turkish schools and the warm reception they had given her. She promised to pass on the requests for support.
BUSY RECEPTION
She next attended a reception at the Turkish Cypriot representative’s office, where she met representatives of non-governmental organisations, businessmen and local expatriates.
It was a busy reception and MS Siber remarked that the office represented not just Turkish Cypriots but other Turks too, whether they lived in Britain or in other countries.
Also attending the reception was Ünal Çeviköz, the Turkish ambassador to London, and Emirhan Yorulmazlar, Turkey’s consul general.
Ms Siber will be in London until Friday.
Students from Hornsey Atatürk School welcomed Turkish Cypriot parliament speaker Sibel Siber with dance and song
