§ Lord Kilclooneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether (a) United Kingdom; (b) European Union; and (c) United States official trade delegations now fly into Ercan airport in Turkish Northern Cyprus; and whether the isolation of Northern Cyprus is likely to decrease following the general election there on 20 February. [HL1451]
§ Baroness CrawleyI am unable to comment on whether official trade delegations from the EU or the US now fly into Ercan Airport in the north of Cyprus, but I can confirm that no official UK trade delegations have done so.
The EU has already made clear its determination to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. We support this and believe that it will make a Cyprus settlement more likely, less costly and easier to consolidate—something that is undoubtedly in the interests of all Cypriots.
The Government's objective remains the reunification of Cyprus, and we continue to support all efforts to achieve this aim in a manner that is fair, viable and lasting for the benefit of all Cypriots. We therefore welcome the continued strong support for settlement and re-unification among Turkish Cypriots as reflected in the outcome of their elections on 20 February.