A meeting attended by representatives from many of the business sectors of the North as well as the Minister of Economy and Tourism Enver Ozturk, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avci and Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer, took place at Nicosia’s Saray Hotel. The main issue of the meeting was in regards to the ‘Turkish Cypriot Village’ stand, supported by Turkish Cypriot businessman Ali Ozmen Safa, that is due to appear at the new ‘Turkey Live Expo 2007’, to be held in London’s Olympia National Hall on April 28-29.

Soyer stressed that the Turkish Cypriot society is fulfilling its dream of economic development and of being able to compete with the rest of the world through the help of enterprising businessmen who each day achieve new things. He said that the Greek Cypriots are intent on preventing the Turkish Cypriots from starting up international businesses in some sectors and because of the major efforts made by some Turkish Cypriot businessmen they deserve the right to enter these sectors. He said that these Turkish Cypriot efforts and the Greek Cypriot counter efforts was how the ‘Hellim’ crisis erupted. He stressed that the Greek Cypriots had started to deliver brochures at crossing points and airports telling people not to utilise any services or to purchase any merchandise of the Turkish Cypriots.

Until 3 years ago, Safa said, the Turkish Cypriot attendance at international fairs was prevented by Greek Cypriot threats but they had managed to gain access to the estate fairs organised by the Home Events Company in 2004 after making an agreement with the manager of that Company. Safa said that he had held meetings with contractors and representatives of the construction sector during his trip to Northern Cyprus to request that they join the ‘Live Expo Fair’ and this call has received a positive answer. He stressed this was how the ‘Turkish Cypriot Village’ was established, with their motto ‘Solidarity, Unity and Power’.

Claiming that the Greek Cypriots threatened fair organizers by saying “Either the Turkish Cypriots leave or we will,” Safa said that the Turkish Cypriots have been attending the ‘Home Events Fairs’ now for 3 years as a result of exercising their rights and that the Greek Cypriots have actually been harming themselves with their protests. He further announced that Blendon Communications Ltd had decided to let the Turkish Cypriots into their Fairs as well and called on businessmen to open a second ‘Turkish Cypriot Village’ at the Fair organised by this company.

Safa introduced the person in charge of the Fair, Pembe Peri and the new General Manager of Blendon Communications, Andy Kiwanuka to those present at the meeting and he thanked both publicly for their support in changing the name from ‘Turkey Live Expo’ to ‘Turkey/North Cyprus Live Expo’ and for the the establishment of the ‘Turkish Cypriot Village’.

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