Cyprus-Forum.com

[gabaston]

this was posted on google news 28th june 2005

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... xhome.html


N Cyprus advert ban 'was unlawful'
By Joshua Rozenberg, Legal Editor
(Filed: 28/06/2005)

A ban by Transport for London on advertisements for holidays in Turkish-controlled North Cyprus was an unlawful and politically motivated attack on free speech, the High Court was told yesterday.

Michael Beloff, QC, made the claim on behalf of the North Cyprus Tourism Centre and a travel company specialising in package tours to the northern part of the island, which has been partitioned since Turkish troops landed there in 1974.

Mr Beloff argued that banning posters advertising North Cyprus on buses, Tube trains and other sites was an abuse of power, "animated by legally immaterial political considerations".

It was also a breach of Article 10 of the Human Rights Convention, which protects freedom of expression.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which funds the tourism centre, is recognised internationally only by Turkey. But companies promoting tourism in the north had advertised widely in Britain for more than 20 years, Mr Beloff said.

Last November, Transport for London refused to accept further advertisements by the tourism centre after a single complaint from Brian Coleman, the chairman of the Greater London Assembly, about an advertisement that described North Cyprus as "a sanctuary of unspoilt beauty".

It was as innocuous as an advertisement for Butlins, said counsel.

However, Transport for London said advertisements for North Cyprus were likely to "cause widespread or serious offence".

The authority later explained that Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, had agreed that advertisements of this kind would not be acceptable.

The hearing continues.






I've been able to find no further news of the case - any ideas anyone?

[magikthrill]

yes what a fabulous reference to human rights involving the issue of Cyprus.

can ia sk you this. how do you think Germany would react if Poland started advertising with the motto "This USED to be Germany" there is nothing unlawful about that but would it be violating freedom of speech if London or any other transport authority refused to use this?

[gabaston]

magic

i havent read it but im sure yu must have posted some cutish question , im not arguing its pros n cos, i just wanted to know what happens in the next episode...........thats all.

[magikthrill]

magic

i havent read it but im sure yu must have posted some cutish question , im not arguing its pros n cos, i just wanted to know what happens in the next episode...........thats all.

sorry mate didnt understand your question there. could you please repeat it so as we can further extend the conversation of this thread.

[of course the above sentences could have been reworded as:
What?
but I guess that's no longer allowed]

COMMENT: Thats right Magik.With just a "what" nobody would have understood anything...

[gabaston]

thrill


erm first of all i have to make some comment like, the idiot deadstone i mean livingstone banned some advets from the london buses. Someone in london took him to court over it, and the case has either finished, or is still being heard.

i just want to know how the case went, not the result of some germany v poland world cup quarter-final thanx.

[magikthrill]

thrill


erm first of all i have to make some comment like, the idiot deadstone i mean livingstone banned some advets from the london buses. Someone in london took him to court over it, and the case has either finished, or is still being heard.

i just want to know how the case went, not the result of some germany v poland world cup quarter-final thanx.

so gabaston you are saying you do not necessarily oppose the ban on north cyprus adverts?

gotta go internet time is running out....

[gabaston]

im saying jack of spades about it. however i will say i was rather suprised when they advertised in the first place, and just as suprised when they banned them, but thats the way the idiot kenneth (mayor of london) does things, and that is all i'm gonna say about that

all i wanna know is what the result was.

[gabaston]

thrill

ok look the ban was not because of the rights or wrongs of the cyprob- that was not the issue - the official mayoral position is that the advert "caused offence" to some londoners.

[magikthrill]

thrill

ok look the ban was not because of the rights or wrongs of the cyprob- that was not the issue - the official mayoral position is that the advert "caused offence" to some londoners.

gabaston

how many people are posting under your name?

anyway thats what i was saying in the first place. if it offends londoners with a JUST basis for this offense (e.g. londoners have no basis but xenophobia to ban advertisemetns of Turkey) then there is nothing wrong with them being taken down.

i dont know much about london mayor except that he talked shit about israel once and for that he has my utmost respect until i find out more about him probably.

[Anglo]

thrill

ok look the ban was not because of the rights or wrongs of the cyprob- that was not the issue - the official mayoral position is that the advert "caused offence" to some londoners.

gabaston

how many people are posting under your name?

anyway thats what i was saying in the first place. if it offends londoners with a JUST basis for this offense (e.g. londoners have no basis but xenophobia to ban advertisemetns of Turkey) then there is nothing wrong with them being taken down.

i dont know much about london mayor except that he talked shit about israel once and for that he has my utmost respect until i find out more about him probably.

Let me tell you something: most Londoners know sweet fanny adams about Cyprus and couldn't care two hoots if they look at an advert, on the way to work, of a turtle on a sandy beach in North Cyprus. This is all simply about the Greek Cypriot lobbying and nothing to do with Ken Livingston's stance on the issue.

The lobbyists use financial coercion to gain maximum leverage - e.g. get rid of these adverts or you can kiss good-bye to the £X million of revenue from Greek Cyprus. Money talks.

This is contrary to what Magikthrill would have us believe - that people have weighed the information, come to a moral conclusion and then applied pressure on their elected representatives.