Greek Cypriot Embargoe on Cetinkaya - Luton Town football match

The inhuman and unjust embargoes against the Turkish Cypriot people have "reared its ugly head" once again.

The friendly match scheduled to be played between the Cetinkaya Football Club and English football Club Luton Town last night was cancelled at the last moment as a result of pressure from the Greek Cypriot Administration.

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer has said that the cancellation of the friendly match has once again proved the Greek Cypriot Administration’s domineering attitude.

Bowing pressure from the Greek Cypriot Administration, the English league one team announced the cancellation of the friendly match at the last moment.

The match at the Ataturk Stadium in Lefkosa was to start at 09.00 last night.

The Luton Town team entered the stadium at 08.30 and started warming up exercises but the match was cancelled at the last moment.

The Cetinkaya team returned to changing rooms but the Luton Town team played a short play without their uniforms and their referees.

This was followed by a training match by footballers from the Cetinkaya Football Club.

Spectators at the stadium continuously clapped their hands in protest at the cancellation of the friendly match.

The English Luton Town team would have been the first English football club to play a match in the TRNC.

The President of the Republic Mehmet Ali Talat, speaker of the Parliament Fatma Ekenoglu, Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer, deputy-Prime Minister Foreign Minister Turgay Avci were among the guests watching the match.

It’s been learned that the Greek Cypriot Administration had pressurized the British Foreign Ministry and the British Football Federation throughout the day to prevent the match from taking place.

Speaking to reporters at the stadium, Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer criticized the Greek Cypriot Administration for its domineering attitude and said that the Greek Cypriot Side has once again proved that it does not want the Turkish Cypriot people to breathe.

But, he said that the cancellation of the match should not demoralize the Turkish Cypriot people – who he said, should continue its struggle.

"This once again proved the fact that the Papadopulos Leadership is against Europe and sports".

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