in-cyprus 21 September 2025 - by Andreas Bimbishis
Turkey’s and the occupied north’s objectives following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union were to upgrade London’s relations with the occupation regime, aiming to achieve recognition and direct flights. The new president of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK (POMAK), Christos Karaolis, speaking to fileleftheros, made clear that neither will happen.
Christos Karaolis is the first president of the World Federation of Overseas Cypriots to be born after 1974 and outside Cyprus. In his interview with Phileleftheros, he discusses the activity of British Cypriots in promoting their positions in favour of Cyprus and contributing to efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem. He particularly notes the determined effort being made by the new generation of overseas Cypriots both in Britain and globally.
He notes that British Cypriots live in a country that knows the Cyprus issue inside and out, compelling them to operate more strategically to achieve greater effectiveness.
You’re taking over the presidency of a federation that carries a particular burden, with struggles for Cyprus going back decades. What are your feelings?
I’m the first POMAK president born outside Cyprus. All my predecessors were born in Cyprus. I’m also the first federation president born after 1974. But this doesn’t mean I lack the same passion my predecessors had.
Personally, I see this as a positive development. Whilst maintaining our relationships with Cyprus, our roots and traditions, it means that in the countries where we live and operate, the influence we can exert is greater than that of previous generations. It truly is a transitional period, but I view the future through a positive lens.
The first generation managed to pass the baton to the second and third generations, to which I belong. The first generation of overseas Cypriots achieved a great deal and we should thank them for everything they accomplished.
What role do young Cypriots born and living abroad have, and how can they contribute to raising awareness about our problem?
I believe we need to find ways to engage the younger generation, without this meaning they’re not interested in their roots and the culture of their country. What I take from the various programmes with the youth wing of POMAK (NEPOMAK) is their participation and the passion they show for their homeland every time they come to Cyprus.
In the United Kingdom, every July we organise e-campaigns for the black anniversary of the Turkish invasion, and it’s the young people who mobilise intensively, sending emails to all their MPs. It’s not that there’s indifference or that they lack passion. The way they’ll engage is different from that of the first generation. This is a challenge for us as POMAK, and it’s something we’re working on with NEPOMAK.
We must understand that these are the young people we want today. We must understand what these young people want and how we’ll engage them. When we manage to find the right way to engage them, we see with what passion and intensity they work. We see this in the United Kingdom with NEPOMAK and globally.
You were born and raised in a country with which Cypriots have a particular relationship. As a British Cypriot, how do you approach this “special relationship” between the two countries?
The United Kingdom, due to its colonial past and as a guarantor power, has always had a different relationship with Cyprus. But I believe that for us, the proximity we have constitutes a tremendous source of strength and is very positive.
On the other hand, whether one sees it positively or negatively, it’s a fact that Britain’s Foreign Office knows the Cyprus problem inside and out, from all angles. This means the way we engage with them and the way we lobby is much more specialised than what happens in other countries.
I personally see it as a source of strength and as positive that we have a government and a country that, for better or worse, knows Cyprus. This forces us to be more effective, stronger and better. But honestly, I never saw it as a source of tension or confrontation.
Now, as appears from the President’s actions, if bilateral relations are placed within a proper framework, they can become more productive. Relations between the United Kingdom and Cyprus are currently among the strongest we’ve ever had. Therefore, I believe they’re on the right track and can constitute a source of strength.
What everyone notes is the improvement in bilateral relations between Cyprus and Britain in recent years, with visits by ministers, prime ministers and so forth. Something that was previously almost unthinkable.
Our mobilisations, online campaigns and generally our own efforts come to reinforce the actions taken by the Cypriot government. One such example is Labour’s position on Cyprus, something that didn’t exist previously. But after our own e-campaign and the pressure exerted by voters, we saw that the only foreign policy issue on which there was a statement, outside Labour’s manifesto, was on Cyprus.
Was this mobilisation only directed towards Labour or did it concern all parties?
The mobilisation happens in all directions, by everyone, which pressured all parties to give us statements. This gives us strength to reinforce our struggle. Our powerful weapon, against the millions Turkey spends on lobbying in Britain, is our ability to mobilise voters.
The most recent example of the effectiveness of our mobilisations is the resignation of MP Afzal Khan from his position as trade envoy to Turkey, following his illegal visit to the occupied areas.
After Brexit we saw efforts by the Turkish side to put relations on another level, with the Turkish Cypriot side also attempting to exploit this development whilst simultaneously talking about upgrading relations, even claiming they would achieve direct flights.
We didn’t see them achieve anything. What was said was nothing but propaganda, particularly regarding direct flights. Concerning direct flights, let’s not forget that the United Kingdom is bound by the Chicago Convention. That’s why it will never happen. It wasn’t something to do with the European Union, but everything relates to the Chicago Convention.
Neither direct flights nor recognition by England. None of these will happen. First of all, because of the 1960 agreements. That’s why Britain won’t come to abolish the agreements by recognising the pseudo-state. This will never happen.
