TUI’s problems in Cyprus have deepened over its decision to no longer promote or sell excursions on the island’s northern side from the south.
In an email to staff, screenshots of which were leaked in the Cypriot press, tour guides at the travel firm were informed TUI had “come to an agreement with [the] Cyprus government to stop promoting and selling excursions to [the] northern occupied side of Cyprus.”
Since 1974 following a military conflict, the island has been divided into two halves the north connected to Turkey and the south Greece.
Tensions still exist between the two communities and there has been an angry reaction from the leader of Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar at what he interpreted as the “blackmail” of travel operators by his Greek counterpart.
“The Greek Cypriot leadership has this time placed our tourism sector at the centre of its ‘blockade policy’ aimed at collapsing our economy,” Tatar said.
“Accordingly, it is taking steps to completely illegally prevent the passage of people who want to have a holiday in our country and have made a reservation in advance, including European Union citizens.”
Speaking exclusively to the Express a representative of the Turkish tourism sector has slammed TUI for taking a “political” stance.
Hamit Kuk, a leading advisor for the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, has demanded an apology for the language feature in the email.
“The real problem here is that a company like TUI, which does international trade, uses expressions such as ‘occupied territories’ for the lands in Northern Cyprus,” he said. “Turkey is a country that sends troops there according to international agreements just like England and Greece.
“As a tourism professional, I do not want to get into too much political issues, but the people of Turkey and the TRNC have worked hard to create an equal and single-state structure with the Greek people there.
“As a company operating in the tourism sector, which is the language of peace and friendship all over the world, it is very wrong for TUI to identify its activities in the TRNC with the official political ideology of Greece and the Greek Cypriot Republic of Southern Cyprus as the reason for stopping its activities.
“These correspondences made by TUI representatives are very unfortunate for an organization like TUI that is engaged in international tourism trade.
“The expressions used by TUI were not welcomed here in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus [TRNC]. These expressions have upset the Turkish people very much. TUI’s senior management should apologize to both the TRNC people and the Turkish people for this mistake.
“If TUI sees Turkey as an occupier, then it should also review its investments in Turkey. I hope they give up their biased, political and wrong attitudes and accept that this attitude was a mistake.
“I think that TUI’s senior management will act more intelligently and professionally to correct this mistake and correct the mistake that occurred.”
Kuk added that as a tourism professional, he was disappointed to see holidaymaking being dragged into the political arena.
“As a tourism professional, I am really angry and saddened by the political propaganda of these issues for the countries,” he continued.
“The Turkish people want to live in peace with the Greek and Greek people. [We have] very good tourism relations have developed between Turkey and Greece, the people are very kind to each other. Such statements damage peace and friendship relations as well as commercial relations.
“I am really surprised how representatives of a corporate company like TUI can use such a divisive and hostile written language.
“As a company operating in the tourism sector, which is the language of peace and friendship all over the world, it is very wrong for TUI to identify its activities in the TRNC with the official political ideology of Greece and the Greek Cypriot Republic of Southern Cyprus as the reason for stopping its activities.
“These correspondences made by TUI representatives are very unfortunate for an organization like TUI that is engaged in international tourism trade.”
He claimed that, although TUI was a major operator in Turkey, its presence in Northern Cyprus was limited and therefore the impact of this stance would not be too great.
“TUI is a country that sends more than one million tourists a year with investments in Turkey,” he explained. “TUI’s decision to give up selling the holiday destination in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will not negatively affect the long-term tourism goals of the TRNC because TUI’s operations there are not very many.”
TUI has been approached for comment.
