More than 500 UK Cypriots demonstrated outside the Turkish Embassy in central London on Saturday evening, on the 50th anniversary of Turkey's illegal invasion and start of occupation of their island. The lively rally, organised by the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, saw them calling for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus, for a free and united Cyprus, with peace and justice on the island. Amid the flags and the banners, pictures of Cypriots gone missing in the summer of 1974 could also be seen. A counter-rally had been organised by a Turkish Cypriot organisation, but was only attended by about 35 people, who were separated by the main group of protesters by two police vans. The Federation President Christos Karaolis pointed to the presence of many young UK Cypriots and said that the well-attended demonstration showed that the Cypriot issue won't be forgotten. The National Federation also handed resolutions to the UK Prime Minister a d the Turkish Ambassador to London. Penned by Kara olis, the resolution to Sir Kier Starmer said that 'with your distinguished background in human rights and your defense of international law against Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, I am certain that you understand how untenable Turkey's continued occupation of Cyprus remains." "The UK, under your Government, has the opportunity to be seen as a leading force in the restoration of the rules-based international order if you use your influence to urge Turkey to return to the negotiations, within the agreed UN basis, so that talks can resume from where they stopped in Crans Montana in 2017,' it added. In the letter To Turkey's Ambassador Karaolis said that "there is no future for the illegal permanent partition of Cyprus - that Cypriots will always endeavour towards the freedom and reunification of their homeland." "The only logical recourse, therefore, is that Turkey returns to the UN-led process to deliver a reunited Cyprus based on the internationally accepted model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federatio n with political equality as described in UN resolutions, with a single sovereignty, single international personality and single citizenship, and fully in line with EU acquis.' Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Columbia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue. Source: Cyprus News Agency