Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to promote cultural exchange programmes between the United Kingdom and Northern Cyprus.

In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' as an independent state. Several UN Security Council Resolutions limit links between UK and the north of Cyprus. However, the UK supports appropriate measures aimed at reducing the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and has funded various local projects aimed at bringing together Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities, including art exhibitions, film festivals and wider youth engagement initiatives. The Minister for Europe, North America and UK Overseas Territories met representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community on his recent visit, and discussed a range of matters with Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders at the UN settlement talks on 17-18 March.