ITV Studios has apologised to the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK after a Coronation Street episode broadcast on Thursday, August 6, referred to “Turkish” and “Greek” sides of Cyprus, following a letter of complaint sent to ITV CEO Dame Carolyn Julia McCall earlier this month.
ITV Studios said it “apologises that the language used was imprecise and has caused upset to the Cypriot community.”
The broadcaster said the script was not intended to suggest any equivalence between the Republic of Cyprus and the territory unilaterally claimed by Turkey, and committed to raising the matter with Coronation Street’s editorial team to avoid similar imprecision in future.
The Federation’s letter of complaint highlighted the hurt caused to UK Cypriot viewers, noting that many in the community “are one of or descend from the 200,000 refugees who were forcibly evicted from their homes.”
The letter also stated that, under international law, the Republic of Cyprus is the only internationally recognised state on the island, citing UN Security Council resolutions 541 and 550, which declared the breakaway “northern Cyprus” administration legally invalid and condemned secessionist activity in the occupied area.
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