In March transport for London (TfL) turned down a request from North Cyprus Tourist Center (NCTC) to re-run the advertisement, saying they were likely to cause widespread or serious offence. TfL banned the posters saying some Greek Cypriots found them offensive.
But judge Justice Newman said TfL’s decision was “irrational” and awarded legal costs to the NCTC. He said the poster “carried no political message” and ruled the ban was disproportionate.
It was not the content of the poster that caused complaint, but the website it advertised, which described the NCTC as “the UK representative office of the North Cyprus Tourism Ministry, said the judge. “ I cannot accept that a prospective holidaymaker would read the website and understand it to have stated that TRNC has been recognized by Her Majesty’s government as a state having power over North Cyprus. No offensive product of service was offered by this advertisement, which merely illustrated the cultural and environmental delights of Northern Cyprus.”
NCTC director Yilmaz Kalfaoglu said he was pleased with the decision. “we always felt that the refusal by Transport for London was a politically-motivated decision and an infringement on the rights of a UK-registered company to advertise a holiday destination,” he said. A TfL spokesman said it would be “reviewing its decision in accordance with the guidance given by the court as soon as reasonably practicable.” |
