British court blocks Turkish diplomats’ bank accounts

A local British court has blocked a number of Turkish bank accounts, including those of Turkish diplomats in the country, over another court’s decision taken by Greek Cypriots, spurring Ankara to launch diplomatic efforts against the court order on the grounds it was against the Vienna convention on consular relations. 

Seven Greek Cypriot citizens filed a property case against Turkey and asked Britain to implement the rule of Greek Cypriot courts. A local British court blocked some bank accounts, including those of diplomats from the Turkish Embassy. 

Ankara had summoned the British ambassador in Ankara last week after the Turkish diplomats’ bank accounts were blocked, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said on Jan. 8, adding that a similar initiative had been launched by the Turkish embassy in London. 

Bilgiç said Ankara conveyed to British authorities that the move was against the Vienna convention and the order hindered the work of Turkey’s diplomatic and consular missions in Britain.

“It’s unacceptable. We have launched an official process to object. We expect the lifting of the court orders on these accounts,” he said.

The spokesperson also stressed that the decision could harm the “positive environment” of the ongoing reunification talks between Turkish and Greek Cypriots.