In November 2023, a series of Turkish Cypriot community groups wrote to Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, to ask him to take a more active approach in tackling Islamophobia against Turkish Cypriot muslims. Starmer referred the group to Shadow Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, who refused a meeting citing his busy schedule.

As we face a general election this year, the Labour Party must realise that for decades Turkish Cypriots have formed a key voting bloc in their electoral coalition. Without them, they will be unable to win many seats in London and the surrounding counties.

The snub by the Shadow Foreign Secretary is a snub of 300,000 Turkish Cypriots living in the UK and highlights that cherry-picking instances of Islamophobia is real and a serious concern to many marginalised Muslim groups.