A Conservative MP has assured his Turkish Cypriot constituents he is doing his “level best” to overturn the UK’s ban on direct flights to and from their homeland.

MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, Iain Duncan Smith, spoke to the 10,000 strong crowd at the second annual Turkish Cypriot Cultural Festival, held in Enfield on Sunday (June 17).

All flights to and from North Cyrus must go through Turkey, the only country that recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as a separate state.

“I was delighted to join in the celebrations at the cultural festival for a second year and pleased to be invited to speak on the day,” he said.

“I had the opportunity to talk about a particular problem affecting British citizens from the Turkish Cypriot community in my constituency and genuine tourists which is the ban on direct flights to North Cyprus.

“I am doing my level best to urge the government, the Foreign Office and the international community to recognise the problem facing families in my constituency and their ability to fly directly to North Cyprus.”

The 2011 census recorded the number of Turkish Cypriots in the UK as 300,000, many of whom live in the Chingford and Woodford Green areas.

The cultural festival is organised by the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations in Britain.

It was opened by Mayor of Enfield, Cllr Saray Karakus, and MP Iain Duncan Smith.

The musical acts were headlined by London-born pop singer Eylem whose platinum-certified 2006 debut album Aman made her an instant star in Turkey.