It Could Only Happen In The United Kingdom

Someone I new from his/her childhood told me this story decades ago.

 

Now seems as good a time as ever to tell it.

When he/she grew up, he/she ended up working in the Diplomatic Protection

Branch of the Police.

Now this person was of Greek-Cypriot origin.

The President of Turkey was on a State visit to The UK.

5 of the Officers assigned to protect him were of Greek/Cypriot origin;

that is to say, their parents or grandparents came to the UK as immigrants

from Greece or Cyprus.

Now they had a dilemma:

Some felt very strongly about the situation in Cyprus and they debated how to reconcile

their duty with their emotional,cultural and historical links.

In the end they took a vote on it.  3 voted to go ahead with their duties and 2 voted against.

They made their views known to the Commanding Officer and the 2 who felt too emotional

to reconcile were excused from the personal protection duties for this particular State visit.  

None ever suffered professionally because of this matter.

The Presidential State visit was regarded as a  resounding success by both Britain and Turkey.

I dread to contemplate what fate would have awaited them if they had been serving officers
in another country in the world.
I can think of many where doing the patriotic duty of taking a matter of conscience to a
senior officer or representative, as allowed in law, would have most certainly resulted in witch-hunts,dismissals and abandonment by the very system which should have offered support, confidence and protection and immunity from victimization.

I can't think of another country in the world where the outcome from such an incident would have been favorable to all parties.

Patrick Emek

September 15th 2013