A joint application from the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots has been put forward to grant Halloumi the same protected status as champagne or Parma ham, meaning only cheese produced on Cyprus could be called halloumi or hellim.
The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has offered Greek and Turkish Cypriots his full backing in an attempt to save their brand name in the UK.
The British government are contemplating changing the famous brand of Halloumi/Helim in support of the British halloumi producers.
However, the president of European commissions has hailed the Island’s government by defending their cheese, he said: “The halloumi affair is proof that the island’s leaders are committed to reunifying Cyprus”.
Euripides Evriviades, Cyprus’s High Commissioner in London, vowed: “We will fight to the bitter end to secure our halloumi hellim, a truly Cyprus product.” Hellim is the Turkish Cypriot name for the national cheese.
A columnist from the Cyprus Weekly has made their feelings clear and fired this message: “We can tolerate drunken UK tourists in Ayia Napa and British troops on Cyprus soil, but we will not surrender our soft cheese colonial rule”.
In 2013 Greek Cypriots exported £58 million worth of Halloumi, with Britain accounting a third of that sum. This proves Halloumi is more than just cheese. It represents Cyprus and is accountable for a high amount of their profits.
