TURKISH tourism bosses have apologised if people have been left with a poor impression of their country following the ordeal of South Lakeland businessman Paul Cleasby, reports Michaela Robinson-Tate.

The director of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, which promotes Turkey in the UK and Ireland, said visitors to his country would be "pleasantly surprised" by what they found.

He was speaking as Mr Cleasby, 43, approached his sixth week in a Turkish jail, accused of smuggling antiquities after being stopped at the airport on his way home to Windermere from a Turkish holiday.

Mr Cleasby has said he was bringing home a rock he bought as a garden ornament, but the Turkish authorities said it was a piece of marble.

The Westmorland Gazette is running the Bail Not Jail campaign, to urge the Turkish authorities to release Mr Cleasby on bail while awaiting his trial, which is due to start next Monday (November 8).

Tourism boss Tolga Tuyluoglu issued a statement after being contacted by the Gazette, and being asked whether the publicity surrounding Mr Cleasby's incarceration would be worrying to the Turkish tourism industry.

"I was very sorry to hear that some of your readers have formed a negative impression of Turkey," said his statement.

"I am sure that if they were to visit our country they would be pleasantly surprised. Last year 1.1 million British tourists visited Turkey and the overwhelming majority had enjoyable, relaxing holidays."

He said that Turkey had a rich history and culture, and offered excellent value for money.

"The removal of antiquities from Turkey is considered to be a very serious offence. Visitors are warned of this by large notices in all international airports."

Mr Tuyluoglu added that Turkish criminal law and its legal system was "fully in line" with that in EU member states.

This is disputed by Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins, who has backed the Bail Not Jail campaign. He delivered forms signed by 324 Gazette readers to the Turkish Embassy, while a further batch of forms, signed by 53 people, was sent by post this week.

"If a Turkish national had attempted to remove something from this country under the same circumstances as Paul did, he would not be still in jail waiting for some trial date to be set in the distant future," he said.

Mr Collins was ready to contact Government ministers if the legal process did not go smoothly on Monday.

Meanwhile, Mr Cleasby's sister, Vanda Whitton, said her brother was now just waiting for his trial to get started, but the family did not know how long the process would take.

Mrs Whitton added that the Bail Not Jail campaign had helped the family realise that other people were also thinking about Mr Cleasby.

The Bail Not Jail forms have now been sent to the Turkish capital, Ankara, according to Turkish Embassy staff.