TRNC President Rauf Denktaş criticised the response of the Greek Cypriots to his proposals put forward at the ongoing negotiating table.

President Denktaş stressed that the expansions of the Turkish Cypriot side with regard to reach an agreement, were estimated by the Greek Cypriots.

Pointing out that the reason for this is the hope that they will enter into EU as the "legitimate Cyprus Republic and as the whole Cyprus", President Denktaş said as long as the Greek Cypriots do not give up these hopes , reaching a settlement with the Greek Cypriots will be very difficult.

Joint Search and Rescue exercises have got under way in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus yesterday with the participation of military and non-military units of the TRNC and Turkey.

The exercises took place in two separate points in the waters to the North of the TRNC; one of them, off the coast of Erenköy and the other to the north of Girne.

Naval and airborne military, as well as non-military units from the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces and other government agencies including telecommunications services and others, took part, alongside units from Turkey.

TRNC President Rauf Denktaş evaluated yesterday’s exercise as “magnificent”, and said exercises were designed to display Turkey’s and TRNC’s determination to defend and promote its rights and interests in the air and at sea, against the unilateral declaration earlier by the Greek Cypriot administration in which it claimed itself to be the only authority to carry out such operations around the island.

TRNC Prime Minister Derviş Eroğlu who passed to İstanbul following his contacts in Ankara, speaking to reporters in İstanbul, has accused the Greek Cypriots of trying to benefit from the economic weakness of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus at the negotiations table at a time when direct negotiations between the two sides are continuing.

The Prime Minister added that his government’s aim is to strengthen the TRNC economy. Underling the importance of investment and production for the TRNC, Derviş Eroğlu said he is very pleased to learn that a committee was formed by the Society of Nationalist Industrialist and Businessman with the aim of boosting Turkish investments in the TRNC.

Reminding that the Turkish Cypriot people had struggled for its human rights in poverty until 1974 Peace Operation, Derviş Eroğlu said that after the Peace Operation, joint efforts were made with Turkey to strengthen the economy of the newly formed state in the north.

As to the ongoing direct talks in Cyprus, Derviş Eroğlu accused the Greek Cypriot Administration, the EU Ambassador and also the Embassies of other countries are waging a physiological war with the TRNC and trying to exploit the economic weakness of the Turkish Cypriot people.

Prime Minister Eroğlu said that some circles are trying to weaken us at the negotiations table by exploiting the TRNC’s economic weakness.

The Prime Minister accused the EU of being responsible for the continued Greek Cypriots’ intransigence by saying that the Greek Cypriots will become an EU member even before a solution on the island.

Eroğlu added that such actions are undermining the peace process in Cyprus.

Derviş Eroğlu also said it is necessary to strengthen the TRNC economy with new investments and to create new jobs for the young in order to keep the 200 Turkish Cypriots in their homeland.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Representative to Islamabad, Kemal Gökeri, has stated that the lifting of the Greek Cypriot Administration’s unjust embargoes on the Turkish Cypriots will encourage to build the confidence at the direct negotiations process on the island.

In an article in replying to an article published in the Daily Times newspaper, Gökeri explained the realities of the island and accused the Greek Cypriots of trying to mislead the world by distorting the realities.

Kemal Gökeri said it is the Greek Cypriot Administration’s unjust embargoes which are preventing the Turkish Cypriot teams from participating in the international events.