|
TRNC
CONTACTS OF GERMAN DELEGATION
TRNC
President Rauf Denktaş and the TRNC Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Defence, Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu,
yesterday received the Mayor of the German city of
Neumark, Alios Karl, and his accompanying delegation,
who arrived in TRNC to have various contacts and make
investigations.
Speaking
during the meeting, President Denktaş has blamed the
relevant UN Security Council resolutions for the
decades-long non-solution of the Cyprus problem.
Giving
information on the Cyprus issue, President Denktaş
said many UN Secretary Generals have involved in the
issue but they did not have any success because of the
standing unjust UN Security Council Resolutions.
Expressing
his strong trust and confidence in the present UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan, the President said
however that the Secretary General’s hands are tied
with the standing resolutions, which wrongly recognise
the Greek Cypriot administration as the legitimate
government of Cyprus.
Stressing
that the Greek Cypriots have been making use of their
illegal title of the Cyprus Republic in trying to get
the control of the whole of Cyprus, President Denktaş
said “This is why they have rejected our latest
proposals for a new partnership republic.”
President
Denktas ruled out any possibility for the Turkish
Cypriot people to accept being patched up to the
purely Greek Cypriot administration which calls itself
the Government of Cyprus.
President
Denktaş said Turkish Cypriots cannot act as if
nothing has happened during decades in which they were
deprived of almost everything, even their basic
rights, as the result of the Greek Cypriots attempts
to unite the island with Greece.
Underlining
the fact that although the TRNC is recognised
diplomatically only by Turkey; it does enjoy trade
relations, as well as cultural ties, with 85 countries
around the world, President Denktaş said the Turkish
Cypriot people will never consider its own State
non-existent.
Stressing
that “a correct diagnosis to the problem, will
surely make a solution much easier” , President
Denktaş underlined the fact that there are two
peoples, two States and two democracies on the island,
and said a solution to the Cyprus problem will only be
achieved by establishing bridges of cooperation
between the two sides, uniting them, and eventually,
carrying that union to the European Union.
For
his part, Alios Karl, expressing his pleasure on being
in the TRNC, said that they think to have cultural
cooperation with the Mayors of Lefkoşa and Gazimağusa.
GÜREL:
“IF EU FAILS TO SET A TIMETABLE FOR TURKEY AND IF
SOUTH CYPRUS IS ADMITTED AS AN EU MEMBER, ANKARA WILL
HAVE TO REVIEW ITS RELATIONS WITH EU”
The
Turkish Minister of State in Charge of Coordinating
Cyprus Affairs, Şükrü Sina Gürel, by participating
in the program named “45 Minutes” at TRT-2 the
previous night, evaluated the latest developments on
the Cyprus issue.
In his speech Şükrü
Sina Gürel, warned that Ankara will have to review
its relations with the European Union if Brussels
fails to set a timetable for the country’s
membership to the union and if South Cyprus is
admitted as an EU member.
Gürel
rejected claims that the TRNC economy would worsen if
the Greek Cypriot Administration becomes a member of
the European Union.
Gürel
stressed that Turkey will never accept a link to be
established between its EU membership process and that
of the Greek Cypriot Administration.
Gürel
criticised remarks made by EU officials to the effect
that South Cyprus alone will be admitted to the union
unless the two sides on the island reach an agreement
by December. However, Gürel expressed the hope that
the EU will reconsider its wrong policies on Cyprus.
Gürel
also expressed the need for the Turkish Side to act in
unity and with determination on issues concerning the
EU to give a clear message that it will not bow to
pressure on this matter.
“The
two sides in Cyprus can still achieve a settlement
respecting the two sides’ political equality and
sovereignty, leading to a single international
identity; and Cyprus can even achieve EU accession
then; but definitely not before Turkey’s own
accession”, Gürel said, again calling for
simultaneous EU membership for Turkey and Cyprus as
the best way ahead.
Reiterating
Turkey’s warning that the island’s division will
become permanent; if and when South Cyprus becomes a
member of the union, Gürel said “in this case, the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Turkey will
have to decide their joint future together”.
As
to the Greek Cypriot side’s continued arming
campaign Gürel said that Turkey is taking all the
measures needed to counter this campaign so as to
protect the Turkish Cypriot people.
Gürel
also accused both the Greek Cypriot Administration and
Greece of trying to raise intension in the region by
worse case scenarios but added that the TRNC and
Turkey will maintain their peaceful stance towards the
solution of the Cyprus problem.
TRNC
President Rauf Denktaş yesterday received and had
talks with the Russian Special Representative to
Cyprus Vladimir Prigin.
No
statement was issued after the meeting.
The
Russian Ambassador to Cyprus, Vladimir Pavlinov, and
the Presidential Special Adviser on Political Affairs,
were also present at the meeting.
THE
DIRECTOR OF THE SOUTHERN EUROPE DESK OF THE BRITISH
FOREIGN OFFICE VISITED THE NATIONAL UNITY PARTY
The Director of the
Southern Europe Desk of the British Foreign Office
Robert Sinn who is currently in Cyprus for having
contacts on the Cyprus issue, yesterday visited the
Headquarters of the National Unity Party (UBP).
Robert
Sinn was received by İlker Nevzat, the Girne MP of
UBP and the Head of the Law and Political Affairs
Committee of the Republic’s Assembly.
During
the meeting the latest developments on the Cyprus
issue were discussed.
Speaking at the
meeting, İlker Nevzat stressed that the present
realities of the island and existence of the two
states in Cyprus should not be ignored.
Pointing to the
fact that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has
all the institutions of a perfect state, İlker Nevzat
called on the international community to recognise the
TRNC and lift all the embargoes imposed on the Turkish
Cypriot people.
For
his part, Sinn said that the aim of his contacts in
TRNC, is to have first hand information on the latest
developments of the Cyprus issue and on the desires
and worries of the Turkish Cypriot people.
Stressing that this
is his first visit to Cyprus, Sinn said “we are here
to listen.”
6TH
NORTH CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL STARTED
6th
North Cyprus International Music Festival,
started the previous night with the gala recital of
Turkish State Artist, Verda Erman.
During
the meeting nine concerts will be given by the groups
of soloist, orchestra and chamber music from TRNC,
Turkey, England, Russia, Germany, USA and Sweden.
PLÜMER:
“THE GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE’S EU MEMBERSHIP PROCESS
SHOULD BE FROZEN UNTIL THE CYPRUS ISSUE IS SOLVED”
The
TRNC Representative in New York, Aytuğ Plümer,
participating in a symposium in New York entitled “A
Brief Look To Turkish-American Relations Post
September, 11”, evaluated the latest developments on
the Cyprus issue and the ongoing direct talks process
initiated by TRNC President Rauf Denktaş on January
16.
In
his speech, Plümer has said that the main reason
behind the Cyprus issue’s remaining unsolved, is the
Greek Cypriot side’s intransigent policy within
which it continues to present itself as the only
government on the island.
Plümer
said the international community should reach a
correct diagnosis on the Cyprus Problem and that all
the efforts aimed at finding a permanent solution to
the problem should be based on the existence and the
equal political status of the two states.
As
to the recent ongoing direct negotiations process, Plümer
accused the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration
Glafkos Clerides of not supporting the idea of a new
partnership Republic to be based on two equal founder
states.
Plümer
also called for a realistic approach to be pursued and
for everyone to continue to make all the necessary
efforts in order to find a peaceful solution to the
Cyprus Problem.
Stressing
that it will be a violation of the 1960 Guarantee
Agreements if Cyprus becomes a member of the European
Union before Turkey’s membership, Plümer said the
Greek Cypriot side’s EU membership process should be
frozen until the Cyprus problem is solved. |
