TRNC President Rauf Denktaş and the leader of the Greek Cypriot administration met again yesterday at 17:00 at the Lefkoşa Conference Center in the Buffer Zone within the framework of direct talks aimed at finding a lasting and just solution to the Cyprus issue.

Responding the questions of the journalists before leaving for his meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader, President Denktaş has stressed that no progress can be achieved towards solving the Cyprus issue, unless the differences between the two sides over security issues are narrowed.

President Denktaş said he and Clerides would be continuing their discussions on the security matters.

Pointing to security’s importance for both sides, President Denktaş reminded that the 1960 Agreements provided security assurances for the whole of the island.

President Denktaş said the ongoing efforts are directed at finding a common and an acceptable formula on security issues for the proposed new partnership.

Yesterday’s meeting completed at 19:30.

Responding the questions of the journalists following the completion of the meeting, President Denktaş said they have discussed many things in detail and that they will continue on Friday.

TRNC Billiards Federation became a member of the International Billiards Union.

Steps for lifting the sports embargo imposed on TRNC, were taken jointly by the efforts of the Youth and Sports Director General Kemal Mutlu and the President of the TRNC Billiards Federation Faruk Yüksel, with the instructions of Turkish State Minister Fikret Ünlü.

This development was enthusiastically welcomed in TRNC.

The Turkish Minister of State in Charge of Coordinating Cyprus Affairs Şükrü Sina Gürel yesterday received the TRNC Parliamentary delegation including the heads and members of Social and Administrative Affairs Committee and Law and Political Affairs Committee of the Republic’s Assembly.

Speaking during a visit paid to him by the TRNC parliamentary delegation, Gürel has pointed to the existence of the danger of hostilities in Cyprus.

Gürel pointed to the signs coming from the Greek Cypriot administration, indicating a tendency to spark off hostilities, with the objective of harming the TRNC and Turkey’s relations with the rest of the world.

Gürel said the Greek Cypriot administration appears to be willing to provoke hostilities in case it is admitted as a member of the European Union.

Reminding that President Denktaş had brought constructive proposals to the negotiating table, Gürel warned that the responsibility of a failure in Cyprus, will lie with the Greek Cypriot Administration and the EU.

Gürel called on Brussels to alter its wrong policies and reassess its position with regard to the Cyprus issue; taking into account the island’s realities and acting accordingly to help the ongoing negotiations process. Otherwise, Gürel warned, the EU will be responsible for an atmosphere of chaos in the Eastern Mediterranean; something the Greek Cypriots are already willing to achieve.

However, Gürel gave an assurance of security to the Turkish Cypriot people and said Turkey’s securing presence will always be felt over Turkish Cypriots, even after South Cyprus becomes an EU member.

Gürel reiterated that a realistic solution in Cyprus should be based under the common roof of two politically equal and sovereign states; a solution, after which, Cyprus can become a member of the EU simultaneously with Turkey.

On the criticisms made by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo on the seismic research carried out by the Turkish Seismic-One Ship in the TRNC territorial waters, Gürel stressed that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a sovereign state that can decide on its own, to carry out such research in its territorial waters.

For his part, the Chairman of the Law and Political Affairs Committee İlker Nevzat, said that everyone desires an agreement to be reached in Cyprus, however, in the event of not reaching an agreement they are not hopeless.

The Chairman of the Turkish Parliamentary sub-commission on Health and Social Welfare, Ertuğrul Kumcuoğlu, also received TRNC parliamentary delegation at Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Speaking during the meeting Kumcuoğlu has said that the Cyprus problem is not a problem only for the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides; but one which concerns Turkey and Greece as well.

Ertuğrul Kumcuoğlu said the fact that Turkey and Greece are directly involved countries over Cyprus is clearly engraved in the 1960 agreements, which, he stressed, the West is ignoring today.

Pointing to the pressure being exerted on Turkey to accept making concessions over Cyprus as it moves towards EU membership; Kumcuoğlu said that Cyprus is no longer an emotional or a strategic issue; it is one of principle.

Finally, Eruğrul Kumcuoğlu called for a mutually acceptable solution to be reached, something, he underlined, Turkey is ready to work for.