In a written statement issued yesterday, the Speaker of the TRNC Parliament, Vehbi Zeki Serter, said that the latest developments have again confirmed that it is the Greek Cypriot side who does not want to achieve a peace and a solution on the island.

Stressing that the Greek Cypriot side failed to give a peaceful response to the Turkish Cypriot side’s initiatives for starting negotiations and opening the gates between the North and South, Serter said while the gesture of opening the borders was appreciated by the whole world, the Greek Cypriot administration was trying to hamper this gesture by putting pressure on Greek Cypriots crossing over to the TRNC with threats and chauvinistic rhetoric.

Pointing out that Greek Cypriot leader, Tasos Papadopulos, who was elected with the support of the Greek Cypriot Orthodox Church, the Greek Cypriot Speaker of the Assembly, and the leader of Greek Cypriot AKEL party, was heading this pressure campaign, Serter stressed that the Turkish Cypriot side, who took this courageous step aimed at preparing the ground for a lasting solution, was once more faced with acts of sabotage as a result of Greek Cypriot chauvinism.

TRNC Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu said that during the forthcoming visit to the island by Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayip Erdogan, they would jointly review the Cyprus policy.

The Prime Minister said: "We have certain views, we’ll evaluate them together. There are also certain views that they will bring to us. After all these views have been evaluated the necessary statements will jointly be made."

Asked whether new expansions such as the opening of Varosha and Lefkosa Airport were on the agenda or not, the Prime Minister said: "There may be some expansions."

Speaking to the Anatolian Agency yesterday, the TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence, Tahsin Ertugruloglu, responding to news reports that Greek Cypriot leader, Tasos Papadopulos, had sent a letter to the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, said that informing the UN Secretary General of the Greek Cypriot side’s readiness to discuss a solution to the Cyprus issue based on the Annan plan was a manoeuvre, and that Papadopulos was not sincere in their initiative.

Stressing that the Annan Plan had lost its validity, Ertugruloglu said with the Greek Cypriot side’s signing of the EU Treaty of Accession, all the parameters that existed until then, including the Annan Plan, have now lost their importance.

Underlining that the Greek Cypriot administration’s accession into the EU as the "Cyprus government" makes the establishment of a partnership between the two sides in Cyprus impossible, Ertugruloglu said what was important for the Turkish Cypriots was to maintain the existence of the TRNC on the island of Cyprus, to make sure that its existence was accepted by the international community, and to deepen its relations with Motherland Turkey, at the same level that the Greek Cypriot side is integrating itself with the European Union.

He said: "We have to truly perceive the Greek Cypriot side. They have not given up their aims. They are still running after an ‘Hellenic Cyprus’. This should be carefully evaluated. I don’t consider favourably the vision that we have to establish a partnership with the Greek Cypriots."

Saying, "If we could have established a partnership with the Greek Cypriots, this could have been possible prior to April 16, when there was a chance for this", Ertugruloglu stressed that this opportunity was not evaluated by the EU and the UN but contrary to this they approached the Cyprus issue in such a way that eliminated this partnership opportunity altogether.

Pointing out that giving the impression that the Turkish army will start to withdraw from the island, Ertugruloglu said this was meaningless and not related with the realities. He added: "The reasons for the Turkish military presence here are still continuing. Especially in light of these new arrangements regarding border crossings, it has once more been brought to the agenda just how inevitable the presence of the Turkish army is here under today’s conditions. Therefore, no-one should consider the possibility of reducing the Turkish military presence here."

Referring to the new arrangements made regarding crossings between the two sides, Ertugruloglu said in light of these developments, it has been observed that the Greek Cypriot administration is in a state of panic. He added: "The main reason for this is that large numbers of Greek Cypriots, not listening to the warnings of the Greek Cypriot administration, Church, and various political parties, by presenting their passports are entering the TRNC and staying in our hotels. This situation does not constitute recognition of the TRNC by the Greek Cypriot administration."

Continuing Ertugruloglu said: "States are not recognised by people. States are recognised by other states. Thus, Greek Cypriots entering the TRNC with passports does not mean the Greek Cypriot side’s recognition of the TRNC. However, this is certainly a factor of discomfort for the Greek Cypriot administration."

Pointing out that the Greek Cypriot administration’s discomfort indicates that it has no intention of reaching a reconciliation with the Turkish Cypriot side within a framework that would be acceptable for the Turkish Cypriot side, the Minister said that within time, the type of measures that would be taken by the Greek Cypriot side regarding crossings would be seen. He added: "In order to overcome this discomfort, Papadopulos, has suddenly tried to change the agenda by saying, ‘I’m ready to negotiate the Annan plan’. "

Stating that up until today concrete steps had not been taken regarding recognition because of the negotiation process, and that a serious effort for recognition had not been carried out, Ertugruloglu said: "Under today’s conditions, I believe it’s time to take the initiatives that we’ve never taken up until now. If it becomes evident that this will not happen, then by preparing the framework for a special relationship agreement with our Motherland, we will continue in our path. We have no other alternative."

In a written statement issued yesterday, the National Solidarity Council stated that those Greek Cypriots, who are known to have played an active role in the massacre of Turkish Cypriots across the island in the past, must be refused entry into the TRNC.