Mehmet Ali Talat, the leader of the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTP-BG), which was the duty of forming the new government assigned by President Denktas, has agreed in principle with Democrat Party (DP) leader, Serdar Denktas, on setting up a coalition and both leaders stated that the final decision to form the new government together would become clear at the common meeting of the two parties’ committees.

While Serdar Denktas said he hoped the new government would be formed by the weekend if the two parties’ committees could complete their studies, CTP-BG leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, said, in general, his party was satisfied with what the DP had proposed and was positive about the new government’s formation.

The first common meeting, which was aimed at reaching a joint view and establishing the new government between the two parties’ committees, was carried out yesterday (January 8) under the leadership of the two parties secretary generals.

If the two parties agree on each other’s proposals to form the new government, a coalition protocol will then be prepared. The two parties committees will again meet this morning at 10:00am.

A summit meeting on the Cyprus issue took place yesterday (January 8) at the Cankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara, headed by Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

Following the summit meeting, in a statement issued from the Turkish Presidential Press Office, it was stated that the latest developments on the Cyprus issue had been discussed.

The statement is as follows:

" In a meeting held today (January 8) at the Cankaya Presidential Palace and headed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the latest developments on the Cyprus issue was evaluated. The Prime Minister, the Chief of Staff, the Foreign Minister and high-ranking civilian and military bureaucrats, also attended the meeting. Turkey, once more, reiterates its pleasure that parliamentary elections were freely, democratically and transparently carried out in the TRNC last month (14 December 2003).

The period following the elections in the TRNC is working in democracy and efforts to form the new government are continuing. It was agreed that following the formation of a new government in the TRNC it would be beneficial to start initiatives for resuming the negotiation process on the Cyprus issue.

As it is well known by public opinion, it is the common desire of Turkey and the TRNC to find a just and permanent settlement to the Cyprus issue, and Turkey continues to support the good offices mission of the UN Secretary-General, and confirms its political determination to speedily achieve a settlement on the island based on the realities through negotiations.

Preparations, which will help to determine the Turkish side’s stance in the negotiation process, have progressed with the mutual cooperation and sensitivity of our related authorities. These preparations will be evaluated in the forthcoming National Security Council (MGK) meeting, Turkey will continue to effectively contribute to the UN negotiation process in close cooperation and consultation with TRNC President Rauf Denktas and the new government to be formed".

Following yesterday’s (January 8) Cyprus Summit Meeting held at Cankaya, Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, separately met with four political party leaders which have seats in the TRNC Parliament and gave the message that they should immediately form the new government so as to restart negotiations on the Cyprus issue.

Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTP-BG) leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, National Unity Party leader and Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu, Democrat Party leader, Serdar Denktas, and Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) leader, Mustafa Akinci, were invited to Ankara by Prime Minister Erdogan for contacts with Turkish officials.

In the recent report prepared by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, it was stated that the EU by giving a much clearer message to Turkey regarding the start of accession talks for her full membership, should encourage Ankara to settle the Cyprus issue.

The Parliamentary Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee in a meeting held in Paris yesterday (January 8) approved the report, which was prepared by Hungarian Parliamentarian, Matyas Eorsi.

In the said report and advisory decision proposal, it was requested that the EU reduce obstacles restricting the entry of TRNC goods and products into EU markets.

In the Commission meeting, which was also attended by parliamentarians from the TRNC, it was decided that following the Hungarian Parliamentarian’s visit to Athens, Ankara and the two sides in Cyprus, the report in question would again be discussed in January before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s general assembly meeting.

In the report to be approved by the general assembly, which is scheduled to take place at the end of January, it is requested that, without losing time, negotiations should restart on the basis of the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan’s plan.

The report also requests the two Cypriot leaders to take steps towards further developing confidence building measures between the two sides.

Greek Cypriot administrators were also asked to avoid making any statements and refrain from actions which could be interpreted as being of a threatening nature to the Turkish Cypriots and that the Greek Cypriots were the owners of the island.

The Greek Cypriot Administration was also called upon to facilitate the TRNC’s trade relations with other countries and solve the existing difficulties regarding contacts between the two peoples.