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TRNC Prime Minister,
Mehmet Ali Talat, following the completion on his contacts in Turkey,
returned to the TRNC on January 27 and said the aim of the Turkish Cypriot
side was to restart the Cyprus negotiation process so that a settlement
could be achieved by May 2004. He said for this goal the Turkish Cypriot
side was intensifying its efforts and evaluating and debating various
alternatives. The Prime Minister added that these efforts had not yet been
concluded but there was a high possibility of a conclusion being reached.
Explaining
that studies on the Cyprus issue were still underway and there were many
more studies that needed to be carried out, Prime Minister Talat said nearly
all of the issues that would be on the agenda had been evaluated and
bringing all these issues together to a common point, where they would
complement one another, and that, in the forthcoming days, this would be
taken up by the government and other institutions.
Upon
being asked what his views were on President Denktas’ opinion that the UN
Secretary-General, Kofi Annan’s, Special Representative to Cyprus, Alvaro
de Soto, had lost his credibility and neutrality and should therefore be
changed, Prime Minister Talat, pointing out that he had not worked
with De Soto, said: “Our government’s priority is to resume the
negotiations. To achieve this different initiatives that will produce
results have been started. We must act with the aim of restarting the
negotiations. The Turkish Cypriot side’s policy is clear. To reach a
settlement by May 2004. We must put forward all kinds of efforts and
evaluate different alternatives”.
Turkish
Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently in the US, yesterday
(January 28) met with the US President, George W. Bush, at the White House.
In
a joint press conference after the meeting, US President Bush expressing his
pleasure on Turkey’s efforts to reach a Cyprus settlement, said Prime
Minister Erdogan had briefed him on Turkey’s stance on the Cyprus issue
and stressed the importance of reaching a settlement to this years-long
problem.
For
his part, Prime Minister Erdogan, said during the meeting he had explained
Turkey’s determination in settling the Cyprus issue and reiterated
Turkey’s support for the good offices mission of the UN Secretary-General.
Prime
Minister Erdogan said they also emphasized the necessity of restarting the
negotiation process by taking the Annan Plan as a reference and that on this
issue the Turkish Cypriot side would be one step ahead of the Greek Cypriot
Administration.
Pointing
out that they were in favour of reaching a settlement as soon as possible,
the Turkish Prime Minister said President Bush had assigned the US Secretary
of State, Colin Powell, to deal with the Cyprus issue.
Answering
reporters’ questions after leaving the White House, Prime Minister Erdogan
said if the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, restarted the negotiations
this would facilitate efforts towards reaching a Cyprus settlement. He added
that, as a guarantor power, Turkey was determined to do her best to settle
the issue.
Meanwhile,
Spokesman White House, Scott McCellan, expressing the USA’s pleasure on
the determined stance displayed by the Turkish Cypriot side for achieving a
settlement, called upon the Greek Cypriot side to display a political will
towards reaching a settlement.
Speaking
at a joint press conference yesterday (January 28) with EU Commission
President, Romano Prodi, following a meeting with members of the EU
Commission in Brussels, the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, said his
meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan on Saturday (January 24) in
Davos, had been very encouraging. Annan said: “Erdogan told me his country
was ready for negotiations. This is a good decision. He made some proposals
to me and I am currently studying them very seriously”.
Pointing
out that, he would be meeting with Greek Cypriot leader, Tassos
Papadopulous, today in (January 29) Brussels, Annan said he hoped to have an
opportunity to meet Greek officials and also TRNC President Rauf Denktas. He
added: “Once I have all the necessary information I will able to decide
whether the time is right to begin again. But my conditions are clear and I
think the parties must be prepared to show the political will to solve these
problems so that they can go forward, because if we begin, everyone must
understand that we must do our utmost to complete the process by 1 May.
There are four sides. The Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots and two
states…these two states should also be involved in the process. If indeed
we are going to try and settle this issue before 1 May, then we don’t have
much time. Within the framework of the envisaged timetable, time is needed
for the negotiations and amendments to the plan. Even if there is no
reconciliation in certain areas, I will try to take the responsibility for
finding a settlement. Ideally we should try and have an agreement between
the parties by the end of March, to be able to have simultaneous referenda
to meet the May 1 deadline”.
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WHAT
WE WANT? - Rauf R. Denktaţ,
2 December 2003
FULL
TEXT OF SPEECH MADE BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF TURKEY, RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĐAN,
IN NORTHERN CYPRUS ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE
TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS
ERTUGRULOGLU CALLS UPON GREEK
CYPRIOTS: "AS LONG AS YOU DON’T ACCEPT TURKISH CYPRIOTS AS EQUALS,
UNPLEASANTNESS BETWEEN US WILL CONTINUE"
SPEECH
GIVEN BY TURKISH PRIME MINISTER MR. RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĐAN, DURING THE
CELEBTRATIONS OF TRNC'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY (15.11.2003)
PRESS
RELEASE FROM TRNC'S REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN NEW YORK ABOUT THE GREEK
CYPRIOT IMPRISONMENT, FINING AND DEPORTATION OF FOUR FOREIGN STUDENTS
STUDYING IN TRNC UNIVERSITIES.
SERIES
OF ARTICLES AND PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING THE PRESENT CONDITION OF TURKISH CYPRIOT
VILLAGES IN SOUTH CYPRUS
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