STRONG REACTONS AGAINST EOKA ANNIVERSARY IN TRNC

EOKA terrorist Organization which was established on 1 April 1955, with the aim of uniting Cyprus with Greece, carried out numbers of brutal attacks on the Turkish Cypriot people including massacres of civilians in some villages. It has been observed that during the presidency of the Greek Cypriot Leader Thasos Papadopoulos, who was one of the masterminds of EOKA, campaigns towards incrementing sympathy and promoting EOKA amongst the Greek Cypriot youth has been increasing

Activities celebrating the anniversary of Greek Cypriot Terrorist Organization EOKA’s attacks on Turkish Cypriots and rewarding members of this terrorist organization in South Cyprus caused strong reactions in the TRNC.

Stressing that the Greek Cypriot side has fight for whole Cyprus’ Enosis and was maintaining its objective of making Cyprus a Greek island , Mr Denktash said the declaration of the Year 2005 as the ‘Year of EOKA’ is the proof of this and as reaction to this stance of the Greek Cypriots the Turkish side should forward the fact that the Greek Cypriots have no any objective other than making the island a Greek island and does not want conciliation and wants submission.

Meanwhile, the Society of Martyrs’ Families and Disabled War Veterans held a protest march at the Ledra Palace crossing point yesterday morning with carrying flags and condemned the terrorist organisation EOKA. Enver Dinçoglu the leader of Turkish Refugees Organization for Cooperation and Solidarity stated that EOKA celebrations was an indication of the bad intentions the Greek Cypriot administration. The Leader of the Cyprus Turkish Fighters Association Vural Turkmen pointed out that the Greek Cypriot administration in order to cause the Greek Cypriot youth to admire the EOKA spirit rewarded the EOKA members in various ways.

TALAT DIRECT TRADE SHOULD START

In a statement given to a Turkish Cypriot daily yesterday (March 31), Prime Minister Talat stated that, the only way to solve problem, regarding entering of ships, having Cyprus flag, to Turkish harbors is to start the direct trade with the Turkish Cypriot side.

Prime Minister Talat referring to harbour problem that existed as a result of the agreement between EU and Turkey on the extended Ankara Protocol said, this would turn into a legal battle and if direct trade does not start and ships having Cyprus flag enter to Turkish harbours this will shift the Turkish Cypriot economy to South and will result with the collapse of the Turkish Cypriot economy.

SERDAR DENKTAS " WE HOPE SPORT EMBARGO TO BE LIFTED"

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas departed yesterday for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in order to have contacts, within the framework of Islamic Sports Games, with officials and to start initiative to ensure that TRNC also participate in future sport activities between Islamic countries.

Speaking at Ercan State Airport Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas stating that in Jeddah he would have contacts with the General Secretary of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and with some other officials said in negotiations held within the UN platform, the EU countries were supporting South Cyprus since it was an EU member and therefore it was very important for the TRNC to have Islamic countries’ support.

Serdar Denktas pointing out that the OIC General Secretary was aware of this critical situation and was refraining from any kind of behavior that would set an obstacle in front of the TRNC said his contacts in Jeddah would revolve around how to start direct trade with TRNC.

Stating that as the Foreign Minister it was his first priority to conduct relations with countries that were not EU member, Serdar Denktas said in the new period after TRNC Presidential Elections, relations with these countries would be much more effective trough EU Under-secretariat that would be established within the structure of the Foreign Ministry.

Serdar Denktas stressed that his expectation from this visit was some steps to be taken towards "lifting the embargoes imposed upon the Turkish Cypriot People" and ensure that TRNC would also take part in the sport activities that would be organized amongst the Islamic countries.