In his second monthly press conference on 5 August, President Mehmet Ali Talat said although there has been no progress on settling the Cyprus issue there were some changes and developments on issues related to a Cyprus settlement. He said the most important of these was direct flights from Azerbaijan to Ercan Airport.

President Talat said except for some minor reactions from the Greek Cypriot side and Greece to the direct flights there were no other reactions because the whole world knew that these isolations were unjust. Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot side hoped that other countries would follow Azerbaijan, he said this expectation was not aimed at dividing Cyprus but making the unification more permanent.

Referring to Turkey's recent signing of the supplementary protocol to the customs union agreement and the declaration that was issued after it was signed, President Talat said the declaration stated that Turkey did not recognize the Greek Cypriot side and would continue its relations with the TRNC.

Indicating that there were serious developments on the missing persons issue, which was being politically exploited, President Talat said until the necessary arrangements to set up the laboratories for carrying out DNA testing were finalized there would be a break in the studies. He added that from the end of August onwards diggings that were not a priority and their analysis would be carried out.

Continuing, he said this study would put an end to the pain of the families of the missing and would no longer be used as a tool in the political arena. He said: "I think that in this period we'll manage to keep the issue on a humanitarian level".

Highlighting that the Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, who was running away from the negotiations, was accusing him in order to conceal his sins, President Talat said: "We are not in a position to wait for Mr. Papadopoulos to make up his mind to come and talk with us. It's our duty to develop our economy and social structure and improve our contacts with the world".

Talking about the issue of demining the buffer zone, the President said the two sides had reached an agreement on this issue and the agreement was signed on 5 August.

In a joint press conference yesterday (7 August) Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas evaluated the works carried out by the CTP-DP coalition government since it was formed on 26 April 2005 under the title of "The Government for Restructuring".

Prime Minister Soyer stressing that the CTP-DP government which was struggling to reach a settlement based on the political equality of the two sides was in total agreement and harmony with President Talat, said the TRNC government was pursuing this harmony to protect the joint interests (of Turkey and the TRNC) and having intensive cooperation and joint policies with Turkey to achieve a settlement and EU membership.

Continuing, Prime Minister Soyer said:

"It is every Turkish Cypriot's aim to administer themselves, to adapt to a settlement on the basis of political equality and progress under a modern and democratic style. There have been great efforts in this direction, but although our efforts have not achieved a political outcome regarding a settlement, the Turkish Cypriot people will still continue to search for a settlement. The will displayed in 24 April 2004 referendum is the biggest indicator of this".

Pointing out that the government backed the Turkish Cypriot peoples' desire for a settlement, the Prime Minister said the Turkish Cypriot people had seen the benefits of voting 'yes' with a 65% majority to the UN Secretary-General's settlement plan on 24 April 2004 and in the Turkish Cypriot side's foreign policy struggle their only advantage was the fact that they had said 'yes' to a settlement.

Prime Minister Soyer stressing that for the last 3 months the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas has had intensive diplomatic contacts and had explained to the world that the Turkish Cypriot side was in favour of a settlement, said Minister Denktas had requested that the unjust embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people be lifted.

Continuing, Prime Minister Soyer said: "As the TRNC, while on the one hand our settlement efforts are continuing, on the other hand our Foreign Ministry has started the necessary studies to have more modern standards and has headed the development of various relations between the TRNC and third countries. In particular, studies carried out with the OIC and African countries has resulted in the development of new relations with the international community at a level that has not been experienced before".

Indicating that in the three month period the government had been successful in both social and economic fields, Prime Minister Soyer said: "A series of reforms will be carried out to make the public sector more productive and important steps have been taken to control illegal workers and illegal economic gains as well as setting up an economic structure that will compare current expenditure with personal income".