PRESIDENT TALAT IN TURKEY
President Talat yesterday (8 December) gave a lecture
entitled "The Cyprus Problem, A Settlement and Aims", that was jointly
organized at the Sabancı University by the EU and Global Interaction clubs.
During the conference, the President said in order to
further strengthen the TRNC the isolations had to be lifted and this would
push the Greek Cypriot side towards achieving a settlement. He said if the
isolations were lifted the Greek Cypriot side would sit down at the
negotiating table and this would facilitate a settlement.
He said in order to achieve a Cyprus settlement, the
Turkish Cypriot side were struggling in a very wide area which included
the UN, EU, UNFICYP, media, and the Greek Cypriot side.
Indicating that it was the TRNC's and Turkey's aim to
achieve a comprehensive Cyprus settlement, President Talat said because
the Greek Cypriot side was an EU member a settlement could be under the UN
umbrella.
President Talat said the aim of the Greek Cypriot side
was to annex the Turkish Cypriot people by assimilating them and the Greek
Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopoulos had even expressed this.
Reminding that the Greek Cypriot side had alleged that
if the isolations were lifted this would not motivate the Turkish Cypriots
towards a settlement, the President said whereas the strengthening of the
Turkish Cypriot people would in fact facilitate reunification.
Asked what type of settlement was sought for Cyprus,
the President said: "The aim is a bizonal, bicommunal federal settlement
based on political equality" and reminded that this settlement had been
approved by the UN on numerous occasions.
OIC'S 3RD EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT…
The Organization of Islamic Conference's (OIC) 3rd
Extraordinary summit ended yesterday (8 December) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
and three separate documents, namely "The OIC's 10-Year Plan of Action",
The Mecca Declaration", and "The Final Communique", were approved.
In the OIC's Mecca Declaration a reference was made to
the Cyprus issue and it expressed that "The just cause of the Muslim
Turkish Cypriot people within the UN framework should be supported and
correct steps should be taken to settling the problem on the basis of
political equality and towards lifting the isolation".
OPENING OF LOKMACI BORDER GATE
Indicating that the call to stop the ongoing work being
carried out in the Lokmacı region would be evaluated Prime Minister Ferdi
Sabit Soyer called upon UNFICYP to determine which side was creating
obstacles.
Adding that an official request regarding this issue
had not been received from the UN, the Prime Minister said:
"For the border gates to open of course the consent of
the two sides is needed. However, on issues where the two sides have
agreed upon and if one of the two sides is creating obstacles the UN
should identify who this side is Something similar happened in Bostanci
and the Greek Cypriot side, the UN and EU didn't do what they were meant
to do. We'll evaluate this issue, but it's also the UN's duty. The UN must
say which side is working effectively and has good intentions, and which
side is not, otherwise it will be a blow to the side which has good
intentions, is taking initiatives and wants settlement and peace and would
mean supporting the other side which is preventing a settlement. This
situation will not assist the UN's stance which should be to encourage a
settlement".
