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TURKISH COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING
"NO POSTPONEMENT OR BREAK IN EFFORTS TO REACH A CYPRUS SETTLEMENT"
The Turkish
Minister for Justice and Government Spokesman, Cemil Cicek, speaking after
the Turkish Council of Ministers meeting yesterday (13 January) said the
Turkish government would never postpone efforts regarding a Cyprus
settlement.
Responding to a
question asked if Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would get in
touch with the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and request that the Cyprus
issue be settled under the auspices of the UN, Cicek said the Turkish
government had always tried to benefit from all opportunities and achieve a
lasting settlement in favour of the two sides on the island. Pointing out
that this issue was also taken up during Prime Minister Erdogan's recent
visit to the Russian Federation, Cicek said this indicated that the Turkish
government's efforts were still continuing.
Continuing,
Cicek said settlement efforts would be intensified after the forthcoming
general and presidential elections in the TRNC. He said currently efforts
were continuing within the framework of policies that were jointly agreed
between Turkey and the TRNC. Stating that the Russian Federation was an
important country, Cicek said statements made by the Russian President,
Vladimir Putin, would bring new opportunities in favour of the Turkish
government's policies on Cyprus.
ERTUG: "GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE ONLY TALKS ABOUT UNITING CYPRUS"
The TRNC's
Washington Representative, Osman Ertug, stated that after the 24 April 2004
referendum, the Greek Cypriot side, who rejected the Annan Plan, only talked
about uniting the island.
Ertug said if
there was to be any progress on the Cyprus issue, the Greek Cypriots should
identify what changes they want to be made to the Annan Plan.
Ertug's
response to a letter written to the Washington Times by the Greek Cypriot
Washington representative, Euripides L. Evriviades, on 23 December 2004, to
the effect that "Cyprus was supporting Turkey's EU membership although
Turkey was an invader on the island. The Annan Plan is insufficient in
terms of territory and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island",
was published in the said daily on 11 January 2005.
In his letter,
Ertug, pointing out that, Evriviades' allegation that "Turkey was an invader
on the island", indicated that there was still no change in the intransigent
stance and mentality of the Greek Cypriot side following the decision taken
in the 17 December 2004 EU summit meeting to resume the Cyprus negotiations.
Ertug also
stressed that the Greek Cypriot Administration should stop preventing
efforts to end the unjust isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriot side.
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