32nd OIC FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING…
TRNC ATTENDS OIC MEETING AS "TURKISH CYPRIOT STATE"
The TRNC was
represented at this year's 32nd Organization of Islamic
Conference's (OIC) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Sana, the capital of Yemen
as the "Turkish Cypriot State".
The Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas is
representing the TRNC.
During last
year's OIC meeting in Istanbul it was decided to upgrade the TRNC's status
at the OIC meetings from the "Turkish Cypriot Muslim Community" to the
"Turkish Cypriot State".
Speaking at
the OIC's opening ceremony, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
for Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul, pointing out that Cyprus was under the
occupation of the Greek Cypriot Administration, said the Turkish Cypriots
in Cyprus were living under occupation and embargoes.
Minister Gul
also requested the strong support of the OIC member countries in ending
the inhumane embargoes and injustices imposed upon the Turkish Cypriot
people. He said: "The Turkish Cypriots need the support of the OIC
countries on this issue".
STUDIES REGARDING MISSING PERSONS…
ERDENGIZ: "IT'S NOT MASS GRAVES BUT INDIVIDUAL GRAVES THAT ARE BEING
OPENED"
The
bicommunal Autonomous Missing Persons Committee which has been continuing
with it meetings under the auspices of the UN for the past year with the
aim of resolving the missing persons issue in Cyprus has started to carry
out diggings on individual graves. Yesterday (28 June), in line with the
agreement that the Committee signed with the INFORCE Foundation, which is
made up of foreign experts, the Committee continued with its diggings
under the supervision of INFORCE in the garden of a house in Alsancak and
discovered remains believed to belong to some Greek Cypriots.
According to
information received from Ahmet Erdengiz, the TRNC Ministry for Foreign
Affairs Director for Political Affairs and Planning and a member of the
Autonomous Missing Persons Committee, it was stated that the diggings were
carried out under the supervision of foreign experts in individual graves
and in areas of urgency.
Pointing out
that diggings continued yesterday (28 June) in areas that were identified
during the past year, Erdengiz said: "A mass grave constitutes more than 5
graves. In the areas that we are carrying out our diggings only a few
people are buried and these are areas of urgency. For example, an area
where building is taking place or places, such as the garden of a house,
that have been identified as having a grave require urgency".
Indicating
that until the anthropology and DNA laboratories were set up the remains
collected from the graves would be protected under scientific and sterile
conditions under the supervision of the foreign experts, Erdengiz said if
it was a matter of urgency the same diggings could also be carried out in
South Cyprus.
