PARLIAMENT STARTS NEW LEGISLATIVE YEAR
"IT'S NOW OUTSIDE WORLD'S TURN TO TAKE CONCRETE STEPS"
The Parliament's new legislative year has started. The
Parliament's 6th Term and 2nd Legislative Year
started with a general assembly meeting yesterday (3 October).
Making the opening speech, the Speaker of the
Parliament Fatma Ekenoglu said the Parliament was acting in harmony with
the strategic aim of settling the Cyprus problem and lifting the embargoes.
Pointing out that on behalf of the whole of Cyprus and
using the advantage of being an EU member the reality of the Greek Cypriot
side's hegemonic policy of spreading its sovereignty over the whole of
Cyprus had become very evident, Ekenoglu said the Greek Cypriot side had
prevented the implementation of the Green Line and Direct Trade
Regulations.
Indicating that there was no possibility of the Turkish
Cypriot people retreating from removing the Cyprus settlement process from
the UN umbrella and achieving a settlement model based on political
equality and a bizonal, bicommunal federation in which it would be one of
the founding partners, Ekenoglu said this should be clearly understood by
the Greek Cypriot administration and the states supporting it.
Stating that the EU had not kept the promises it made
before the referendum, Ekenoglu made the following call to the
international community and especially the EU:
"The Turkish Cypriots are a part of the European family
who have equal rights and share common values and ideals. They have
carried out their responsibilities on the settlement of the Cyprus issue
and proved this to the world. It's now the turn of the outside world to
take concrete steps. Our people have suffered and continue to suffer
because of the non-settlement of the Cyprus issue. Turning a blind eye to
the continuation of this situation is contrary to the values and ideals
that make up the EU".
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer stressed
that the main point in the existence of the Turkish Cypriot people was
their economic and social movement.
Referring to the Greek Cypriot side's dominating
mentality and ongoing rearmament, Prime Minister Soyer said currently the
Greek Cypriot side's membership to NATO was on the agenda, but this was a
two-faced and incorrect approach. He said the army whose membership was
being considered for NATO was not the army of Cyprus but that of the Greek
Cypriot side.
Also speaking in yesterday's meeting the Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas said decisions
taken during Turkey-EU negotiations would affect the Turkish Cypriots,
however, the EU by making South Cyprus a full member ensured the
continuation of a non-settlement and reduced the hopes for a settlement.
He said, therefore, internal evaluations should be made in the TRNC and
the steps to be taken should be identified. Serdar Denktas said if
everyone took steps together and jointly protested the current situation
then this could draw the attention of the EU and the world.
