TRNC PARLIAMENT DISCUSSED "CYPRUS" ISSUE

General Council of the TRNC Parliament yesterday met with a special agenda to discuss the latest developments on the Cyprus issue. The Speaker of the Assembly Fatma Ekenoðlu chaired the meeting which was organized upon the request of National Unity Party’s (UBP) Assembly group.

General Council accepted with unanimity the discussion of the two proposals on the Cyprus issue, proposed by National Unity Party (UBP) and the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), at the Law and Political Affairs Committee of the parliament. Accordingly, the Law and Political Affairs Committee will function as an "Ad-hoc Committee" and discuss the two proposals.

In the proposal consisting of four articles, which was presented for the name of Republican Turkish Party with the signature of Ömer Kalyoncu as the Acting Head of CTP’s parliament group, Turkey’s EU process was supported. In the said proposal, it was also stated that Turkey should open its ports to Greek Cypriot ships simultaneously with the lifting of embargoes on Turkish Cypriots and before reaching a settlement in Cyprus, Turkey should not recognize the Greek Cypriot administration under the name of "Cyprus Republic".

In the National Unity Party’s proposal, developments at the Turkey’s EU membership process was summarized in detail and it was underlined that TRNC Parliament’s decision dated 3 December 2004, to the effect that "the Greek Cypriot administration could not be recognized under the name Cyprus Republic", was not taken into consideration by the relevant parties.

 

ARM RECORD OF SOUTH CYPRUS

According to a report entitled, "Small Arms Survey 2005", presented to UN General Council, South Cyprus with its budget devoted for rearmament comes second in the list.

In the report it was stated that South Cyprus devotes 448 million dollars for rearmament annually. The report includes records for "Small Arms" between 2002-2004.

 

RESAT CAGLAR'S RESPONSE TO ANDREAS HADJICHRYSANTHOU

TRNC's New York Representative Resat Caglar had written a letter dated 22 September in response to the Greek Cypriot Permanent Representative to the UN Andreas Hasjichrysanthou's letter dated 19 August 2005, which was circulated as a document of the General Assembly.

The Greek Cypriot Representative Hadjichrysanthou, in his letter addressed to the UN, had made a baseless claim that President Mehmet Ali Talat's main preoccupation was the recognition of the TRNC rather than a negotiated settlement on the island, by citing the misquoted extracts from the text of an interview given by President Mehmet Ali Talat to the Turkish Weekly, the New Anatolian, published on 8 August 2005.

Resat Caglar in his letter pointing out that such words have not been uttered by the Turkish Cypriot Leader during that interview, stated that this was a case of a misquotation and the Greek Cypriot side had wasted no time in hastily responding without confirming the news from its source.

Caglar stating that President Talat's unequivocal support for the Annan plan in the run up to the referenda is in line with his decades-old vision for settlement in the island, said the UN Secretary-General had also attested to this reality in his good offices report of May 2004 submitted to the UN Security Council.

Explaining that in Hadjichrysanthou's letter, expressions regarding the Financial Aid and Free Trade Regulations of the EU Commission did not also reflect the reality, stated that the Greek Cypriot Administration who was blocking the adoption of these regulations has succeeded to prevent EU efforts.

Referring to the UN Secretary-General's report dated 28 May 2004, submitted to the UN Security Council, Resat Caglar stated that despite the call of the UN Secretary-General to the Greek Cypriot side to articulate the Greek Cypriot concerns about security and the implementation of the Annan plan, the Greek Cypriot leadership had not yet properly responded and this unwillingness clearly demonstrated that the Greek Cypriot administration did not and had never been interested in a mutually acceptable settlement.

Caglar pointed out that in order to have realistic chance of achieving a settlement the Turkish Cypriot side must have a negotiating partner who is willing and able to negotiate for a new partnership free of devious tactics and for this the Greek Cypriot side should take a step towards this direction.