TURKISH CYPRIOT SIDE CONVEYS ITS EVALUATION TO THE UN

The Turkish Cypriot side yesterday (3 April) delivered a document which included its evaluations on the 8 July process to the United Nations.

The document was delivered both to the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative to Cyprus Michael Moller and to the UN General-Secretariat through TRNC’s New York Representative Office.

Presidential Spokesman Hasan Ercakica speaking on the issue stated that the document, which put forward the Turkish Cypriot side’s views on the 8^th July process, was a not a “non-paper”, but a real document directly conveyed to the UN. He added that the document did not include any new proposals.

Pointing out that if the Turkish Cypriot side had new proposals it would directly put them on the table, Ercakica said: “The document is an evaluation. It put forwards our views and general principles on the process. It also evaluates the events before and after the 8^th July agreement”.

Ercakica stressed that the Turkish Cypriot side had clearly put forward what was understood from the 8^th July process and contributed to the process.

Underlining that the Greek Cypriot side’s latest attempts had harmed the 8^th July process and almost made it dysfunctional, Ercakica said: “In order to achieve progress in this process, the Greek Cypriot side should accept the main understanding of the core of the 8^th July agreement.”

ERCAKICA: “Economic development will not be left to the mercy of the Greek Cypriot side”

Presidential Spokesman Mr. Hasan Ercakica stated that economic development of the Turkish Cypriots will, under no circumstances, be left to the mercy or control of the Greek Cypriot side.

At the weekly press briefing, it has been stated that a package has been prepared by the Greek Cypriot side, which is alleged to propose economic development of the Turkish Cypriots, to the end of preventing the Turkish Cypriots from developing relations with the EU. Presidential Spokesman Mr. Hasan Ercakica stated that besides the regulations that are being implemented or should be implemented within the framework of the Green Line Regulation, this package also envisages the export of the Turkish Cypriot products via a special exit that will be allocated for the Turkish Cypriots in Larnaca port and promotion of establishment of joint Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot companies and initiatives.

Spokesman Ercakica pointed out that these efforts by the Greek Cypriot side are aimed at hampering the relations Turkish Cypriots have been trying to establish with the world and obstructing the adoption of Direct Trade Regulation which is being discussed within the EU.

Reminding that the Greek Cypriot side has been imposing embargoes on the Turkish Cypriots since 1963, Spokesman Ercakica said “The effort of the Greek Cypriot side to prepare an economic package for the Turkish Cypriots bears completely hostile signs aimed at hampering and controlling the economic development of the Turkish Cypriots”.

Stating that the Greek Cypriot side has become skillful in distorting the truth Presidential Spokesman Mr. Hasan Ercakica added that the Greek Cypriot side has also laid claim to the economic development in Northern Cyprus.

Spokesman Ercakica expressed that employing peace and settlement oriented policies have had a significant role in the recent developments in the Turkish Cypriot economy. He also said that while the Greek Cypriot side has laid claim to the economic welfare of the Turkish Cypriots, it also alleges that trade between the Turkish Cypriots and the EU would be too small to require adoption of the Direct Trade Regulation.

Spokesman Ercakica said that “At this point, the 1994 dated decision of the European Court of Justice must be remembered”. He also reminded that the EU countries have restructured their trade relations with Northern Cyprus which led to negative results on the foreign trade of the country.

Spokesman Ercakica also stated that adoption of the Direct Trade Regulation, meeting the expectations in terms of its contents, would lift the negative effects of the decision of the ECJ on the economy of Northern Cyprus and would pose a significant step towards the lifting of the economic isolations.

 

TURKISH MINISTER OF STATE SENER IN THE TRNC

Turkish Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener yesterday came to the TRNC with the aim of signing “The Financial Cooperation Protocol” between Turkey and the TRNC and carrying out various contacts.

Speaking during a visit he paid the Speaker of the Parliament Fatma Ekenoðlu, Sener draw attention to the importance of the relations between Turkey and the TRNC.

Explaining that they had prepared an economic program based on the economic and financial protocols signed last year between the Prime Ministers of the two countries, Sener stated that the said “The Financial Cooperation Protocol “ was very important for the Turkish Cypriots.

Pointing out that the TRNC economy should open to the world, Sener said: “We are getting ahead and there are positive signals but we have not succeeded yet.”

Stressing that no economy could succeed under isolation, Sener said one of the main factors for the increase in TRNC’s national income and good performance of its economy was the contributions made by Turkish Republic. Sener stated that in spite of embargoes and the isolation, the economic figures in the TRNC were satisfactory.

 

MISSING PERSONS COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED THE START OF GENETICAL IDENTIFICATION STUDIES

Autonomous Missing Persons Committee announced that the genetical identification studies on the remains of missing persons had started. According to the statement issued by the Committee, a group of Turkish and Greek Cypriot geneticists participated in the studies carried out at the Forensic Genetical Laboratory (LabFoG) of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING).

The statement noted that the DNA samples of the relatives of the Turkish Cypriot missing persons were sent to the CING and reminded that the DNA samples of the relatives of the Greek Cypriot missing persons had been previously sent to CING.

The Committee in the statement reported that its Anthropology Laboratory delivered the first bone samples to the CING and hoped to be able to return the first identified remains of missing persons to the their relatives by late spring.