ERCAKICA: “Papadopoulos has to fIrst prove hIs own good wIll and desIre to the whole world and hIS people”

Presidential Spokesman Hasan Ercakica, in his weekly press conference issued yesterday (24 July) stated the following:

“The results of the parliamentary elections held in Turkey have been finalized. The results indicate that Justice and Development Party (AKP) have had the majority of votes to continue serving as the government by itself. Calling Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of AKP and Prime Minister of Turkey, President Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat has congratulated him regarding the results of the election.

The important point regarding the elections is not only the results achieved. The environment they were held in and the extent they reflect the will of the people is also significant. From this point of view, it is evident that Turkish people have had an election quite successful in terms of maturity and democracy. Since this fact has also been verified by the observers from Europe, it can be stated that Turkey who had had a tense election period, concluded this period effectively. Certainly, Turkish Cypriot people are respectful and committed to the democratic process in Turkey. The fact that the election period has been concluded in a democratic way will also contribute to the development of the relations between the Turkish Cypriot people and Turkey.

The relations between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Turkey are not of a nature that can change by the results of an election. However, the fact that the election results will bring political stability in Turkey will increase the opportunities to undertake and solve the common problems.

In the meantime, in the evaluations made in the Greek Cypriot side concerning the results of the said election, it has been stated that Turkey should have “the good will and the desire” to settle the Cyprus problem.

As we have reiterated many times before, the Turkish side as a whole is spending efforts to settle the Cyprus problem as soon as possible. The Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey have been working together to that end. As a concrete evidence of these efforts, it can be said that after active participation in the preparatory process of the UN Settlement Plan (Annan Plan), Turkish Cypriots were well informed of the plan and established their will.

Nowadays, as the Turkish side we have been reiterating on all occasions that our desire is a just, urgent and comprehensive settlement. So as to reach such a settlement, we are in favor of resumption of the comprehensive settlement negotiations on the basis of the established UN parameters. We constantly convey this stance of ours on all occasions primarily to the UN authorities and to all the relevant circles.

However, the stance employed by the Greek Cypriot leader Mr. Papadopoulos who, instead of participating in the process of preparing a settlement plan that can be mutually accepted and settling the Cyprus problem, works for integrating the Turkish Cypriots to the Greek Cypriot State by means of osmosis and also makes statements like “The Greek Cypriots can not settle the Cyprus problem without the good will an desire of Turkey” is not acceptable.

Taking a step further, the new Foreign Minister of the Greek Cypriot side Ms. Markoulli has stated that “It is not important whether AKP or any other party have increased their votes. What is important is to see whether the military will continue to hold the key to the so-called national issues, including the question of Cyprus,”

It is a well known fact by the whole world that it is Mr. Papadopoulos himself who has not been acting with good will and desire for a settlement. This fact has begun to be uttered by some Greek Cypriot leaders as well. In order to be able to question the good will of the Turkish side, Mr. Papadopoulos has to first prove his own good will and desire to the whole world and his people.

The attempt by Ms. Markoulli to take the key to a settlement from the hands of the government in Turkey and hand it over to the Turkish army is nothing more than an effort to find a pretext for maintaining the deadlock policy.”

Later, responding to the questions of the journalists, Ercakica pointed out that it was wrong and in nobody’s interest to relate the Cyprus problem to Turkey’s EU membership process. “Turkey’s settlement parameters in Cyprus are definite”, said Ercakica adding that these parameters had arose in the Annan plan, but the Greek Cypriots’ expectations outside these parameters escalated the tension.

Stating that Turkey was given a time until the end of 2009 to open its ports to South Cyprus, Ercakica stressed that it was wrong and not in the interest of Greek Cypriots to consider this as a “pressurizing operation”.

Explaining that Turkish and Greek Cypriot people who lived closely with each other needed friendship, Ercakica said: “The interest of Turkish and Greek Cypriots is in solving the Cyprus problem on the basis of the UN parameters, separate from Turkey’s EU membership, and developing friendship and cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. Greek Cypriots’ efforts with insistence to relate the Cyprus problem with Turkey’s EU membership are dangerous.”

Ercakica noted that the Turkish Cypriot side would continue its policy of being a step forward in its efforts towards a solution and its next step would be taken towards making the two leaders’ meeting effective.

 

 

IDENTIFIED REMAINS OF THREE MORE GREEK CYPRIOT MISSING PERSONS BURRIED

Three more Greek Cypriots missing persons, whose names had been in the missing persons list since 1974 and whose remains had been found as a result of the exhumation studies and identified through DNA method, were buried on Monday (23 July) in South Cyprus.

Greek Cypriot press reported that the remains of Panayotis Mihail Kemekkis from the village of Yalusa (Yenierenköy) were buried with a ceremony in Larnaca.

It was also reported that remains of two other missing persons namely Yorgos Srongilos (from Kyrenia) and Mihalakis Haralambidis were buried in Greek Military Cemetery with two separate ceremonies.