SOYER: “BAN KI-MOON’S SUPPORT FOR THE LIFTING OF THE ISOLATION IS IMPORTANT”

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer has said that the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s latest report on Cyprus is important, particularly for its call to the lifting of the international isolation on the Turkish Cypriot people.

Responding to reporters’ questions about the latest report by the UN Secretary General, the Prime Minister said that the government has evaluated the report which includes important points.

Prime Minister said:”the most important thing for me is the support given by Moon to an earlier call by the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan for the lifting of the isolation on the Turkish Cypriot people and his stress to the rightful position of the Turkish Cypriot people”.

Prime Minister Soyer reminded that the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in his last report on Cyprus – which has yet to be taken up by the UN Security Council - that there is no logic and conscientious basis for the continuation of the international isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people.

Mr Soyer said that in the report, in which Mr Ban calls for the extension of the UNFICYP’s mandate by a further six months- the new Secretary General gave his backing to Mr Annan’s call for the lifting of the isolation and that the approval of the report by the Security Council would prove the rightfulness of the Turkish Cypriot people to the world.

TRNC PRESIDENCY EVALUATED THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL’S REPORT’S POLITICAL APROACH AS POSITIVE IN GENERAL

The TRNC Presidency has evaluated the report on Cyprus prepared by the UN Secretary General to be submitted to the UN Security Council as positive in general.

Speaking to TAK News Agency the Spokesman of the TRNC Presidency Hasan Ercakica said: “Naturally there are both positive and negative points in the report but the fact that the political issues were also taken up in the report will positively effect the efforts for finding a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue.”

Ercakica pointed out that the report was important since it was the first report on Cyprus prepared by the new Secretary General and refers to the Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s report submitted to the UN Security Council on 28 May 2004.

Ercakica said: “Annan’s report dated 28 May 2004 was important since it had explained the Cyprus issue clearly and accurately and pointed to the Annan Plan as the only way of solution. Ban Ki Moon’s support to this report shows that it is not reflecting the personal view of the former Secretary General but the institutional stance of the UN. The Greek Cypriot side has spent extensive effort for eliminating the Annan Plan and the Secretary General’s report and to escape from the UN platform. Therefore, the recent report is important to approve this.” Ercakica added that the report by referring to the “established parameters” would also help to destroy the Greek Cypriot plans.

Referring to Ban Ki Moon’s report, Ercakica said in the report it was stressed that the isolation on Turkish Cypriots should be lifted, and this was very important in terms of supporting Turkish Cypriots’ political stance.

Hasan Ercakica also stated that the evaluations in the report with regard to the 8 July process were not negative.

Ercakica reminding that the Turkish Cypriot side had wanted to clearly separate the Technical Committees from the Working Groups and daily issues form the core issues, said in the report this issue was conveyed as one of the main difficulties with regard to the 8 July process and that it was a very realistic observation.

Presidential Spokesman Mr. Hasan Ercakica stated that there, naturally, are negative aspects of the report as well which concern the Turkish Cypriot side and added that some of these are related to technical issues. He stated that presenting some problems which arise as a result of the ongoing status of the Cyprus problem as the responsibility of the Turkish Cypriot side is not correct and the negative aspects of the report prepared by Mr. Ban Ki-moon are closely related to the prospects of reaching a comprehensive and timely settlement of the Cyprus problem. Mr. Ercakica said “In order to eliminate all these problems, a settlement needs to be reached for the Cyprus problem and the Office of the UN Secretary-General should be aware of this”.

Mr. Ercakica said the issues included in the report concerning the technical aspects are being evaluated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the results of all the evaluations carried out will be conveyed to the Office of the Secretary-General as a whole.