President Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday met with the Turkish press members at Merit Crystal Cove Hotel in Kyrenia and gave information regarding the latest developments in the Cyprus issue.

Referring to his meetings with Belgian Foreign Minister and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn, President Talat said he had once more reiterated that the Turkish Cypriot side desired a settlement and that he mainly focused on the Direct Trade Regulation. Talat added that the world have a better understanding for the Turkish Cypriots.

Explaining that in the decisions taken in relation to the Direct Trade Regulation within the EU, expressions such as “special arrangements on the territories on which the Cyprus government does not have effective control” were included, Talat said these had created anxiety in the Turkish Cypriot side and added: “We openly emphasized that our products should be exported from the ports in North Cyprus not the ones in South Cyprus and we saw that we are acknowledged.”

Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot side was in favour of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue, but the Greek Cypriot side did not have any intention towards a solution, President Talat said: “The main aim of the Greek Cypriots is to assimilate the Turkish Cypriots through ‘Osmosis’. Therefore, they are trying to gain time in order to materialize this.”

President Talat explained that the Greek Cypriots were trying to shift the Cyprus problem from the UN platform to the EU and vice versa according to their interest and drew attention to the fact that the EU and the UN had started to show reaction to this stance. The President added that the Direct Trade Regulation, which was only supported by the UK at the beginning, was now supported by the great majority of the EU Commission as a result of the Greek Cypriots’ such stance.

Stressing that the critical edge towards the lifting of the isolation was the start of direct flights to the TRNC, President Talat said: “When we go beyond this edge, the success will come.” He stated that there some difficulties regarding this issue, but the legal struggle in order to get over these problems and provide the direct flights was about to start.

“Even if the isolation is lifted, we would not give up on the comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem”, said the President, stressing that the Turkish Cypriot people were the co-founders of the Cyprus Republic and desired their all rights.

President Talat also referring to the recent defense agreement signed between the Greek Cypriot administration and France stated that this agreement was neither valid nor existed for the Turkish Cypriots. He explained that this agreement was against to the Treaty of Establishment of the Cyprus Republic, Treaty of Guarantee and other international agreements and added:”The state, which was illegally usurped by the Greek Cypriots, does not have the authority to sign military agreements.”

The President also stressed that the existence of France like a guarantor country in the island, was contrary to international law.

Talat considered the issue of oil and hydrocarbons as a “science fiction game” and stated that the Greek Cypriots came up with this issue in order to show their sovereignty and win votes in the elections.