As it is known, the Greek Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros published a news item titled “The letter - The Turkish Cypriot side has been asked to clarify its arguments” in its yesterday’s issue. In the said news item it was claimed that the Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos has informed the members of the Greek Cypriot National Council that he had sent a letter asking the Turkish Cypriot side to clarify their arguments concerning the establishment of technical committees but had received no reply until then. Nevertheless, yesterday’s developments shed light on the incident.

As it is also stated at the weekly press conference held at the Office of the President yesterday morning, no such document was delivered to the Turkish Cypriot side until yesterday afternoon. During the visit he paid to the Presidential Undersecretary Mr. Rasit Pertev, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus Mr. Michael Moller delivered a document similar to those exchanged many times during the 8 July process and defined as non-paper at diplomacy.

Such documents delivered to the Presidential Undersecretary Mr. Pertev by Mr. Moller have been exchanged between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides many times before. However, because of their ordinary nature, they were not shared with the press.

It is not possible to define the said document as different from those exchanged before or as “a letter”. It also does not include anything asking us to clarify our arguments. In any case, the approach employed by the Turkish Cypriot side concerning the 8 July process is clear enough and does not require any other explanation. Turkish Cypriot side is of the belief that the working groups and technical committees should immediately be established, the working groups should work until the comprehensive settlement negotiations commence and the comprehensive settlement negotiations should commence before the end of March.

Regarding the document delivered yesterday, Turkish Cypriot side will employ an approach committed to the principles of the 8 July process which will be conveyed to the Greek Cypriot side during the meeting that will be held tomorrow with UN Special Representative Mr. Michael Moller.

As the developments regarding the issue are such, this manipulation of news by the Greek Cypriot side which leads to deadlocks in the negotiations and conceals the position of the Greek Cypriot side particularly trying to avoid the comprehensive settlement negotiations is completely contradicting to the letter and spirit of the 8 July process.