PRESIDENT TALAT: “OPENING OF
A NEW BORDER GATE NEEDS THE APPROVAL OF BOTH SIDES”
Greek Cypriot radio yesterday (12 March)
reported that Greek Cypriot side would start studies towards the opening
of a border gate in Yesilirmak. Evaluating on the issue, President Mehmet
Ali Talat stated that if a gate would be opened in one place, this should
be planned and decided by both sides, but the Turkish Cypriot side did not
have such a decision.
President Talat said: “Our decision is
on the opening of the Lokmacż (Ledra Street) border gate, but it has not
been opened yet. Greek Cypriot side is putting lots of preconditions for
the opening of the gate. They should give up those preconditions and the
gate should open. Then, we can discuss the opening of a new gate.”
Pointing out that since the Turkish
Cypriot side did not have a decision regarding the opening of a gate in
Yežilirmak, it was unreasonable to talk about it, President said that they
had not delivered opinion on this issue to any international organization,
institution and the Greek Cypriot side
“Therefore, this issue is not on our
agenda. I don’t know how they would open the gate unilaterally. Let them
do it”, added President Talat.
Referring to the issue of meeting with
Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos at the end of March, President Talat
said he had not yet received any invitation about such a meeting, but that
the aim was to meet by the end of this month and added: “We would be
pleased if there would such thing”.
