President Mehmet Ali Talat made it clear that he would not bargain the issue of the demilitarization of Lefkosa for the opening of Lokmaci border gate.

Speaking to BRT, President Mehmet Ali Talat warned that the opening of more crossing points along the border carried the risk making the division of the island permanent and underlined the need for the two sides on the island to focus their attention on finding a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem.

The President reminding that the Turkish Cypriot side, which had been spending efforts for the opening of a crossing point at Lokmaci for years, was ready to facilitate crossings at Lokmaci if the Greek Cypriot administration’s real intention for demolishing the Ledra Wall was to open a crossing point in the area.

Responding to a question regarding the rearrangement of the military existence in the region for enabling the crossings, the President said that there would not be any soldiers, but the civil officials and the police at the gate, and the soldiers would continue to provide security for Lefkosa from a further point.

“I will never accept to bargain the demilitarization of the city. There is no reason to do this. The demilitarization could only be realized when a comprehensive solution is found to the Cyprus problem,” said the President stressing that it was out of question for the Turkish Cypriot side to accept the preconditions of the Greek Cypriot side on the issue.

Referring to claims by the Greek Cypriot side that the area around Lokmaci was not secure because of the presence of soldiers, he said such claims were just `ridiculous`.

President Talat pointing out that the Greek Cypriot side’s stance was against the opening of Lokmaci gate said the Greek Cypriot side, which demolished the wall with pressures, would also open the gate as a result of these pressures.

Referring to work started by the Greek Cypriot administration on its side for the opening of a gate in Yesilirmak, President Talat described it as a unilateral move and added that such a thing was not on the agenda of the Turkish Cypriot side.

Responding to questions regarding the 8^th July process, President Talat said he was ready to meet Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos by the end of March and added that if the Greek Cypriot side requested to meet in April, the Turkish Cypriot side would accept this.

Evaluating the latest attempt by a Greek Cypriot MP to take the studies of the Autonomous Missing Persons Committee to the agenda of the European Parliament, President said this was a dreadful initiative and the missing persons issue should not be politicized.

Drawing attention to the fact that all EU institutions were becoming more interested with the Turkish Cypriots, President Talat said the Greek Cypriot administration’s negative stance was one of the reasons for this.

Director-General of the National Oil and Natural Gas Company of Turkey (TPAO), Osman Saim Dinc announced that the company would carry out very intensive seismic studies starting from the Antalya region of the Mediterranean including the west of Cyprus and towards Egypt, in spring and summer this year.

TPAO, which would focus on the Mediterranean in 2007, will start studies in the shallow waters of Antalya, Iskenderun and Mersin gulf and within this framework the company would start the international tender process this month for oil exploration in the Mediterranean.

Osman Saim Dinc, explained that the TPAO had been working in Antalya, Iskenderun and Mersin for 20 years and had information on the shallow-water studies.