PRESIDENT TALAT: “OUR MAIN GOAL IS A PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM”

 

President Mehmet Ali Talat speaking during a meeting yesterday (8 May) stated that the main goal of the Turkish Cypriot side was; “to honour the military success achieved in Cyprus in 1974 with a peaceful solution that would end the Cyprus problem”.

 

Pointing out that agreements which have been made after each war always followed with a new order and arrangements, President Talat said: “Our aim is to reach a healthy, reliable and bi-zonal settlement and peace under which Turkey’s guarantee would continue.”

 

President Talat explained that they had been working very hard to achieve this goal, however they faced with various political intrigues while doing so. Talat added that Turkish Cypriots continued to face difficulties because of the Greek Cypriot side’s negative stance against them and the immobility of the international community as a result of the Greek Cypriots’ provocation.

 

Stressing that “Turkish Cypriots were looking confidently towards future with the strong support of Turkey and with their hard work and determination”, President Talat said he believed that Turkey and Turkish Cypriots would together move towards a much better future.

 

 

ERCAKICA: “OUR PROPOSALS ARE ACCEPTABLE AND FLEXIBLE”

 

It is unfortunate that problems concerning the 8 July process, introduced for the immediate commencement of the settlement negotiations regarding the issues of substance which will facilitate reaching a comprehensive settlement for the Cyprus problem, are still being encountered. In accordance with the definition President Mr. Talat made use of during his visit to Guzelyurt last week, it can be said that the efforts to maintain the said process, despite all the intrigues and manipulations, are providing inconclusive.

 

No response has been received concerning the proposals prepared by the Turkish Cypriot side for the further progress of the process. It appears that the Greek Cypriot side will spend efforts to disregard these proposals as well.

 

Besides employing such delaying tactics, the Greek Cypriot side is also trying to state the reason of not being able to carry out serious negotiations regarding the Cyprus problem, as the recent political developments in Turkey.

 

It should clearly be stated that the only reason Cyprus problem cannot be undertaken seriously is the position employed by the Greek Cypriot side.

 

The fact that there are election disputes in Turkey has no relevance with the undertaking of the Cyprus problem. The motive behind that fact that this issue has recently been dealt with in detail by the Greek Cypriot leaders is to interrupt the 8 July process, avoid implementing its liabilities and spread the message that their real counterpart regarding the Cyprus problem is Turkey.

As a matter of fact, the Greek Cypriot side has recently intensified its efforts to ask other countries to act as a mediator between themselves and Turkey. The efforts of the Greek Cypriot side to negotiate the Cyprus problem with Turkey is an evidence of the fact that the political developments in Turkey do not pose an obstacle in undertaking the Cyprus problem.

 

As is it is known, the Greek Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Lillikas, just like he asked the foreign ministers of the countries he has visited, asked Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, who visited South Cyprus last week, to act as a mediator between themselves and Turkey. The statement by the Foreign Ministry of Turkey on Friday upon the said demand of the Greek Cypriot side, establishes the way Turkey perceives the Cyprus problem once again. In his statement, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mr. Levent Bilman has clearly stated that, if deemed necessary, Turkey shall always provide its contributions as a motherland but also underlined that the actual parties that shall settle the problem are the Turkish and Greek Cypriots who live side by side.

 

The methods employed by the Greek Cypriot side in order to delay undertaking the problem or to alter the relevant parties of the problem are methods that will not bear any results but will delay the settlement of the problem. Therefore, this is the reason behind the deadlock that has been encountered in the 8 July process.

 

The Turkish Cypriot side wishes to further and conclude the 8 July process in a way that will lead the parties to comprehensive settlement negotiations without any delay. This is the purpose of the proposals conveyed to the Greek Cypriot side on 26 April and the Greek Cypriot side should respond to these proposals seriously.