Prime Minister Soyer upon receiving the Deputy-Chairman of German Social Democratic Party (SDP) Parliamentary Group Jurgen Walter, stated that the Turkish Cypriot side’s determination towards reaching a settlement was continuing.

Speaking before the meeting, Jurgen Walter pointed out that they were aiming to improve social and cultural cooperation between North Cyprus and Hessen and said that it would be beneficial for both sides if industrialists and businessmen from Hessen made investments in North Cyprus.

Walter added that settlement couldn’t be found because one of the sides refused to speak, therefore the problem could not be discussed. Expressing hope that the Greek Cypriot administration would correctly interpret the recent decision of the German Parliament and enter into dialogue with North Cyprus, Walter said the Parliament’s decision to develop commercial relations with North Cyprus was a step taken for lifting the isolation. He added that conducting relations without facing any restrictions would contribute to a settlement.

For his part, Soyer reminded that Jurgen Walter had entered North Cyprus from Ercan Airport in his first visit and said this would lead to the start of important developments.

Stressing the importance of Walter’s evaluations, Soyer said the Greek Cypriot administration has distorted the realities on the core issues of the Cyprus problem form many years.

Explaining that German Parliament’s decision constituted an important ground for the Cyprus issue, Soyer said the decision also helped different political parties represented in the German Parliament to develop a common view about the Cyprus issue.

Reminding that the Greek Cypriot side in 1963 had made an initiative to destroy the bi-communal character of the Cyprus Republic with the aim of achieving Enosis, Soyer said this caused Turkish Cypriot, Greek Cypriot, Turkish and Greek peoples to suffer.

Prime Minister Soyer added that in 1974 the Greek Cypriots had carried out a coup again for achieving Enosis and Turkey intervened in the island with its rights stemming from the Treaty of Guarantee and of Alliance in order to protect the island’s territorial integrity, constitutional order and the Turkish Cypriots.

Prime Minister Soyer emphasized that Turkey and Turkish Cypriots were continuing their settlement efforts. Pointing out that the Greek Cypriots were carrying out a propaganda in the world to the effect that ‘the Cyprus problem had started in 1974 when Turkish soldiers came to the island’, Prime Minister expressed hope that the Turkish Cypriot side in time by explaining itself to the world would decrease the effects of this wrong propaganda. Soyer added that they had sent a letter including these views to the German parliamentarians.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý stating that the Turkish Cypriots could not be left to Papadopoulos’ justice said everyone should work in unity and cooperation for the welfare and the development of the country. Avcý drew attention to the increasing demands from foreign investors to the country.

Avcý addressing to Greek Cypriots said if they were not ready to cooperate, the Turkish Cypriots would continue their way with investments.

Responding to the questions in a television program, Avcý said in every foreign contact they had conveyed to the EU officials that the Turkish Cypriots’ trust to the EU was diminishing.

Responding to a question with regard to the forthcoming elections in the South, Avcý stated that the Greek Cypriot people were more conservative and fanatic and the Church’s influence on people was still continuing. “It is important for the Greek Cypriot people to start questioning. Change will not be easy”.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý in a statement issued on 24 May, pointed out that the real aim of the so-called initiatives announced by the Greek Cypriot side is to realize the goal of osmosis by rendering the Turkish Cypriot people, which they perceive as minority, economically dependent on the Greek Cypriot side.

Following is the full statement of Foreign Minister Avcý:

“As is known, despite the three years of its emergence, the Direct Trade Regulation, which has been drawn up in line with the European Union Resolution of 26 April 2004, as an important step towards the lifting of the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people, has not yet been implemented. The most important reason behind this stalemate is the Greek Cypriot obstructionism. The recent announcement of the so-called “economic measures” directed towards the Turkish Cypriots by the Greek Cypriot administration, which has intensified its efforts to attach preconditions to the adoption of the said Regulation and deviate it from its objective, is aimed at maintaining the 40 year old isolation on our people.

The introduction of the “economic measures” with the purported goal of “improving the conditions of cooperation between the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots in the economic sector” is in fact, an effort aimed at creating a positive image to mislead the international community, particularly the European Union. The Greek Cypriot political circles have also defined the said measures as being insincere and as an effort aimed at preventing direct trade between Northern Cyprus and EU countries.

The GCA has proven its negative stance over the improvement of economic relations between the two sides on all occasions by hampering the implementation of the Green Line Regulation and by its efforts to obstruct every single initiative that would contribute to our economy. The real aim of the so-called initiatives announced by the Greek Cypriot side is to realize the goal of osmosis by rendering the Turkish Cypriot people, which they perceive as minority, economically dependent on the Greek Cypriot side.

The recent initiative of the Greek Cypriot side does not serve any purpose except for doing away with the Direct Trade Regulation which has been on the agenda of the EU Presidency. Moreover, the ill-intentioned measures, which the Greek Cypriot side is attempting to represent as an “opening”, includes also the economic matters that ought to be taken up by the technical committees to be set up within the framework of 8 July Agreement and hence deals a serious blow to the 8 July process.

All parties concerned with the Cyprus issue, the UN and the EU in particular, should dismiss the misleading and token initiatives of the Greek Cypriot administration, warning the Greek Cypriot side to refrain from actions that could have a negative impact on the 8 July process and, ensure the adoption of the Direct Trade Regulation to enable preferential trade with the EU through our ports without further delay.