President Mehmet Ali Talat and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avci, who participated to the 11th Friendship, Brotherhood and Cooperation Congress of Turkic States and Communities in Baku returned to island on 17 November Saturday night.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan, who also participated to the congress, following the completion of his contacts in Azerbaijan, in press conference organized at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul stated that during the congress he get together with President Talat and on their way back to Istanbul they discussed issues regarding the TRNC.

TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat also delivered a speech at the opening of the 11th Friendship, Brotherhood and Cooperation Congress of Turkic States and Communities in Baku.

President in his speech said if the Turkic world integrated and became coordinated and united this would be reflected to the TRNC as a support. He added that “The Turkic world’s support will have the most important role in solving the Turkish Cypriots’ problems.”

Pointing out that despite of the constructive approach displayed by the Turkish Cypriot side, the Greek Cypriots always refrained from conciliation, President Talat reminded that the Turkish Cypriot people had voted in favor of the Annan Plan by risking great hardships and the Greek Cypriots rejected. The President said however that, none of the promises made by the international community had been kept.

President pointing out that although the overwhelming majority of Turkish Cypriots had voted in favor of the UN-sponsored plan, the Greek Cypriots were almost awarded with EU membership and promises to lift the international isolations and to punish the party which would reject the plan had not been honored.

Poet-writer Altay Bugrahan represented the TRNC in “1^st International Poem Meeting” held in Karabük.

Poets form Turkey, TRNC, Macedonia, Germany, Kosovo and Azerbaijan participated to the activity which was organized first time this year jointly by Karabük municipality, Karabük Culture and Arts Organization and KIBATAEK (Cyprus, Balkans, Eurasia Turkish Literature Institution).

In the panel entitled “Turkish Poems Country by Country”, Altay Bugrahan submitted a paper entitled “Cyprus Turkish Poem” .

Greek Cypriot Attorney General Petros Cliridis apologized on behalf of his “government” for his opposition made in The European Court of Human Rights to the appointment of TRNC High Court President Metin Hakki, who was put forward by Turkey as an ad-hoc judge for 38 cases filed by Greek Cypriots against it.

According to Greek Cypriot daily Politis, Greek Cypriot Attorney General Petros Kliridis lodged objections to the appointment of Metin Hakki claiming that he was “residing in a Greek Cypriot immovable property”. The newspaper said however, following the refusal of these claims by the court the Greek Cypriot Attorney General had written a letter to the court and apologized for his “baseless claims”.

On 11 September 2007, the European Court of Human Rights had rejected the Greek Cypriot Administration’s opposition to the TRNC High Court President Metin Hakki, who was put forward by Turkey for positions at the Court and appointed Hakký as an ad-hoc judge at the European Court of Human Rights for 38 property cases filed by Greek Cypriots against Turkey.