ERCAKICA: “WE WILL PROPOSE THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL TO TAKE A MORE ACTIVE ROLE AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN TWO PEOPLES”

Presidential Spokesman Hasan Ercakica stated that President Talat in his meeting with the UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, which would take place on 16 October in New York, would convey the Turkish Cypriot side’s view on the measures to be taken for the start of fully-fledged negotiations and present proposals for the improvement of the relations between the two peoples in Cyprus.

Speaking during his weekly press conference held yesterday (9 October), Ercakica said the President would return the island on 18 October and added that the Turkish Cypriot side would do its homework very well for ensuring a constructive meeting with the Secretary General.

Ercakica pointed out that besides Ban-ki Moon, President Talat would also meet US Department of State Undersecretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.

Ercakica said that President Talat will be requesting the UN to a take on a more active role on the Cyprus problem.

Ercakica reminded that the Turkish Cypriot side’s policy on Cyprus was on one hand to spend efforts towards reaching a comprehensive settlement and on the other hand, to take initiatives for the improvement of the relations between the two peoples.

Considering Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos’ meeting with Ban-ki Moon as being “very short and ineffective”, Ercakica said they would prefer the meeting to be more effective so that it would also contribute to the meeting to take place between Talat and Moon.

Continuing, Spokesman Ercakica said:

“Making his annual speech at the UN General Assembly, the Greek Cypriot Leader Mr. Papadopoulos has once again revealed his opinion of the Cyprus problem and therefore, his views regarding the Turkish Cypriots.

The points Mr. Papadopoulos has included in his speech clarify the reasons of the deadlock we have been faced with since 2004 and why it could not have been overcome via the 8 July process.

Alleging in his speech to the General Assembly that the efforts to settle the Cyprus problem “have not been filtered through a system of values and norms of international law”, Mr. Papadopoulos has clearly declared that his aim is to destroy all the efforts that have been spent until today and all the ground established within the framework of the UN. Therefore, via this speech, it has become a little more clear what the Greek Cypriot side means while it refers to “preparing the ground” before the resumption of comprehensive settlement negotiations which will aim to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem. Mr. Papadopoulos is spending efforts to eliminate any values that we can discuss and render the negotiations ineffective.

It is also quite meaningful that Mr. Papadopoulos does not even utter the expression of “a comprehensive settlement” in his speech.

Via the position he displayed at the UN General Assembly, Mr. Papadopoulos has once again demonstrated that he contradicts with the “mission of good offices” the UN Secretary-General strives to accomplish and is, in fact, refusing it. While launching the Cyprus problem as a problem of “occupation” between his administration and Turkey, he refrains from bringing an explanation to the questions of why the Peace Forces are in Cyprus since 1964 and why they, as the Greek Cypriot side, are spending efforts to settle the problems between the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots. He also aims to portray the problem in Cyprus as a problem outside the sphere of duties of this mission.

In spite of the fact that every UN initiative related to the Cyprus problem, including the 8 July process, have been prepared to reach a lasting and just settlement based on the political equality of the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots, Mr. Papadopoulos, in all his speech, has addressed Turkey as the “other party” of the problem and tried to ignore both the Turkish Cypriots and their rights in Cyprus completely.

The sole purpose of Mr. Papadopoulos who strived to present the Cyprus problem as a problem of “occupation” during his whole speech is to integrate the Turkish Cypriots into his own administration via “osmosis” after the Turkish troops leave the island. Although Mr. Papadopoulos who had openly referred to osmosis in his prior speech has not uttered the word “osmosis” this time, he could not help hiding the parameters of the way to that end between the lines of his speech.

His speech, along with the position he has employed until today, openly indicate that reaching a settlement on the basis of equality via the compromise of the sides is not the real intention of Mr. Papadopoulos. Therefore, since an agreement that will be reached as a result of either the 8 July Agreement or any other UN initiative would envisage a settlement on this basis, it is not difficult to understand why he avoids employing the constructive stance to facilitate such a thing.

We have been honored and were pleased that President of Turkey Mr. Abdullah Gül, Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Mr. Köksal Toptan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mr. Ali Babacan have all paid a visit to the TRNC as their first official foreign destination. These visits must be deemed as the actual indications of the support and attention Turkey provides to Turkish Cypriot people.

The support and appreciation we have heard from the highest level of authorities of Turkey during these visits for the efforts spent by President Mr. Talat so as to reach a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem has not only satisfied us but it has also made us remember that we are not alone on this journey.

As clearly stated in the statements of all three high level authorities of Turkey, the governments of Turkey and the TRNC are determined to continue to be firmly committed to the vision of reaching a timely settlement and also to support the efforts to that end. The fact that it is uttered that these efforts should be based on the realities of the island should not be perceived as a paradox and the focus should be on the fact that the intention required for a just settlement in Cyprus has once again been confirmed by the Turkish side. However, it is not acceptable that the Greek Cypriot side has been trying to manipulate these statements according to its deadlock policies and also asking for the support of the international public opinion.

As Mr. Abdullah Gül stated in his speech to the last General Assembly of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly “The Turkish side will maintain its support for a political settlement which will lead to reunification of the island on the basis of the established UN parameters and within the framework of “mission of good offices” of the UN Secretary-General”.

Trying to deduct meanings other than the above from the statements following the visits paid to our country and the visits themselves will only serve stalemate and tension.”

 

PRIME MINISTER SOYER BEGINS CONTACTS IN BERLIN

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer, who went to Germany in order to carry out various contacts, on his first day, came together with Berlin Brandenburg Turkish-German Businessmen Society.

Prime Minister Soyer and his accompanying delegation during their meeting with the Chairman of Berlin Brandenburg Turkish-German Businessmen Society Remzi Kaplan and other high level officials of the Society, focused on the investments that could be made in Northern Cyprus by Turkish-oriented businessmen in Germany.

Following this meeting Prime Minister Soyer met with Lale Akgun, a member of the German Bundestag for the Social Democratic Party and a group of MPs in the German Parliament.

 

RYAN: “FULLY-FLEDGED NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD START”

UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative to Cyprus Joan Ryan who visited the island last week, in a press briefing evaluated her visit and said talks which would lead to comprehensive negotiations should start.

Stating that following the Presidential elections in Cyprus which would be held in February 2008 a new opportunity would arise for reaching a comprehensive and lasting settlement, Ryan said all sides in Cyprus should spend efforts for changing the current atmosphere and improving the mutual understanding.

Stressing that she had very fruitful meeting with President Talat, Ryan said Talat had also expressed a strong belief for the need to improve the process. She added that as long as the time passed, it became more difficult to achieve a progress.

Pointing out that efforts were continuing towards improving the TRNC’s economy and lifting the isolation, Ryan said within this framework the EU aid for the TRNC was pleasing.

Also referring to the issue of missing persons in Cyprus, Ryan expressed hope that the fate of all the missing persons would be determined.

Ryan responding to a question said if a settlement was reached, Turkish Cypriots would also actively take part in the EU process.