PRESIDENT TALAT WENT TO THE USA

President Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday (14 October) left for New York where he will meet with the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

The First Lady Oya Talat who is also accompanying the President will be holding various contacts in the city.

As part of her contacts, Mrs. Talat will meet with the Deputy Chief of the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations Michelle Federoff and will attend a tea party to be organized in her honor.

Meanwhile, President Mehmet Ali Talat speaking at the Ataturk Airport State Guess House in Istanbul the President said the right to travel is one of the fundamentals of the human rights, in response to a question asked how he evaluated the Greek Cypriot administration’s attitude with regard to the isolation imposed upon the TRNC. Reminding that Turkish Cypriots were one of the founding partners of the Cyprus Republic, he said what ever they do Turkish Cypriots would not take a backward step from this right. Pointing out that the lifting of the isolation would continue to be the goal of the Turkish Cypriot side; Talat said however their main aim was finding a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem on the platform of the UN. Talat added that this would be the main topic in his meeting with the Secretary-General.

Responding to another question asked how he also evaluated the proposal made by the Greek Cypriot Euro-MP Marios Matsakis to give the Andreas Air Base in Paphos to the United States in case of the closure of the Incirlik Base in Turkey, President Talat said such a proposal could only be expected from him and there wasn’t anything to be evaluated in that proposal.

President Talat and his wife are expected o return to the TRNC on 18 October.

 

PRIME MINISTER SOYER RETURNED TO THE TRNC

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer after completing his contacts in Germany returned to the island on Saturday (13 October).

Evaluating his contacts in Germany, Prime Minister Soyer stressed that these contacts had been very useful and informed that the former German Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder, whom he had a meeting with, will be paying a visit to the TRNC in the beginning of 2008. He added that the necessary organization has already started for the visit of Schroeder who is a very important person in German political life.

The Premier said the Co-Chairperson of the German Green Party Claudia Roth will also visit the TRNC next year. He said both politicians clearly expressed their distress with regard to the continuing isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people and the non-solution of the Cyprus problem. Soyer added that they openly stressed that: “It is the responsibility of Europe to lift the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people”.

Prime Minister Soyer said the German officials are in full support of the start of negotiations under the UN parameters and of efforts aimed at reaching a lasting and comprehensive settlement in Cyprus.

Within the framework of his contacts, Prime Minister Soyer met with Social Democratic Party (SDP) Parliament Group’s Deputy Chairmen and the Party Speakers Axel Schaefer, Walter Kolbow and Ute Kumpf, German Ministry of Public Works Undersecretary and SDP Member Responsible for Turkish-Cyprus Policies Gert Andres, Turkish-origin MPs Lale Akgün, Emine Demirbüken, Filiz Polat, Murat Kalmýþ, Bilkay Öney, Özcan Mutlu and Hakký Keskin, Berlin-Brandenburg Turkish-German Businessmen Union’s Chairman Remzi Kaplan and its executive members as well as with various media members.

Soyer pointed out that the German public has started realizing the absurdity of the international isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people and that
they were right in demanding the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of political equality.

 

FOREIGN MINISTER AVCI’S INTERVIEW WITH KURIER JOURNAL

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý gave an interview to Kurier Journal published in Netherlands.

In the article entitled “Cyprus: Aphrodite’s Problematic Child” which was published in the journal it was stressed that both the UN and the EU had concerns about the current deadlock in the Cyprus negotiations.

In the article, Foreign Minister Avcý stated that the Turkish Cypriot people proved its good will on the Cyprus issue by voting in favor of the Annan Plan.

Avcý stressed that the solution of the Cyprus problem was only possible under the United Nations auspices and with the European Union’s strong commitment.

Responding to a question asked what he meant by ‘strong commitment’, Foreign Minister Turgay Avcý said: “First of all it was a mistake for the EU to accept Cyprus’ membership while the island remained divided, secondly when Germany’s EU Term Presidency began, direct trade with the EU was promised, however, Germany couldn’t kept its promise. Do you think that smaller states such as Portugal and Slovenia would be able to do this? Instead of asking for huge demands, the EU should first keep its promises to the Turkish Cypriot People. Our goal is to gain the EU membership. We are more democratic and European than Greek Cypriots are”.

Pointing out that there was a hope before the referendum, however the Greek Cypriot side was not ready for a settlement based on equal rights and Papadopoulos was not ready for a power sharing, Avcý said Turkish Cypriot side would not wait forever. “The more the solution of the Cyprus problem delays, the more difficult the solution becomes”, he added.

Touching upon the issue of Turkish troops based on the island, the Minister said the Turkish troops will remain in Cyprus until the Cyprus problem is solved. Avcý said Turkish troops arrived in Cyprus as a result of the 1964 clashes and they have been the guarantee of security and stability on the island since 1974.