TRNC Public Information Office

STATEMENT BY THE PRESINDENTIAL SPOKESMAN HASAN ERCAKICA ON 23 OCTOBER 2007

The public opinion has been informed in various ways about the meeting President Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat had with the UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon and the issues discussed during this meeting. Also, the demands and position of the Turkish Cypriot side have clearly been established. As it is known, our position concerning the issue has substantially been announced before the meeting took place and therefore, the public opinion had been informed.

However, the Greek Cypriot side has employed simple manipulation games to overshadow the meeting President Mr. Talat would have with Mr. Ban Ki – moon and implemented some methods, before and after the said meeting, leading to chaos within the public opinion.

In a statement issued on 15 October 2007, it has been announced that some proposals have been submitted during the meeting held between Mr. Papadopoulos and Mr. Ban but no such proposal have yet been brought to the attention of the Turkish Cypriot side. In another statement issued on 16 October 2007, it has been said that a letter including new proposals has been sent to the UN Secretary-General and the said letter was finally delivered to the Turkish Cypriot side yesterday.

It is remarkable that there is a basic difference between the approaches employed by the two sides. While the Turkish Cypriot side is striving to render the 8 July process comprehensible and effective, the Greek Cypriot side has been doing its best to lead the process into a stalemate. The Turkish Cypriot side established their approach via the proposal they put on the table during the meeting that took place on 5 September 2007. Submitting a proposal to Mr. Papadopoulos himself during that meeting, President Mr. Talat have demonstrated that the Turkish Cypriot side aims to expedite the progress of the 8 July process and, as a result, reach to the stage of comprehensive settlement negotiations as envisaged by the 8 July Agreement. As it will be remembered, the proposal included the resumption of comprehensive settlement negotiations after a preparatory period of 2 – 2.5 months and setting of the goal to find a solution by the end of 2008. These proposals are still awaiting response.

It can be said at this stage that, despite our straightforward position, there is nothing new in the proposals of the Greek Cypriot side other than an effort to render the process more complicated. The proposals do not even envisage the resumption of comprehensive settlement negotiations. Nevertheless, the approaches employed in the letter will be analyzed in detail and in good faith and any issue that might be helpful to reach a comprehensive solution for the Cyprus problem will be evaluated with utmost attention.

Effective implementation of the 8 July Agreement and the resumption of comprehensive settlement negotiations are still the primary objective of the Turkish Cypriot side. However, we have once again delivered our proposals to the Secretary – General regarding the Confidence Building Measures aimed at restoring the relations between the two peoples. These proposals are the updated version of the proposals we submitted last year. The reason these proposals were submitted in New York is the fact that Mr. Secretary-General has stated in his letter to President Mr. Talat that he wishes to discuss the issue. As a matter of fact, the Turkish Cypriot side supports restoring the relations between the two peoples through Confidence Building Measures while efforts are being spent to find a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.

As our position is such, the Greek Cypriot leader Mr. Papadopoulos felt the urge to make a statement that they will not agree to have any diversion from the 8 July process and to discuss only the Confidence Building Measures. Yet, there is no such party who demands to discuss only the Confidence Building Measures or suggests excluding the 8 July process. What the Turkish Cypriot side proposed at the meeting with Mr. Ban is quite clear. The proposals President Mr. Talat has put forward to promote the 8 July process is on the table since 5 September 2007 and they also are quite clear and comprehensible. Provided that the Greek Cypriot side really wishes to implement the 8 July process, they can immediately accept these proposals and initiate such a move.

Our proposal concerning Confidence Building Measures is completely within the scope of the 8 July Agreement. Article 5 of the Set of Principles the two leaders have agreed on 8 July 2007 clearly states that “confidence building measures are essential, both in terms of improving the atmosphere and improving the life of all Turkish and Greek Cypriots”. Mr. Papadopoulos has either forgotten what he signed under or he is trying to distort the truth on purpose.

It is quite weird even to consider that Turkish Cypriot side which has been pursuing a lasting and just settlement since 2004, will leave aside all its comprehensive settlement efforts and decide to negotiate the Confidence Building Measures only. Even this stance employed by the Greek Cypriot side is enough to prove the extent of exploitation and manipulation they pursue. The Turkish Cypriot side has been doing its best for the resumption of comprehensive settlement negotiations and for reaching a comprehensive settlement in the end. We have been discussing how to make the Greek Cypriot side come to the table for comprehensive settlement negotiations for months now. However, the fact that the Greek Cypriot leaders dare to make such statements is a clear indication of the position they employ.