TALAT: “NO OUTCOME … BECAUSE  THE GREEK CYPRIOT  SIDE  IS AGAINST SUBSTANTIVE NEGOTIATIONS…AND  PLAYING FOR TIME”

TRNC  President Mehmet Ali Talat  evaluating his 3 hours long meeting with Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopolous to Turkish News Agency   yesterday stated that he acted with the belief that a settlement was necessary and  proposed a two month-long preparation period to prepare the ground for full-fledged negotiations for a comprehensive settlement. He  said, “we also proposed a deadline of the end of 2008 by which negotiations on a comprehensive solution should be completed but, the  Greek Cypriot Leader Papadopulos rejected all these since they are against substantive negotiations  and  instead playing for time.”

President Mehmet Ali Talat and the Leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration Tassos Papadopulos met Wednesday (5 September) for the first time  in  over a year. President Talat  pointed out that  during the meeting they  explained the necessity and the urgency  of finding a solution to the Cyprus issue, which would be to the interest of the Cyprus,  region and  the  world. He said “we explained the troubles stemming form the isolation, the  rapid decrease in the confidence between the two peoples, and the increasing threat towards partition…   and emphasized that  the process should be  accelerated.”

President  Talat repeated that  he had proposed a two to two-and-a half month-long preparation period to prepare the ground for fully fledged negotiations for a comprehensive settlement and a deadline of 2008 for the completion of the negotiations. But, he said the Greek Cypriot side, which is playing for time  rejected all the proposals.

President  Talat said we did not oppose to the 8 July process  but  proposed the speeding up of the 8 July process and making it productive.

 The President stated that any written document was  not submitted during the meeting  and the proposals were made orally. Responding to a question with regard to the  approach of  UN Secretary General’s Special Representative to Cyprus   Micheal Moller during the meeting, President said: “He did not intervene  but usually listened and prepared the joint statement in line with  the two side’s  view.”

 Pointing that the Greek Cypriot leader had proposed a second meeting for next Monday President said at the point reached,   there wasn’t any thing to discuss   so he rejected that proposal. “There is no  planned meeting for future but contacts will continue through the UN and if an appropriate ground is prepared then a new meeting can be planned” he said.

 

THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DAVID MILIBAND: “THE EUROPEAN UNION SHOULD MAKE MORE EFFORTS TO LIFT THE ISOLATION ON THE TURKISH CYPRIOT PEOPLE”

The British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said the European Union should make more efforts to lift the isolation on the Turkish Cypriot people.

He also welcomed yesterday’s meeting between President Mehmet Ali Talat and the Leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration Tassos Papadopulos.

Delivering a speech at the Istanbul Bahcesehir University, Miliband who is currently in Turkey  for an official meeting, referred to  Talat-Papadopulos meeting and underlined the need to speed up the process for a solution in Cyprus, which will make it possible to bring about a comprehensive solution to the problem under the UN umbrella.

He noted that the European Union should make more efforts to lift the isolation on the Turkish Cypriot people,  and the European member states should keep their promise and encourage the sides  for the continuation of the  negotiations.

 

76 TURKISH CYPRIOT FILED A LAWSUIT IN THE ECHR AGAINST ‘CYPRUS REPUBLIC’

On behalf  of 76 Turkish Cypriots, Ali Erel and Mustafa Damdelen filed a lawsuit in the European Court  of  Human Rights  against the Cyprus Republic (ECHR).

According to information given  by The Cyprus EU Society ,  Ali Erel the President  of the non-governmental organization,  has said that they filed a lawsuit  in the ECHR on 3 September against the Cyprus Republic  claiming Turkish Cypriots’ electoral rights from the Greek Cypriot administration, stemming from the 1960 Agreements

Ali Erel said they applied  to the ECHR as  a final solution  to obtain their basic human right since they could not receive any outcome from the struggle they had carried  out by the Greek Cypriot Administration’s authorities.

He added that the lawsuit  filed in the ECHR was expected to be taken to the court’s agenda within 12-18 months, which they believed would contribute to the  solution of the Cyprus issue.

Ali  Erel and Mustafa Damdelen had filed a lawsuit  at the Greek Cypriot High Court on the issue after the Greek Cypriot Minister of Interior Andreas Hristou rejected the Society’s  written request for Turkish Cypriots to be entitled to vote and contest elections in South Cyprus in 28 February 2006. On 30 April 2007 The Greek Cypriot High Court also rejected the request by saying that it was against “the necessity Law”.