The 35^th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has started in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

A delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý is representing the TRNC at the conference.

Speaking at the opening of the session, the OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu stated that they are closely watching the new process in Cyprus aimed at bringing about a comprehensive solution and expressed the OIC’s support for a political settlement.

Ihsanoglu also said he very much appreciates the improving contacts between OIC member countries and the TRNC.

Foreign Minister Avcý speaking upon his arrival at Enteppe Airport in Kampala stated that they would spend effort for resolutions to be taken in favor of Turkish Cypriots at the OIC Foreign Ministers Meeting.

Explaining that they would also work for the continuation of positive decisions for Turkish Cypriots Avcý said they would hold bi-lateral talks with foreign ministers of OIC member countries. Avcý added that they were eager to continue to host events to be organized by the OIC.

Reminding that in the last one year they established very close relations with the OIC member countries and opened new TRNC representative offices in some of these countries, Avcý said within this framework next year’s OIC Tourism Conference will take place in the TRNC.

The UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe stated that there could be ups and downs in the negotiations process towards the solution of the Cyprus problem but he has got the impression that the process was flowing forward and said: “I think the negotiations could start soon”.

Speaking before his departure from the island at Ledra Palace Hotel, Lynn Pascoe pointed out that he was very impressed with the commitment the two leaders expressed during his contacts, towards resolving the Cyprus Problem and reunifying the island.

Pascoe stressed that the UN strongly supports the ongoing peace process on the island and that the international community’s desire to see the process succeed was incredibly huge.

He also announced that the special advisors of the two leaders will be meeting tomorrow with the UN Special Representative Taye Brook Zerihoun to set a date for the next meeting between the two leaders.

He expressed the view that the working groups and technical committees should continue to function even once full fledged negotiations begin so that they may assist the two leaders who will be negotiating difficult and core issues.

The most recent resolution, numbered 1818, of the UN Security Council regarding Cyprus was adopted on 13 June 2008. The resolution prepared in the light of the UN Secretary-General’s 2 June 2008 dated report has serious deficiencies. As the Turkish Cypriot side, the most important deficiency in the report is the fact that, although part of the agreement reached between the two leaders on 23 May 2008 in Cyprus has precisely been included in the report, another part of it has not been included with the same precision.

As it will be derived from the statements of the Greek Cypriot side, this has been the result of the efforts of the Greek Cypriot side. The real purpose of the Greek Cypriot side was to create the ground so as to be able to distort the 23 May dated agreement in the future as well.

As it is known, the Turkish Cypriot side has resisted this way of thinking with the support of Turkey and tried to express the importance of the fact that the agreements reached by the two leaders in this new process is principal.

Therefore, it is significant that as the President of the UN Security Council, the United States Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr. Khalilzad felt the need to state on the same day that he welcomed the 23 May 2008 dated joint statement as a whole. As a result of this official statement of the presidency, this plot of the Greek Cypriot side has been stalled.

The fact that some Security Council member countries have launched an initiative for the resolution to include the 23 May agreement as a whole is an indication that these countries anticipated the problems that may arise and spent efforts to avert them. Meanwhile, we would like to deliver our appreciation to those countries which acted responsibly to that end.

None of the parties which wish for the settlement of the Cyprus problem should hope for help by discarding or ignoring the issues the two sides have agreed on. Such a position would diminish the desires to start the comprehensive negotiations to the extent it becomes close to the views of the Greek Cypriot side.

The visit the UN Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs Mr. Lynn Pascoe paid to Cyprus has been constructive and beneficial for the Turkish Cypriot side. During the meetings he had with Mr. Pascoe, President Mr. Talat had the chance to convey the position of the Turkish Cypriot side regarding the Cyprus problem in detail which he is glad to have done so.

The statement Mr. Pascoe made in the press briefing held this morning that “the negotiations may start in not so distant future” can be perceived as if a change in the position the parties employ in terms of resumption of the comprehensive settlement negotiations is observed. Therefore, it should be stated that the Turkish Cypriot side favors the resumption of the comprehensive settlement negotiations these days since the date agreed in the 21 March agreement, which was three months from 21 March 2008, is here and the Turkish Cypriot side is committed to the promise made on 21 March 2008.

Provided that the Greek Cypriot side is also committed to the 21 March agreement, there is no obstacle before the immediate resumption of the comprehensive settlement negotiations.