Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu has said that the Turkish Cypriot Side’s hand at the negotiations table will be strengthened further with the economic development of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Pointing to the importance of economic contributions made by Turkey and Turkish investors to the TRNC, he said `as this support grows and the economy improves, our hand strengthens at the talks.’

The Prime Minister was speaking at a press briefing after his meeting with members of the executive board of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) in Istanbul.

The Prime Minister said that the Greek Cypriot Side will feel the need for a settlement once the unjust international isolation over the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is lifted.

Explaining that the Greek Cypriot Side has always rejected the texts of agreement on the Cyprus issue, Eroglu said the Greek Cypriot Side’s intransigency was encouraged further with its unilateral EU membership.

He said that the Union’s failure to keep the promises it made before the 2004 referenda have weaken the Turkish Cypriot People’s trust in the EU. The Premier underlined the need for the EU and the UN to take steps that could encourage the Greek Cypriot Side towards a solution.

Pointing out that two sides were required for finding a settlement and both sides should have the same determination Prime Minister said however, while the Turkish side has this determination it was clear that the Greek Cypriot side lacks this will. “Therefore, a pressure should not be exerted on Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sides but it should be exerted on Greek Cypriot side” he added.

Prime Minister Eroglu went on saying that the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s EU membership process should not be linked.

Prime Minister Eroglu said for faster economic development in the TRNC the economic cooperation with Turkish firms should be deepened.

Also speaking, TUSIAD President Umit Boyner expressed the view that the maintenance of peace process in Cyprus is important for Turkey’s EU accession process and that the solution of the Cyprus problem is a must for a good economy in Cyprus as a whole.

“LEADERS TO MEET ON TUESDAY”

Speaking to reporters at his weekly press briefing, the Presidential Spokesman Hasan Ercakýca announced that special representatives of the two leaders will be meeting this Thursday and Friday to prepare the ground for next week’s meeting between their leaders.

Ercakýca said the negotiations aiming to find a comprehensive solution for the Cyprus problem will continue next week with a meeting that will be held on Tuesday.

Reminding that next week’s meeting between President Mehmet Ali Talat and the Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias will focus mainly on the chapters of economy and EU matters, Ercakica explained that the two leaders, on some occasions, brought back the issue of governance and power sharing to the table.

Commenting on the European Court of Human Right’s ruling recognizing the TRNC Immovable Property Commission as an effective domestic remedy, the Presidential Spokesman has said that the ruling was in full harmony with the Turkish Side’s positions in the negotiations.

Describing the ruling as a turning point for property issue, Ercakýca said :

“The ECHR (European Court of Human Rights) announced a historical decision last Friday that it has approved the Immovable Property Commission composed in the TRNC as an effective means of domestic remedy. The said decision of the ECHR is not subject to appeal. This decision is the result of the policies the Turkish side has persistently been following on the basis of international law and particularly the ECHR case law since 2005. The said decision which constitutes a corner stone in terms of the property issue in Cyprus has clearly revealed the solution parameters of the problem once again

The most important aspect of the historical decision announced by the ECHR for the Turkish Cypriot side is the fact that it fully complies with the principles we have been defending in the ongoing negotiation process. As it is known, the Turkish Cypriot side envisages the solution of the property issue through compensation, exchange and restitution, along with a comprehensive solution. The Turkish Cypriot side also states that these three alternatives comply with the international law. Underlining that more than 35 years have passed over the initiation of the problem, the ECHR stated that the property issue could not be undertaken through a static manner and the developments that has taken place during the 35-year-period should be taken into consideration. It also acknowledges that it is not only the former owner of a particular property that has rights but those people who are currently in possession of that particular property have rights as well. The Turkish Cypriot side will continue to undertake the property issue on this basis which is clearly supported by the decision of the ECHR.

The fact that the Greek Cypriot government has called upon the Greek Cypriots not to apply to the Immovable Property Commission which the ECHR has approved as a means of effective domestic remedy with its most recent decision is another example of the contradictory position employed by the Greek Cypriot side. It is an indication of the fact that the Greek Cypriot leadership who, on the one hand underlines that property right is an individual right and establishes all its arguments at the negotiation table within this framework but on the other strives to stop the Greek Cypriots from applying to the Immovable Property Commission, is not after an effort for the protection of individual rights as they claim but a motive to achieve political advantage in terms of the Cyprus problem.