TRNC News Today – 18th April 2013
PRESIDENT EROGLU RECEIVED DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL OF ECO AND TR DELEGATION
President Eroğlu stressed that participation of university national teams of 6 countries in the organization of the 1st University Sports Games under the name of Economic Co-operation Organization means ‘taking an important step’ in terms of the Turkish Cypriots.
President Eroğlu received the Deputy Secretary General of ECO, Hayri Maraslıoglu and the TR delegation who are in the TRNC for the 1st University Sports Games of Economic Co-operation Organization.
President Eroğlu stated in his speech that as long as Turkey is a po
werful country in the region the position of the Turkish Cypriots in ECO should be better.
Stating that the participation of 6 countries in the 1st University Sports Games is a proud achievement for the TRNC, Eroğlu said that:”Participation of 6 countries means taking an important step for us especially in the period that we have imposed sport embargoes”.
Thanking the delegation for their efforts in achieving the 1st games in the TRNC, Eroğlu said that: “Hosting this kind of organization is really important for us and for the messages to be given to the world as we are an unrecognized country”.
The Deputy Secretary General of the ECO Hayri Maraslıoglu hopes that the 1st University Sport Games will be the beginning of the cultural and economic co-operation between the ECO and the TRNC.
Expressing that the meeting of the ECO can also be realized in the TRNC, Maraslıoglu stated that: “I think that if these things function properly, embargoes will be more flexible”
TR MINISTER OF NATIONAL EDUCATION AVCI IN THE TRNC
President Dervis Eroğlu received TR Minister of National Education Nabi Avcı.
Wishing the new Minister ‘good luck’ in his new position Eroğlu pointed out that the Ministry of Education is an important duty.
Later Avcı was received by the Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly Hasan Bozer. Stating 
that although the TRNC is new, it is a world-class country Bozer said that while they were struggling to reach an agreement on the Cyprus issue, they were also struggling for the happiness and welfare of the people.
Expressing that there are many problems mainly caused by the embargoes imposed by world countries, Bozer said that the TRNC is more powerful with the support of the TR in every way. Bozer added that the visits made by Turkey are morale boosters.
Prime Minister Irsen Küçük expressed his pleasure for the visit and added that the TR-TRNC relations are already good and these kinds of visits are beneficial to make the relations much better.
Minister Avcı also visited the TRNC Minister of National Education, Youth and Sports, Mutlu Atasayan.
Expressing his pleasure due to paying his first abroad official visit to the TRNC, TR Minister of National Education Nabi Avcı stressed that the most important point between Turkey and the TRNC is education and the relations in this respect will further develop.
PRESIDENT EROGLU WILL GO TO ADIYAMAN ON FRIDAY
President Eroğlu will go to Adıyaman on Friday in order to attend a conference on the Cyprus issue at Adıyaman University.
Eroğlu will also be receiving the “Statesman of the Year” award bestowed on him by the GAP-Southeastern Anatolian Project Journalists Association as part of the visit to Adıyaman.
ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION ORGANIZATION HAS CONTACTS IN THE TRNC
Assistant Secretary General of the Economic Co-operation Organization, Hayri Maraşlıoğlu and the accompanying delegation that has been in the TRNC for the 1st University Sports Games visited Prime Minister I
rsen Küçük and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hüseyin Özgürgün separately.
Speaking during the visit, Küçük said that they gave great importance to the co-operation with the associations in the motherland Turkey and stressed that they benefit from the experiences of the motherland especially in economic issues.
Pointing out that successful athletes in the TRNC were prevented from participating in international competitions because of the embargoes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said “University Sports Games has been a proud time for us” and added that such relations will be stronger in the future.
Özgürgün also added that initiatives for lifting the embargoes will increase.
TURKISH EU MINISTER BAGIS: ‘CYPRUS PROBLEM CANNOT BE AN OBSTACLE FOR TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP’
Turkish EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagıs s
tated that as the Cyprus problem is not an obstacle for the Greek Cypriot side’s EU membership, it cannot also be an obstacle for Turkey’s EU membership.
‘We are encouraging both sides in Cyprus to find a solution for the Cyprus problem. They are as married couples and UK, Greece and Turkey are as their father- in- law who are trying to save their marriage. Both sides in Cyprus should decide as grown individuals to decide whether to continue marriage or not. We will respect their any decision’ Bagıs added.
ELAM TAKES DOWN TURKISH SIGNS
It was stated that a group of people from the Greek Cypriot fascist and extreme rightist party, National Popular Front (ELAM) took down a Turkish sign which was in a Turkish Cypriot village in Larnaca. ELAM members warned the Larnaca Municipality that if they do not take down the other Turkish signs, they will do it themselves.
Greek Cypriot daily Haravgi noted that this is not the first act of violence of ELAM because a group of ELAM members coloured Turkish named street signs with black sprays during a fascist walk 5 years ago.
ANASTASIADIS’S PROMISE TO RUSSIANS FOR CITIZENSHIP DISTURBED THE EU
Greek Cypriot daily Politis stated that the first reaction concerning the issue was given by 
German EP member Markus Ferber, Ferber evaluated the subject with the following words; “For the first time an EU member country is giving citizenship in return for money.”
According to the news, Ferber warned that “if this is realized, serious problems will occur” and said “Although conferring citizenship is related with the internal authority of an EU state, it grants free travel around the EU. For this reason, citizenship should be conferred pursuant to EU norms”. Moreover, Feber emphasized that the EU Commission should investigate the subject.
EP MEMBER COHN-BENDIT: “EU SHOULD PUT PRESSURE FOR UNIFICATION IN CYPRUS”
Member of European Parliament (EP) Daniel Cohn-Bendit stated that the EU should put 
pressure for unification in Cyprus.
Making a speech in the EP General Assembly, Cohn-Bendit criticized those who grant loans in order to relieve Greek Cypriot administration from financial crisis, for not behaving insistent on unification of the island and drew attention that unification will strengthen the trade relations with Turkey and boost the growth.
RUSSIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: “PROVIDED THAT ALL CYPRIOTS WILL BENEFIT, WE SUPPORT THE SEARCH OF ALL KIND OF NATURAL RESOURCES”
Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Foreign Affairs Minister of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, have arranged a joint press conference
following their meeting in Çırağan Palace in Istanbul within the scope of 3rd Meeting of Joint Strategic Planning Group which is the sub-body of Turkish – Russian High Level Co-operation Council.
Replying to the question, Foreign Affairs Minister of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, said “As it was in the past on the Cyprus issue, we are in line with the principles determined within the scope of good offices mission of Secretary in UN Security Council. Currently, there is a serious financial crisis in Greek Cypriot administration. We are ready to make contribution to the preparation of the conditions for repeating of negotiations within the scope of the UN. Provided that all Cypriots will benefit, we support the search of all kind of natural resources. Nothing is possible on the contrary.”
Source: TRNC Public Information Office
