TRNC News Today – 22nd April 2013
TRNC PRESIDENT: “NO GREEK CYPRIOT LEADER HAS AN INTENTION TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT WITH TURKISH CYPRIOTS FOR THE SOLUTION OF CYPRUS PROBLEM UP TO NOW”
TRNC President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu said : “No Greek Cypriot leader has an intention to sign an agreement with Turkish Cypriots for the solution of the Cyprus problem up to now”. Eroğlu informed the participants concerning the Cyprus problem following the dinner organized in Adıyaman University, in Turkey.
TRNC President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu has received the “Best Statesman of the Year” award given by the GAP (South Anatolia Project) Journalists’ Association in Adıyaman, Turkey. Saying “the reason why the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) pressurize us to solve the Cyprus problem is that they feel themselves guilty”, President Eroğlu stated that however they do not express this openly.
Stating that to reach an agreement with open-ended negotiations is not possible, Eroğlu pointed out that they desire to see the future from now on.
Eroğlu added:
“What is important is to come together, then to produce a course of action and to start the 
negotiations because it is not possible to reach an agreement without starting the negotiations. The President also stated that the Turkish Cypriot people and Turkey are running out of patience on the Cyprus problem.”
Reminding that there are six chapters that they need to try to agree on the negotiation table now, Eroğlu said “one of them is power sharing and the others are EU, economy, territory, property and the guarantee issues and the situation of the guarantors. We have been negotiating these for 40 years.”
Eroğlu also mentioned that the Greek Cypriot side always behave selfishly at the negotiation table and everyone has to be aware that there are two States in the island and Turkish Cypriot side have red lines such as guarantee of Turkey. In addition to these, Eroğlu said that no one has the right to criticize them for the citizenships which were given to Turkish people who preferred to continue their lives in Northern Cyprus and added that they were legal according to the laws of the TRNC.
President Eroğlu said that a solution in the island is an opportunity for the Greek Cypriot side to survive from the economic crisis which they are suffering. Eroğlu stated that he hopes that the water pipe line, which is being constructed between Turkey and North Cyprus and will be completed in March 2014, will contribute to a solution in Cyprus and said ‘ this is a peace project, we want this water to help the peace process and I believe that we will be successful in co-operation with motherland Turkey’.
The President underlined that they were trying to crush the Turkish Cypriots under unfair and inhuman isolations economically however it was very well known that this baseless pressure was only for dominating the independent will of the Turkish Cypriots.
President Eroğlu pointed out that the Turkish Cypriot side has put forward suggestions to reach a solution in the island and now it’s the Greek Cypriot side’s turn to take a step forward.
KUCUK: “OUR MARONITE BROTHERS ARE ALSO OUR RICHNESS. THEIR CULTURE ALWAYS TAKES A PLACE IN THE TRNC”
Prime Minister Irsen Küçük attended the opening of the 2nd Saint George Festival which was organized by the co-operation of Maronites living in Korucam and Lapta Municipality. It was aimed at the two day long festival in the v
illage where approximately 150 Maronites live, to both remember Saint George and keep the cultural values of Maronites alive by bringing them back to Korucam.
Speaking at the opening ceremony which took place at the village coffee shop, Prime Minister Irsen Küçük said that: “This festival is important in terms of the gathering of our Maronite brothers”.
Stating that beliefs and languages are respected in the TRNC and the different religions are seen as richness, Küçük said that: “We are continuing our work with an insight that gives priority to human rights. Therefore our Maronite brothers are our richness. Their culture always takes a place in the TRNC”.
OZGURGUN: ‘EP’S EXPRESSIONS REGARDING CYPRUS ARE UNFAIR AND PARTISAN’
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Huseyin Özgürgün said that EP’s expressions regarding Cyprus used in Turkey’s 2012 Progressing Report which was accepted on 18 April are unfair and partisan.
In his written statement regarding the issue, Özgürgün said that mentioned expressions mark to the Greek Cypriot Administration which has failed during her EU Term Presidency in about all fields and they are not real.
Adding that criticisms were the same and unfair this year as before, Özgürgün said that evaluations regarding Cyprus were the same with the Greek Cypriot side’s thesis, and the European Parliament proved their partisan attitude once more. Expressing that it was disregarded in the report that there were problems between the two equal sides in the island, Özgürgün said that there were also s
ome expressions which claim that there were some problems between Greek Cypriot Administration and Turkey and this cannot be accepted.
Moreover, Özgürgün stressed that there are some unreal expressions in the report that Turkey escaped from being in relation with the Greek Cypriot Administration during the EU Term Presidency. The report disregards the reality that the Greek Cypriot Administration, which is the essence of the 50 year old political problem in the island, is not the ‘legal government’ and not recognised by the Turkish side.
In a paragraph where the opinions regarding the solution of the Cyprus problem were expressed, Özgürgün said that there is a call to Turkey to withdraw her soldiers from the island, to transfer Maraş (Varosha) to the United Nations, and there is a call to the Greek Cypriot side to open Gazimagusa (Famagusta) port to trade under the control of EU supervision. Özgürgün qualified that as an approach which disregards the existence and rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and said that the EU, which claims that their approach will make a contribution to a solution in the island, are not conscious of the realities of the island.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION MINISTER OF ENERGY NOVAK: “WE CANNOT RISK OUR CO-OPERATION WITH TURKEY”
Russian Federation Minister of Energy, Alexander Novak, said that: “We cannot risk our co-operation with Turkey” with regard to So
uth Cyprus’s plan to make offshore explorations by getting into a partnership with big companies.
Novak had a talk with Turkish journalists in Antalya where he came to attend the 12th Turkey-Russia Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting.
Stressing that there are some unsolved difficult issues regarding Cyprus offshore and these issues are certainly taken into account by Russia, Novak stated that: “We have co-operation with the Republic of Turkey based on the past. When such cases come out, by taking into account our friendly relations we never think of violating our business principles”.
1st UNIVERSITY SPORT GAMES OF THE ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION ORGANIZATION WAS COMPLETED
1st University Sport Games of the Economic Co-operation Organization which was realized in our country for the first time was completed with an award ceremony the night before.
According to the statement made by the Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports, the sport games, where 394 players struggled from seven countries including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, TRNC and Turkey in 8 branches, lasted four days.
Evaluating the organization of the sport games for the first time in the TRNC to AA 
reporter, Minister Tatar thanked the TR Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmet Davutoglu, and Minister of Youth and Sports, Suat Kılıc, who had played a great role in obtaining an observer status of the TRNC in the Economic Cooperation Organization due to their contributions.
Expressing that the University Sports Games is an important organization in terms of the TRNC, Tatar continued : “With the help of such organizations, it is very important and meaningful to further develop the relations among countries and the development of the cultural, sport and political relations of the TRNC with these countries.”
