TRNC News Today 17th May 2013
PRIME MINISTER KUCUK’S US VISIT IN AMERICAN AND CANADIAN PRESS
TRNC Prime Minister’s Washington contacts appeared in the American and Canadian press.
The news reported by Desmond Butler and published by Associated Press under the headline “Turkish Cypriot Leader asks for help from the US regarding the solution of the Cyprus problem” appeared on the internet sites of
press organisations like the Vancouver Sun, Montreal Gazette. According to the news Prime Minister Küçük said to Butler in an interview that restarting the negotiations this year was an opportunity for a solution.
Stating: “We think that 2013 is an opportunity to put some matters into the right way. We are expecting positive contributions from the US”.
Butler stated that the Cyprus problem was expected to be touched upon by the US President Barack Obama and TR President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in their meeting.
Expressing that natural gas explored off Cyprus and the water pipeline which is being constructed between Turkey and the TRNC are the motivating factors for an agreement, Prime Minister Küçük said that: “Either a comprehensive agreement or a temporary consensus is needed in order to be able to share these resources”.
Continuing his contacts in New York, Küçük came together with the Turkish-American Associations Federation’s officials who organized a traditional Turkish Day Parade and Festival. Küçük received the federation’s officials at the TRNC New York Representative Office.
FOREIGN MINISTER OZGURGUN: ‘SOUTH CYPRUS HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY CYPRUS PROBLEM’
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Huseyin Özgürgün, gave a speech during yesterday’s session of the General Assembly of the Parliament and noted that the Cyprus problem is a very serious problem for the TRNC but South Cyprus has also been affected by the Cyprus problem seriously.
In his speech, Özgürgün said that an agreement to be reached in the TRNC will be to the 
advantage of both the TRNC and South Cyprus.
Adding that if South Cyprus wants to solve her economic problems, she should also be willing to solve the Cyprus problem, Özgürgün noted that President Dervis Eroğlu is working to start the negotiations as soon as possible and expressed its importance to the concerned parties.
Moreover, Özgürgün pointed out that in spite of the calls of the President, Political Parties and the Government to start the negotiations, South Cyprus has not taken any steps regarding the issue.
‘Unfortunately, it may be impossible to see our future in the following days Özgürgün added.
ÇİÇEK: “TURKEY AND TRNC ARE TREATED UNJUSTLY ON CYPRUS ISSUE”
The Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), Cemil Çiçek, stated that everyone knows that Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) are treated unjustly on the Cyprus issue and added that the Turkish side favours peace and a lasting solution in the island.
Pointing out that isolations on the TRNC continue, Çiçek said: “the TRNC has become like a semi-open prison due to these unjust practices. 
There are many problems in comings and goings and also in representation. At least, representation of the TRNC in the EP as it is in the European Council will be the first step in relieving this injustice to some extent.
President of TBMM Çiçek who is having contacts in Brussels, has arranged a press conference in Turkey’s EU Permanent Representation Office.
He stated that Turkey has adopted full membership to the EU as a state policy and a strategic objective for 50 years, and said “taking fruitful steps is our expectation from the EU”
UN DOCUMENT TO ANASTASIADIS
According to the Greek Cypriot news sources it has been noted that the United Nations 
submitted a document to the Greek Cypriot Administration Leader Nikos Anastasiadis covering the agreed and disagreed points during the 2008-2012 negotiation process.
Spokesman of the Greek Cypriot Administration, Christos Stilianidis, stated that the document was submitted to Anastasiadis on his demand when he last met with the UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor to Cyprus Alexander Downer.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office
