TRNC News Today 29th July 2013

ERTUĞ: ‘IT WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT STEP IF ISLAMIC COUNTRIES AND TURKISH REPUBLIC RECOGNISE TRNC’

Special Representative of President Derviş Eroğlu, Osman Ertuğ, said that it will be a very important step if the Islamic countries and Turkish Republic recognize the TRNC.

Speaking to the Anadolu News Agency, Ertuğ said that the negotiations which are planned to restart within 3 months should have a result and added: ‘only coming to the negotiation table does not solve the problem that’s why, we insist on a road map for the negotiations. According to the road map, negotiations should continue from the stage left, a calendar should be determined, take and give negotiations should be made and a quintet meeting should be realized with the participation of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and UK.’ Stressing that Turkish Cypriots have many disadvantages due to embargoes and isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriots, Ertuğ said that EU authorities always express during their meeting that isolations are the shame of humanity but they do not take any concrete steps. Ertuğ underlined that if the EU really want to encourage the Greek Cypriot side for a solution, they should apply their decision taken in 2004 towards lifting the isolations.

Moreover, Ertuğ stressed that although the Greek Cypriot side is a member of the EU, they do not have any principle and they make the Cyprus problem more complicated by bargaining with Russia and France for base issues and by also making military co-operation with Israel. Ertuğ added that the Greek Cypriot side brings the issue of Varosha to the negotiation table in order to cover their unwillingness for a solution and tries to marginalize the TRNC by taking Turkey as a counterpart. Ertuğ also said that it is a very negative attitude that the Turkish language, which is an official language according to 1960 constitution, has been banned in the Greek Cypriot side.

Ertuğ said “nobody has power to continue negotiations about this subject for another 5 or 10 years. We spent enough time at the negotiation table, so we want to accomplish a result. If the Greek side wants to delay, they will be alone in this game”.

Osman Ertuğ added: “If the Greek side isn’t interested in a solution and does not want to share the sovereignty, then it seems like they say ‘let us discuss the two-state solution”

“Recognition is a right”

Stating that they expect more support from the Turkic and Islamic world that they are part of, Ertuğ said “If they recognize us, we will not refuse it; it would be a significant step. We have not entered in an intense campaign for recognition because we carry on negotiations for a comprehensive solution. We know that beginning such a campaign would be exploited by the other side but this situation can’t go on. Our recognition is a right and every county wants to be recognized. We declared our state in 1983; surely we want to be recognized”.

Emphasizing that in case of the continuation of delaying the negotiations by the Greek Cypriot side they will change their attitude, Ertuğ said: “we will make the necessary attempts so that the TRNC takes part in the international arena it deserves”.

EARLY GENERAL ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED

Unofficial election results for the Early General Elections conducted in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have been announced.  The TRNC Supreme Election Board has announced the voting rates of the political parties and the number of members of parliament elected, and also it continues its studies for the determination of the names of MPs who won the elections.

According to the results of the election conducted, Republican Turkish Party – United Powers (CTP-BG) won 21 seats, National Unity Party (UBP) won 14 seats, Democrat Party- National Powers (DP-UG) won 12 seats, and Communal Democracy Party (TDP) won 3 seats in the 50-seat parliament.

CTP-BG won the elections by 38.37% of the votes and 21 seats in the parliament and became the winning party and emerged as the largest party in the elections.

120,287 of 172,803 of the voters went to the polls. According to this, the participation rate was 69.61%.

VOTING RATES AND NUMBER OF THE SEATS IN THE PARLIAMENT

CTP-BG 38.37%, 21 MPs

DP-UG 23.11%, 12 MPs

BKP 3.21%.

TDP %7.43%, 3 MPs

UBP 27.30%, 14 MPs

TRNC PRIME MINISTER SIBER AND LEADER OF REPUBLICAN TURKISH PARTY- UNITED FORCES (CTP-BG) YORGANCIOĞLU EVALUATED ELECTION RESULTS

TRNC Prime Minister Sibel Siber said that a democratic result has come out of the early election that people deserve. Siber thanked  the people due to the process of elections.

Stating: “Our aim is to have a government which belongs to the public” Siber expressed that they will continue to their path with a government model which is transparent, open and each individual feels happy.  Siber made a short statement after the results were announced at the Head Office of the Republican Turkish Party- United Forces (CTP-BG) where she was following the election results.

YORGANCIOĞLU :

Leader of the Republican Turkish Party- United Forces (CTP-BG) Ozkan Yorgancıoğlu said that the TRNC people have put forward clearly in the election results that they do not accept the practices of the former National Unity Party government.

Yorgancıoğlu said that the exact results and the number of mixed-voting have to be waited for the possibility of a coalition.

In the statement he made to the press at the Head Office building, Yorgancıoğlu also replied to the questions of journalists. In his evaluation regarding electoral turnout,Yorgancıoğlu expressed that High Electoral Council announced the electoral turnout as above 70% which is a good rate. Yorgancıoğlu recorded that this rate is good as it is summer month and holiday period.

DRUSIOTIS: “ERDOĞAN EVEN TALKED ABOUT DRAWING BACK SOLDIERS BUT CHRISTOFIAS DID NOT WANT TO TEST HIS INTENTION”

Greek Cypriot Journalist – Writer Makarios Drusiotis who has been assigned as the advisor of Greek Cypriot Leader Anastasiadis said that although the former leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration Dimitris Christofias, had an opportunity to test Turkish Republic (TR) President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2010, he did not want to test him.

Under the headline: “Makarios Drusiotis: I am at the Presidency to work and I would like to be beneficial… I did not go there to sit and wait” Greek Cypriot daily ‘Simerini’ announced the broad interviewmade with Drusiotis.

Drusiotis, who was among the Greek Cypriot journalists who met with TR Prime Minister in 2010, stated that Erdoğan met with the Greek Cypriot journalists for the first time in 2010 and replied to their questions. Drusiotis continued: “At that time Erdoğan made an attempt on an opening and becoming friends with the Greek Cypriots and he even talked about drawing back the whole of the soldiers in Cyprus.  What Christofias had to do was at least test Erdogan’s intention, but Christofias did not want to do it…”

Source : TRNC Public Information Office