TRNC News Today 5th August 2013
EROĞLU:‘NEGOTIATIONS WILL START IN OCTOBER… WE WISH THE GREEK SIDE TO COME TO THE NEGOTIATION TABLE SINCERELY’
The 53rdanniversary of “Traditional Grape Festival” organized by Mehmetçik Municipality has started. In his opening speech, TRNC President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu pointed out that 
negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem will restart in October and wished that the Greek Cypriot side would sit at the negotiation table sincerely, and added that the world should understand that the side which desires an agreement is the Turkish Cypriot side, not the Greek Cypriot side.
Stating that peoples exist with their cultures, President Derviş Eroğlu said the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a fact that is known by the world. Even though only Turkey recognizes us, we have all factors, land, government that a State has, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is once more understood by the world again with such festivals’.
PRIME MINISTER SIBER CONTINUES HER MISSION
It was reported that Prime Minister Sibel Siber offered her
resignation to President Dervis Eroğlu following the Early General Elections held on 28 July.
Stating that she offered her resignation to the President according to the law in order to give opportunity to the new government to be formed, Prime Minister Siber said that President Eroğlu thanked her for her services until today and demanded from her to continue her mission until the new government is formed.
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS EVALUATED UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kutlay Erk, has expressed that what the Turkish Cypriot side expects from the United Nations is to motivate the Greek Cypriot side which has avoided taking any concrete steps since the first day when the negotiations stopped.
Erk said that the resolution which was adopted by the UN Security Council on 30th July and extends the term of duty of the UN Peace Keeping Force until 31st January 2014 is insufficient to reflect the current situation in the island as it has amended the previous report with only a minimum change.
Insufficiency on Missing Persons Issue:
Erk continued: “As it is stated in the report that Missing Persons Committee’s 
excavation work is proceeding positively in the North and all the requested excavation sites in the North have been reached, it is worrying that these realities which were also acknowledged by the UN Peace Force on the island were not reflected in an objective way in the resolution.”
Stressing that the related sentence regarding the joint statement of the leaders dated 23rd May and 1stJuly 2008 which took place as habitual in the previous resolutions was not mentioned in the resolution and this is a very serious insufficiency, Minister Erk said: “As it is not being addressed to the mentioned joint statement and made no commitment regarding restarting the negotiations where it was left off this situation does not motivate the Greek Cypriots to start the result-orientated negotiation process”.
Pointing out that it has been ignored in the report that the negotiation process has been interrupted, Erk continued:
‘DESPITE THE CALL FOR THE LAST PLAY, AGAIN AND AGAIN, THE GREEK SIDE AVOIDED TAKING A STEP’
‘It should not be forgotten that despite the call by the UN Secretary General in order to make an effort for the last play in the negotiations again and again until January 2012, the Greek side avoided taking a step, which resulted in an end in May 2012 and pushed the negotiation process to an unknown phase due to the economic crisis and Governmental elections in February 2013.’’
‘GREEK SIDE MADE NO PREPARATIONS’
Kutlay Erk, having reminded that the Greek side had no preparations towards negotiations and waited until 16th July 2013 in order to appoint a special representative, continued:
“In addition, a working dinner between the two leaders which was foreseen to have taken place in April was delayed repeatedly until 30th May by the Greek side and attempts were made to turn the meeting into a social dinner in order to avoid discussing the negotiations.
On the other hand, we are optimistic about having set the negotiation agenda and launching the negotiations in October as a consequence. Having made it clear that Turkish Cypriots want the negotiations launched as soon as possible and to reach a comprehensive solution, they hope that all the related parties exert their efforts not to carry on the same status quo but to reach a comprehensive solution.”
HOPE FOR A MORE POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER
Foreign Affairs Minister Kutlay Erk remarked that they are looking forward to seeing the manner of the Greek side and hope to meet a more positive and constructive manner.
In his speech Erk said: “Turkish Cypriots’ expectation is to resume the negotiations with a give and take process, followed by an intimacy and a higher up meeting between the two sides in the island and the guarantors at which all the issues left unsolved will be discussed and a final solution which will be submitted to the approval of the two communities by referenda concurrently and added that the UN Security Council Resolution only serves to the status quo.
Having said that the two sides waiting for a concrete progress have both lost, Erk ended his speech:
‘We would prefer all the diplomatic initiatives made by the Greek side were for a consensus and a resolution in the island. It is not understandable how the Greek side saved a budget for the UN Peacekeeping Forces in Cyprus and helped foreign country citizens’ employment instead of its own citizens who suffer from serious unemployment and an economic crisis.
As the Turkish Cypriot side, our expectation from the UN is to encourage the Greek side, which has made no concrete attempts since the halt of previous negotiations, in order to launch significant and result orientated negotiations in October.”
Source : TRNC Public Information Office
