TRNC News Today 25th September 2013

EROĜLU: “NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD LAUNCH AT THE LEVEL OF LEADERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”

President Derviş Eroğlu stressed that he has called the Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiadis to launch the negotiations at the level of leaders as soon as possible in New York under the supervision of the United Nations Secretary-General.

In the statement he made at the TRNC Representative Office in New York Eroğlu stated that they are pleased with the agreement reached on the reciprocal visit of special representatives to Turkey and Greece and added: “We have been always putting forward opinions that this could be a first step for the quartet meeting”.

President Eroğlu continued as: “We are pleased to see that the two guarantor motherlands also have the same idea. As you know we are in New York on the occasion of the 68^th UN General Assembly. I will meet also with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in addition to the other contacts I will have. The Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiadis has already met with the Secretary-General.

Meanwhile, Anastasiadis has sent a letter to the Secretary-General and also to the President of the European Commission Barosso. In these letters the Greek Cypriot side’s familiar views are repeated and the future of the negotiation process is blocked by strict positions and preconditions.  We have been following sadly how the Greek Cypriot side blocks the negotiation process with such preconditions for a long time. We hope that the international community will show the necessary reaction. We hope that Anastasiadis has designed this as an exercise oriented to the public opinion and this does not reflect the attitude that he will put forward at the table. We are analyzing the letters and the necessary responses will be given. However, it is time for Anastasiadis to prove with his actions whether he is sincere in the statements he made such as ‘the status quo cannot continue and the Cyprus problem should be solved as soon as possible’. I would like to call him as a side that puts a clear attitude forward regarding the start of the negotiations at the level of leaders as soon as possible. We wish to come together under the supervision of the Secretary-General by taking the advantage of being in New York. I hope that Anastasiadis will reply positively to our call with good intentions.

Turkey and Greece Foreign Ministers have reached a consensus after the meeting held yesterday that the visit of the two leaders’ special representatives to the motherlands would be beneficial.

President Eroğlu also came together with the General Secretary of the Organization of Islamic Co-operation Prof. Ekmeleddin Islamoglu at the Turkish Centre.

Foreign Minister Ozdil Nami, TRNC New York Representative Mehmet Dana and the Presidential Special Representative Osman Ertuğ also attended the meeting.

TURKISH PRESIDENT ABDULLAH GÜL: “NEGOTIATIONS IN CYPRUS SHOULD START NEXT MONTH”

Turkish President Abdullah Gül addressed the delegates during the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday (24, September). Speaking on Cyprus, Gül stated that the negotiations should start next month.

Turkish President Gül reminded that repeated attempts towards finding a peaceful settlement in Cyprus have ended in failure,  including the rejection of the Annan plan in 2004.

“Turkey, as a guarantor state is sincerely and fully determined towards finding a just and comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem”, Gül said, adding that for this reason, they expected the international community to urge the Greek Cypriots to reciprocate by engaging in  a result-orientated and time-framed negotiation in good faith.

Noting that the Cyprus problem should be solved by the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, Turkish President Gül said they expected the negotiations to start  as soon as next month with no “ifs” or “buts”.  “The settlement of the Cyprus question  is essential  to a stable  and peaceful Eastern Mediterranean” Gül said.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Abdullah Gül came together with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Monday (23 September). The President reiterated that Turkey’s will for a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus was certain and clear and was also shared by the Turkish Cypriots. Turkish President Abdullah Gül  underlined that if the Greek Cypriots positively responded to these steps, progress would be made towards a  settlement.

Source: TRNC Public Information Office