TRNC News Today 30th September
2013
EROĞLU MET BAN KI MOON
TRNC President Derviş Eroğlu had a meeting with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on Saturday, 28thSeptember 2013.
Eroğlu and the accompanying delegation left from New York on Sunday morning to hold some meetings in Istanbul that had been pre-arranged and will return to the island on 30th September, Monday night.
Having a 20 minute meeting with Ban, Eroğlu gave a message that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready to resume the negotiations without any preconditions.
Conveying to the Secretary-General that the Cyprus issue has not got any aspect that has not been negotiated in 45 years, Eroglu stressed that only political will is needed for a solution.
Highlighting that the Turkish Cypriot side’s road map is clear, the President described the road map as; reaching an agreement until the end of the year, finalizing it in a multilateral meeting by the participation of guarantors and conducting simultaneous referenda for the two communities separately until March.
Eroğlu stated: “We have presented a proposal that intensive negotiations regarding the Cyprus problem should be launched to obtain a result in a short time; we are expecting a solution in a short time”.
Eroğlu conveyed to Ban that an agreement can be reached by completing the negotiations by the end of the year, followed by a multilateral conference and then agreement to be reached can be submitted to referenda in March simultaneously.
After having met with Secretary-General Ban, President Eroğlu held a press meeting at the Turkish Centre.
Eroğlu expressed to Ban that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready to start comprehensive solution-orientated negotiations as soon as possible within the framework of result orientation and time-frame and added: “In this respect the ball is in the Greek Cypriot side”.
Eroğlu pointed out that the Greek Cypriot side has an attitude of taking steps backwards with regard to promoted gains and putting preconditions to the launching of the process.
Eroğlu said that Anastasiadis mentioned in his letters, which he sent to the UN Secretary-General and President of the EU Commission, that the new partnership will come out with the evolutionary transformation of the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ which is completely a Greek Cypriot State.
Eroğlu continued as: “Such a position has never been the UN parameter in any phase of the negotiations. These are the subject of the negotiation of the comprehensive solution. It is obvious that the state which will be formed will be a new partnership and come out with the equal approval of the two sides. This cannot be considered in any other way.
We cannot accept some arrangements which may deactivate the safety and guarantees.
Stating that protection of bizonality as the United Nations defined is very important, Eroğlu said ‘sides should not sit at the negotiation table with preconditions and prejudices’.
Moreover, expressing that a road map should be determined to reach a permanent solution in Cyprus, President Eroğlu pointed out that we have gained some convergences during the negotiations and we can build the future of Cyprus in accordance with these convergences.
Noticing that Turkish and Greek Foreign Ministers have taken important steps with special representatives, President Eroğlu said ‘We have a favourable opinion for this step and we support it. These contacts will be achieved within the framework of equality. We evaluate this as a step which goes to multilateral meeting’.
President Eroğlu also stressed that he wished to meet with Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiadis in New York under the auspices of the UN Secretary General but we could not meet due to some political obsession of the Greek Cypriot side.
Eroğlu added that Turkish Cypriot side will continue its constructive and positive attitude to reach a solution in Cyprus.
As an answer to a question regarding Varosha, Eroglu said that the Greek Cypriot leader, Anastasiadis, brings up the issue of Varosha and tries to play with time due to internal problems.
Moreover, as an answer to another question ‘What is the other alternative for a solution?’, Eroğlu said ‘we should use this last chance by the end. If we do not reach a solution in Cyprus, then we will develop the economy and increase the investments in tourism and education sectors’.
FOREIGN MINISTER NAMİ DELIVERS A SPEECH AT ANNUAL CO-ORDINATION MEETING OF MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF OIC
“NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE RESUMED NOT LATER THAN OCTOBER”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Özdil Nami, attended the Annual Co-ordination Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) on 28 September 2013, in New York. In his speech delivered at the meeting, Foreign Minister Nami stressed that the negotiations should be resumed not later than October.
“OIC Member States are important actors of the International Community and we expect them to encourage the Greek Cypriot side to abandon its unacceptable demands and to be more forthcoming towards the solution process”, said Foreign Minister Nami, expressing his expectation from all the member states to take concrete steps towards ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people, until a comprehensive settlement was achieved in the island.
Expressing the Turkish Cypriot side’s gratitude to the OIC member states for their support extended to the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot people through successive OIC resolutions and declarations, Foreign Minister Nami pointed out that: “These resolutions and declarations call upon member states to strengthen effective solidarity with the Turkish Cypriots and to take concrete steps to end the unjust and inhuman isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriots”.
In his speech, Foreign Minister Nami also condemned the use of chemical weapons in clear violation of international norms against civilians in Syria.
In the paragraph on Cyprus, at the final communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the OIC expressed its solidarity with the Turkish Cypriots and its appreciation for their constructive efforts to attain a mutually acceptable settlement. Regretting that the last negotiation process for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue initiated under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General’s Good Offices Mission in 2008 was unable to produce a result despite the dedicated efforts of the Turkish Cypriot side, the final communiqué declared its support for a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement in Cyprus based on the inherent constitutive power of the two peoples, their political equality and co-ownership of the Island’.
Emphasizing that the Cyprus problem, which has been continuing for 50 years, should be solved through result-orientated negotiations, the final communiqué noted the negative developments in the region made it more urgent to turn Cyprus into an island of stability.
The final communiqué also called upon the member states to strengthen effective solidarity with the Turkish Cypriot State.
FOREIGN MINISTER NAMİ MEETS ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION ORGANIZATION SECRETARY GENERAL, ALESKEROV
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Özdil Nami, who was in New York with the aim of carrying out contacts within the framework of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly, as well as attending the Annual Co-ordination Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of the Islamic Co-operation, met with Shamil Aleskerov, Secretary General of the Economic Co-operation Organization, to which the TRNC was an observer member.
During the meeting, Nami expressing his desire to carry out active works within the organization and further develop existing relations with the Secretariat of the Economic Co-operation Organization and member states said, he wanted to make maximum contribution to the works of the organization.
The TRNC obtained observer member status at the Economic Co-operation Organization Summit Meeting organized in Bakü, Azerbaijan last year.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nami, also came together with the United Nations Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman at UN Headquarters last Friday (27th September).
During the meeting, Nami exchanged views on the recent phase of the negotiation process and expressed the expectations of the Turkish Cypriot side from the UN.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office
