TRNC News Today 22nd November 2013
TRNC PRESIDENT EROĞLU AND LEADER OF GREEK CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION ANASTASIADES WILL MEET
TRNC President Derviş Eroğlu will meet with the leader of Greek Cypriot Administration – Nicos Anastasiades on the 25th November at the buffer zone.
According to a statement made by the TRNC Presidency, the meeting between 
Nicos Anastasiades and Derviş Eroğlu will be held at Chateau Status Restaurant at the buffer zone. Special Representatives and their teams will also participate in the meeting.
In the statement, it was recorded that the idea of a meeting of the two leaders came out during a telephone conversation when Eroğlu called Anastasiades to express his and the people’s condolences to Anastasiades upon the death of the former leader of the Greek Cypriot administration Glafkos Clerides.
Subsequently, details were discussed at the meetings held between Special Representatives Ertuğ and Mavroyannis.
It was evaluated in the statement that the meeting which would be held was a positive development for the Turkish Cypriot side.
PRESIDENT EROĞLU: “IT’S THE TIME FOR UNITY”
President Derviş Eroğlu said that the Greek Cypriot side was insisting on a joint statement which should contain everything they desire whereas nothing that the Turkish Cypriots demand. Eroğlu added: “No, I don’t accept this. If their sensitivities will be included then ours also must be included in the joint statement. If our sensitivities will not be written, then theirs also must not be written.”
President Derviş Eroğlu made an opening address at the 3rd World Turkish Cypriot Congress which started at Acapulco Hotel in Girne yesterday 22nd November 2013. The Speaker of the Assembly – Sibel Siber, 2nd President 
Mehmet Ali Talat, and the Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Halil İbrahim Akça were also present at the opening of the Congress.
Indicating that it was the time for unity, Eroğlu added: “Whoever wants to contribute and give any proposals should do so and we will evaluate.
Eroğlu continued: “We as the Turkish Cypriots are not condemned to continue negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side. We will not and cannot sit for another 50 years at the negotiation table.”
Eroğlu said that the UN had stated that a small window of opportunity still remained and he added that the Greek Cypriot side had not returned to the negotiation table for 9 months now.
President Eroğlu said that the Greek Cypriots are hesitating to return to the negotiation table due to evaluations that may be made by the UN and the steps that the Turkish side may take.
‘We all favour a solution based on political equality, one that will safeguard our sovereignty and also bi-zonal federation that will continue the guarantee agreements’ said the President and reiterated that the Turkish Cypriot side will not be condemned to sit at the negotiation table for another 50 years.
SIBER: “OUR LOBBY ACTIVITIES ARE WEAK”
The Speaker of the Assembly – Sibel Siber said in her speech at the Congress:
“We have been struggling for 50 years. Our weakest point is the lobby activities”.
Indicating that due to being a small community and economic difficulties they were weak in lobby activities Siber said that Turkish Cypriots who live abroad were an important power in this issue.
AKİL:“CONVERGENCES SHOULD BE RESPECTED”
Undersecretary of the Ministry – Hilmi Akil gave a speech on behalf of Foreign Minister – Özdil Nami. Akil said that negotiations were expected to start again and the voice of Turkish Cypriots living abroad and those living in the TRNC should be heard all together.
Akil also said that the first priority of the Turkish Cypriots was to reach a federal solution based on the UN parameters, 
bi-zonality, bi-communality, and political equality and added that it was very important to respect the convergences reached at the negotiations between the two sides. Indicating that the Greek Cypriot Administration did not confirm to be loyal to the existing convergences, Akil said that they asked the UN to confirm approaches at this point and to encourage the Greek side to come to the negotiation table.
Akil also said that the Greek Cypriot side put forward the joint statement as a precondition for the start of negotiations and this also showed that they were reluctant in resuming the negotiations.
Indicating that the Foreign Minister – Özdil Nami came together with Stefan Füle, Akil added that Füle said in the meeting that the EU would not be involved in the negotiations unless it was demanded by both sides.
Akil said that the untouched issues should be discussed until the end of the year and a new comprehensive solution plan should be prepared by the end of the year and added that simultaneous referenda should be held in March. Akil finally expressed that if a solution could not be reached then joint efforts with Turkey in order to remove the obstacles faced by the Turkish Cypriots should be intensified.
ERDOĞAN: “LET’S WORK TO REACH A SETTLEMENT IN CYPRUS”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan referred to the Cyprus issue at his interview with the official publication of Russia, Rossiyskaya Gazeta and said that the sides on the island and Guarantor States should work to reach a solution.
Pointing out that it wasn’t appropriate to make unilateral statements, Erdoğan said that he discussed the issue with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during the last G 20 Summit in St. Petersburg. Stating that he also presented a settlement proposal on the Cyprus issue to Ban Ki-moon, Erdoğan stressed that he reminded the Secretary-General that the efforts in this direction took a long time.
Erdoğan also conveyed to Ban that during the negotiation process, which began during Annan’s term and continued with Ban, a solution couldn’t be found to the Cyprus problem.
Erdoğan continued that in spite of these developments, the Turkish Cypriot leader and Greek Cypriot leader could still sit at the negotiation table and spend efforts to solve the problem. Pointing out that the Guarantor States could also take place in these works, Erdoğan said: “Let’s come together as the Guarantor States; Turkey, Greece and the UK, at the negotiation table and settle this long lasting issue.”
SUPPORT FROM ERDOĞAN TO AGREEMENT SIGNED BY KTFF AND KOP
Expressing their support to the Agreement signed by the Cyprus Turkish Football Federation (KTFF) and Cyprus Football Federation (KOP), Erdoğan continued: “KTFF and KOP recently have signed an agreement to represent the island as a whole. I expect this step to contribute to the political process.”
TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER DAVUTOĞLU: ‘SOLUTION SHOULD NOT BE LATE’
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that the Turkish Government follows a two sided policy on the Cyprus 
problem because on one side, they strengthen the TRNC and on the other side, they encourage the peace talks in the island.
Expressing that a new opportunity has arisen after the elections held in the Greek Cypriot side, Turkish FM said that relations will be developed after the Athens visit of the TRNC representative and the Greek Cypriot representative’s Ankara visit. ‘We desire to speed up the solution process in the forthcoming months’ Davutoğlu added.
Moreover, it was stated that Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey met with Mr. Jan Eliasson, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General on November 20, 2013 in İstanbul.
Expressing their annoyance for the delaying of a solution in Cyprus, Eliasson said that the UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus – Alexander Downer, is spending great efforts to strengthen the process.
EROĞLU AWARDS ‘TRNC STATE MEDAL’ TO IHSANOĞLU
President Derviş Eroglu has awarded the TRNC State medal to the Secretary Gener
al of Organization of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu for developing relations between the TRNC and OIC.
According to the statement of the TRNC Presidency, a ceremony has been organized at the Presidential Palace today the 22nd November 2013 at 11:00 in order to award the TRNC State medal to Prof. Dr. İhsanoğlu.
FOREIGN MINISTER NAMI CONTINUES TO BRIEF NGO’S
TRNC Foreign Minister – Özdil Nami, is continuing the meetings in order to brief the Non-Governmental Organizations on the Cyprus issue.
The Representatives of Tıp-İş, Sağlık-Sen , Basın-Sen, DAU-SEN, DAU-BİR-SEN Çağ-Sen participated in the meeting held at the Ministry yesterday the 21st November 2013.
Nami made a speech at the beginning of the meeting and stated that he will provide information about the current stage and will receive the opinions from representatives of unions. Nami said he would continue with the briefings.
Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations who attended the meeting thanked Foreign Minister Özdil Nami for the briefing and for providing the opportunity to communicate their views.
MINISTER HAMIT BAKIRCI: “WE CAN SHARE WATER WITH SOUTH CYPRUS”
Environment and Natural Resources Minister – Hamit Bakırcı stated that they denominate the water to be carried with 
he “Water Supply Project” from Turkey to TRNC as the “water of peace” and said: “water is the problem of the world as well as South Cyprus. In the event of an agreement, we can share the water with them”.
In an interview with Anatolia Agency, Minister Bakırcı evaluated the “Water Supply Project”. He stated that the project was important not only for Turkey, but also for South Cyprus and the TRNC.
On the other hand, 90% of the Alaköprü Dam in Mersin which is being built within the framework of the ‘Water supply project’ has been completed.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office
