TRNC News Today – 13th December 2013
TRNC SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ERTUĞ: “WE DO NOT THINK THAT WORKS HAVE REACHED DEADLOCK. WE ARE WAITING FOR GREEK CYPRIOTS’ REPLY”
TRNC Presidency Special Representative – Osman Ertuğ has stressed that the Greek Cypriots’ statements related to the collapse of the period gave the impression of a pre-planned scenario.
In his written statement, Ertuğ recorded that the Turkish Cypriot side does not think that the works have reached deadlock and any positive reply from the Greek Cypriot side would pave the way for the full-fledged negotiations.
Ertuğ said: “In this period when the efforts of a joint statement have rea
ched a determinant phase, some lapse and misleading statements have been made by the Greek Cypriot side orientated to public opinion. We, as the side which has been working in harmony with the representatives of the United Nations since the beginning, showing flexibility and making initiatives, receive these statements with great surprise and sadness.”
Expressing that the works related to the joint statement have reached the current phase by the Turkish Cypriot side’s positive and constructive contributions, Ertuğ stated that the diplomatic sides that are following the issue also acknowledged this.
Recording that the works at the latest phase focused on the viability of the new partnership state which was foreseen to be established and its continuation in the future, Ertuğ noted: “The Turkish Cypriot side adopted the proposal presented by the UN, took the necessary steps to guarantee and put it into the joint statement.”
Ertuğ continued that just at the phase when it was conceived that a positive result has been reached, the Greek Cypriot side’s statements from official sources and official news agency as: ‘the process has collapsed and reached deadlock” only harm the process.
TALAT: ‘MAGUSA PORT CANNOT BE EXCHANGED WITH VAROSHA’
The 2nd President – Mehmet Ali Talat said that it was not right to compare
the issue of the return of Varosha with the issue of Magusa Port’s opening to direct trade. Pointing out that the issue of Varosha is an important part of the Cyprus problem, Talat said that a package of confidence building measures which includes ‘Varosha’ can be taken into consideration.
Moreover, Talat noticed that the issue of Varosha can only be compared with Ercan. In case of Varosha’s return to the Greek Cypriot side, another step should be taken towards solution of Cyprus problem. Other isolations should also be lifted in addition to Ercan. Talat also underlined that the return of Varosha was more difficult than a solution of Cyprus problem.
DAVUTOGLU WILL VISIT TRNC TOMORROW
The Turkish Foreign Minister – Ahmet Davutoğlu will visit the TRNC on 14th December Saturday . Davutoğlu will first 
be meeting with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Özdil Nami.
He will then meet in turn with Prime Minister – Özkan Yorgancıoğlu and the Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly – Sibel Siber before being received by President Derviş Eroğlu.
President Derviş Eroğlu and the Turkish Foreign Minister – Ahmet Davutoğlu will be holding a joint press conference following the working lunch. Davutoğlu will leave the island in the evening.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Minister will be going to the Greek Capital of Athens as guest of his Greek counterpart – Envangelos Venizelos.
Turkish – Greek relations and the preparations for the ‘High Level Co-operation Council Meeting’ are expected to dominate the agenda of the meeting between the two Foreign Ministers.
COMMITTEE ON MISSING PERSONS URGE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON MISSING PERSONS TO CALL THE PHONE NUMBER 181
The Missing Persons Committee in Cyprus has urged people who have any knowledge or information related to persons who went missing during events between 1963-1964 and in 1974 to call the phone number 181.
The Turkish Cypriot, Greek Cypriot and the United Nations member of the Missing Persons Committee in Cyprus held a joint press conference at the UN controlled buffer zone. The 
Turkish Cypriot member of the Committee – Gülden Plümer Küçük said that despite all difficulties the committee has been continuously working to end the misery of the families of both Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot missing persons.
Küçük also noted that in 2013 alone they have reached a total of 131 missing persons, 88 of them Greek Cypriots and 43 of them Turkish Cypriots.
Also speaking, the Greek Cypriot member of the Committee – Theophilos Theophilou said that the Committee has assumed an important and difficult mission to find the remains of 2001 people who have been determined as missing. Theophilou also stated that the main target of the committee was to reach more missing persons in a short period of time and that they needed the help of all Cypriots to achieve this target.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office
