North Cyprus – TRNC News Today 23rd January 2014 – Greek Cypriot leaders starting to accept need of gas pipeline towards Turkey.
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TRNC News Today 23rd January 2014
PRESIDENT EROĞLU: “ANASTASIADES MUST BE CONVINCED”
Sending a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, President Derviş Eroğlu notified: “The Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades must be convinced either to accept the Turkish Cypriots’ proposal dated 14th December 2013 or sit at the table without any precondition”
It was stressed in his letter:“The short joint statement in the Greek Cypriot leader’s letter sent to the Secretary General on 2nd January is lack of sincerity” and Eroğlu reminded: “In the beginning, the first draft was prepared as a short text, but the Greek Cypriot side has tried to fill the text with self-orientated issues, so the efforts have resulted in a complicated process which drags on.”
President Derviş Eroğlu emphasized: “The way out at the stage reached is to make the Greek Cypriot side give up its negative attitude towards the present Turkish Cypriot proposal prepared by the participation of all related participants and convince them to sit at the negotiation table without any precondition.”
FOREIGN MINISTER NAMI MET USA AMBASSADOR KOENIG
Foreign Minister Özdil Nami met USA Ambassador to Lefkoşa – John M. Koenig today (23rd January).
Nami evaluated the latest stage reached in the Cyprus problem with the USA Ambassador to Lefkoşa, Koenig, at the meeting which took place in the Foreign Ministry.
EU HIGH LEVEL OFFICIALS: “AN URGENT SOLUTION IN CYPRUS IS NEEDED”
President of the European Commission and Council of Europe – Jose Manuel Barroso and President of the European Parliament – Herman Van Rompuy has expressed that finding a comprehensive solution for the Cyprus i
ssue was urgently needed.
The European Union high level officials met with TR Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 21st January in Brussels regarding the Cyprus issue.
Turkey has promised to do her best with regard to making progress in negotiations to be realized to reach an agreement in Cyprus.
Jose Manuel Barroso and Herman Van Rompuy recorded that the solution of the Cyprus issue would have a positive effect on Turkey’s desire of joining to the European Union.
In the joint press meeting held after the meetings, 
Herman Van Rompuy pointed out that a comprehensive solution was needed for the Cyprus issue and this would be for the benefit of the sides.
Rompuy stated that he supported all the sides in launching the negotiations as soon as possible.
Council of Europe President – Jose Manuel Barroso also stressed in his statement that a solution for the Cyprus issue would create a positive result on the European Union-Turkey relations and added that he conveyed this message to the political sides in Cyprus.
“OIL AND NATURAL GAS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE PROCESS”
Ex-foreign Minister of the Greek Cypriot Administration Nikos Rolandis has said that natural gas and oil issues should be included in the Cyprus negotiation process.
Making a statement to the Kıbrıs Newspaper, Rolandis indicated that even if he has little hope for the solution of the problem there is a possibility.
Stressing that oil and natural gas are highly valued Rolandis said that this issue should not be ignored while solving the Cyprus problem.
Rolandis said that natural gas and oil issues should be included in the Cyprus negotiation process and added: “you cannot solve the rest of the problem by ignoring a great value that you have. What are you going to do then? Are you going to discuss natural gas and oil for the next 40 years?”
Nikos Rolandis said that the issues like sovereignty, citizenship and international representation discussed in the joint statement were easy to solve.
BRYZA REITERATES HIS CO-OPERATION PROPOSAL ON THE ISSUE OF NATURAL GAS
The US Department of State’s former authority, Matthew Bryza reiterated his proposal for building a natural gas pipeline from Israel to Turkey.
Bryza expressed that building a natural gas pipeline has strategic advantages as well as economic advantages in 
relation to natural gas fluidization terminal which is planned to be built in the Greek Cypriot side because it gives a chance to improve strategic partnership relations between Israel and Turkey.
Expressing that this case can lead Turkey to an agreement on the issue of Cyprus, Bryza called the USA and EU to make contribution for actualizing this target. Bryza added that Greek Cypriot leaders have started to accept economical need of a natural gas pipeline towards Turkey.
In his article published in American News Agency Bloomberg, Bryza noted that the Greek Cypriot side’s participation is needed for uniting Israel and Turkey. The pipeline will pass through Greek territorial waters and this could finance the building of natural gas fluidization facilities to be built in the Greek Cypriot side.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office
