TRNC News Today 11th

February 2014

“Naysayers running out of false hope”

“Presidents  Anastasiades and Dervis Eroglu will meet at Nicosia International Airport this morning to sign the joint declaration that signals the start of negotiations. It took more than four months of squabbling over the wording to reach agreement on the final text, made possible thanks to the forceful intervention of the US government, which has shown a strong interest in the resumption of the process.

Ever since announcing that the declaration had been agreed, Anastasiades has had to contend with the hysterical criticism by the anti-settlement parties, including his government partner DIKO which has been publicly urging him to abandon the agreement. The objective of the hardliners is to create an anti-settlement climate by interpreting every paragraph of the declaration in the most negative way possible by resorting to gross misinformation, claiming it would lead to something worse than the Annan plan. The talks had not even begun, but the merchants of negativity already knew the outcome would be ‘catastrophic’.

The President has avoided a confrontational stance with his critics. He issued a statement on Sunday calling for unity, urging everyone to work together for a settlement that would establish a modern European state for all the citizens of the island.  Anastasiades will give a news conference to explain every point in the declaration and allow people to decide for themselves whether it is as terrible as his critics have been maintaining.  It is the correct decision, because the anti-settlement camp cannot be allowed to distort reality and misinform the public without being challenged.

Anastasiades must also call on his critics to abandon their abject negativity and inform the public what they propose as an alternative to a negotiated settlement. Do they want to wage war against Turkey or do they support partition? These are the only alternatives to a negotiated settlement open to us. Every other attempt to secure something better – UN resolutions, enlightenment campaigns, united defense dogma, assertive diplomacy, EU membership, blocking Turkey’s EU accession course, recourses to the European Court of Human Rights – has failed. The hardliners have run out of false hopes to give people.

There is now an opportunity, possibly the last one, for a settlement other than partition. The US government is keen to help because its plans for the region would be served by a settlement.

Turkey is also serious about a settlement, which is why Eroglu’s hard-line negotiator has been replaced by the more positive Kudret Özersay who would be directly answerable to Ankara. Even the EU will fully back the process and lend its support. This is an opportunity we must seize as there might not be another.

Anastasiades’ critics do not want him to seize this opportunity, in the hope there will not be another one and they would achieve their real objective that they are ashamed to admit – partition.”

Source :Cyprus Mail – click here to view

February 11, 2014

EROĞLU AND ANASTASIADES WILL MEET

 TRNC President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu and Leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration – Anastasiades will meet in the buffer zone today (11.02.2014). The negotiations have been interrupted since the 29th March 2012 because of the economic crisis and the Greek Cypriot leadership elections in South Cyprus.

The meeting, which will be under the supervision of the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Cyprus, will begin at 11:30 am at the UN Conference Centre in the buffer zone.

A common statement is planned to be made following the meeting.

NAMİ: “A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CAN BE PUT TO THE REFERENDUM OF BOTH SIDES” 

TRNC Foreign Affairs Minister – Özdil Nami made a statement concerning the Cyprus negotiation process and said  “Lessons can be learned from mistakes made in the past and if a will for reaching a federal solution in the island is reflected, then a new comprehensive plan can be put to the referendum of both sides after a negotiation process to be continued after only a few months not years”.

Foreign Minister Nami evaluated the process reactivated after a long time to the reporter of Anatolia Agency.  Stating that he evaluated the recent developments with the EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle in Brussels, Nami pointed out that they discussed the process related with the text of a joint statement and also the steps taken by the Turkish Cypriots for the European Union. Adding that the meeting was in a positive atmosphere and the visit of Füle to Cyprus in the upcoming period is expected, Nami emphasized that there is an increasing interest in Cyprus in the world and a new process concerning the solution has started.

NAMİ: “SUPPORT OF ALL POLITICAL PARTIES IS IMPORTANT”

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami has evaluated his contacts in Brussels and the re-launch of the Cyprus negotiations process on BRT. Nami said that he had a positive meeting with the EU Commissioner for Enlargement  – Stefan Füle.

Recording that the EU gave great support to the negotiations, Nami said that the timing of the re-launch of the negotiations was perfect.

Stating that the result reached on the joint statement was important, Nami touched upon the importance of support of all political parties in the process.

Nami also gave information on the content of the joint statement.

Stressing that the joint statement included parameters such as a federal solution, political equality, single sovereignty, single international identity, Nami expressed that a possible agreement would be accepted by a simultaneous referendum in both sides.

Noting that there was suspicion on both sides of the island, Foreign Minister Nami recorded that in order to be successful we must first believe.

Nami stated that the process should be backed and the Greek leader’s statements: ‘The issues which were agreed on before me are not my concern’  should not be dwelled upon.

When being asked about the USA’s role, Nami said that great progress has been made on the joint statement since Nuland came to the island and Nuland encouraged the Greek Cypriot leader.

Nami recorded that he supported President Eroğlu’s statement:  ‘If my interlocutor comes with a strong political will, then the issue can be put to a referendum within 3 to 4 months’.

Emphasizing that the natural gas and petrol issue was one of the issues encouraging the solution process; Nami stated that the Greek Cypriots could put the opening of Maraş on the table as a confidence building measure.

Nami said: “They can put it on the agenda during a specific phase of the process under the chapter of confidence building measures. The important thing is a comprehensive solution. All the issues under the main chapters should be solved.”

Explaining the importance of the support of Turkey and Greece, Nami also touched upon the relations with the EU.

Nami explained the economical contributions of a possible agreement with examples.

Nami noted that the political attitude put forward by the political will was important during the negotiation process and he said that the Turkish side actively took place in this process with a team spirit.

Nami added that the issue of guarantorship was one of the 6 main chapters, but it has not been discussed at the level of leaders yet.

KUDRET ÖZERSAY: “THERE ARE MANY SIGNS THAT A VERY SERIOUS NEGOTIATION PROCESS IS ON THE WAY”

Associated Professor Kudret Özersay, who was appointed as the negotiator by President Derviş Eroğlu on Saturday, made important statements regarding the upcoming Cyprus negotiations process. He said that there are many signs that a very serious negotiation process is on the way and added that all international participants are involved in the process.

Özersay said: “This does not mean that foreigners will solve this problem. In the end, even if not only, but particularly, it is the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots who will make an agreement and put this agreement into force.” 

DAVUTOĞLU DISCUSSED CYPRUS ISSUE WITH KERRY

TR Foreign Minister – Ahmet Davutoğlu had a phone conversation with the USA Minister of State John Kerry and took up the latest developments in Cyprus and Syria.

According to the diplomatic resources, Davutoğlu spoke to John Kerry the previous night.

It has been stated that the latest developments in Cyprus have been evaluated and the two Ministers pointed out  the importance of the support to be given to the negotiations launched in Cyprus.

Source: TRNC Public Information Office