North Cyprus – TRNC News Today 12th Fenruary – Cyprus Re-Negotiations Launched

TRNC NEWS TODAY – 12th February 2014

CYPRUS NEGOTIATIONS RE-LAUNCHED YESTERDAY (11.02.2014)

The Cyprus negotiations process was re-launched yesterday. President Derviş Eroğlu and the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades met together and agreed on the joint statement. The meeting which started at 11:30am was held at the United Nations Conference Centre at the Buffer Zone and lasted for an hour and a half.

The meeting was held under the supervision of the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus – Lisa Buttenheim.

Making a statement at the end of the meeting the UN Special Representative – Lisa Buttenheim read out the joint statement that was agreed by the two leaders on the island. The statement is as follows:

“The two leaders had their first meeting today under the auspices of the UN Secretary General’s Good Offices mission. The meeting was held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere and the two leaders have agreed on the following Joint statement:

1.  The status quo is unacceptable and its prolongation will have negative consequences for the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The leaders affirmed that a settlement would have a positive impact on the entire region, while first and foremost benefiting Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, respecting democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms as well as each other’s distinct identity and integrity and ensuring their common future in a united Cyprus within the European Union.

2.   The leaders expressed their determination to resume structured negotiations in a results-oriented manner. All unresolved core issues will be on the table and will be discussed interdependently. The leaders will aim to reach a settlement as soon as possible and hold separate simultaneous referenda thereafter.

3.   The settlement will be based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality as set out in the relevant Security Council Resolutions and the High Level Agreements. The united Cyprus, as a member of the United Nations and of the European Union, shall have a single, international legal personality and a single sovereignty which is defined as the sovereignty which is enjoyed by all member States of the United Nations, under the UN Charter and which emanates equally from Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. There will be a single united Cyprus citizenship, regulated by federal law. All citizens of the United Cyprus shall also be citizens of either the Greek-Cypriot constituent state or the Turkish-Cypriot constituent state. This status shall be internal and shall complement and not substitute in any way the united Cyprus citizenship.

The powers of the federal government and like matters that are clearly incidental to its specified powers, will be assigned by the constitution. The Federal constitution will also provide for the residual powers to be exercised by the constituent states. The constituent states will exercise fully and irrevocably all their powers free from encroachment by the federal government. The federal laws will not encroach upon constituent state laws within the constituent states’ area of competences and the constituent states’ laws will not encroach upon the federal laws within the federal government’s competences. Any dispute in respect thereof will be adjudicated finally by the Federal Supreme Court. Neither side may claim authority or jurisdiction over the other.

4.  The united Cyprus federation shall result from the settlement following the settlement’s approval by separate simultaneous referenda. The federal constitution shall prescribe that the united Cyprus federation shall be composed of two constituent states of equal status. The bi-zonal, bi-communal nature of the federation and the principles upon which the EU is founded will be safeguarded and respected throughout the island. The Federal constitution shall be the supreme law of the land and will be binding on all the federation’s authorities and on the constituent states. Union in whole or in part with any other country or any form of partition or secession or any other unilateral change to the state of affairs will be prohibited.

5.  The negotiations are based on the principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

6.  The appointed representatives are fully empowered to discuss any issue at any time and should enjoy parallel access to all stakeholders and interested parties in the process, as needed. The leaders of the two communities will meet as often as needed. They retain the ultimate decision-making power. Only an agreement freely reached by the leaders may be put to separate simultaneous referenda. Any kind of arbitration is excluded.

7.  The sides will seek to create a positive atmosphere to ensure the talks succeed. They commit to avoid blame games or other negative public comments on the negotiations. They also commit to efforts to implement confidence building measures that will provide dynamic impetus to the prospect for a united Cyprus.”

Upon completing the reading of the statement Mrs. Buttenheim also said that the leaders have instructed their negotiators to meet again this week. 

The press conference ended with the leaders shaking hands.

PRESIDENT EROĞLU: “TWO NEGOTIATORS WILL PREPARE THE PROCESS STEP BY STEP”

Highlighting that the joint statement included abstract and open-ended expressions, hence it could not be thought that the Cyprus issue was solved with such a statement, President Derviş Eroğlu said: “What will take us to a comprehensive solution is a structured process including give-and-take”.

Eroğlu stated that they proposed ‘a defined negotiation process’ within this framework yesterday which would take the sides to a solution step by step. Eroğlu added that the two negotiators would come together on Friday (14.02.2014) to prepare the program of the process step by step and the structured negotiations would become clearer.

PRIME MINISTER ÖZKAN YORGANCIOĞLU: “WE WILL TRY OUR BEST TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS PUT FORWARD”

 Prime Minister Özkan Yorgancıoğlu announced that he would try his best to support the efforts put forward in order to solve the Cyprus issue which had been continuing for 50 years,   with a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation based on the political equality of the two constituent states.

 Yorgancıoğlu stressed that on one hand the Government would be an active side of the solution process and on the other hand it would be the greatest supporter of the President, Derviş Eroğlu, in all positive efforts he would put forward to carry the negotiations to a further phase.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the joint statement created an important ground with regard to planning of the negotiation process and the issues that would be taken up by the leaders and it was also a document contributing to the progress of the negotiations like a precious guide.

Yorgancıoğlu continued: “In the following process, all related sides should put forward a constructive attitude and carry forward the negotiations to result in a way which will bring absolute peace to the Island”.

TURKEY DESIRES A FAIR AND PERMANENT POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE CYPRUS PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

 The Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Press Center made a statement about the Cyprus negotiations last night.

It was stated in the statement that Turkey desires a fair and permanent political solution to the Cyprus problem as soon as possible and continued: “Within this framework our Government will continue to give constructive support to result in orientated efforts towards the successful ending of the negotiation process which has been re-launched on the island and will continue to be a step forward as it has been so far”.

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN Kİ-MOON AND THE SECURITY COUNCIL WARMLY WELCOMED RE-LAUNCHING OF NEGOTIATIONS

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council warmly welcomed the re-launching of negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem and pledged the commitment of the United Nations to these efforts.

Mr. Ban, in a statement issued in New York, welcomed the finalization of a joint communiqué and a formal re-launch of the talks by Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, who met today (11/02/2014) at the UN Protected Area in the capital, Nicosia.

“I commend the leaders for their commitment to resuming negotiations and for their hard work in the past months to reach what is an important statement of shared principles and invaluable basis for renewed talks,” said the Secretary-General.

“The United Nations will continue to support the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in their efforts to reunify the island and move on from decades of separation. I personally pledge our resolute commitment to these efforts.”

The UN has been facilitating talks between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leadership, with a view to the eventual establishment of a federal government with a single international personality, consisting of a Turkish Cypriot Constituent State and a Greek Cypriot Constituent State, each of equal status.

Mr. Ban also recognized the “indispensable” role played up to this point by his Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alexander Downer.

Mr. Downer, who was appointed in September 2008, has informed the Secretary-General that now that the joint communiqué has been achieved, he has decided to take up a new position and step down as Special Adviser.

In a press statement issued later in the day, the Security Council echoed many of the UN chief’s sentiments and expressed hope that the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders will take advantage of the opportunity “to reach a comprehensive settlement based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality,” as set out in the relevant Council resolutions.

“The Security Council reiterates its full support for the process and underlines the benefits that reunification will bring to the island, the members of the 15-nation body said, adding that they look forward to substantive progress in the negotiations as soon as possible.

Finally, the Council expressed deep appreciation at the perseverance and commitment of Mr. Downer, since September 2008, and wished him well in his future endeavours.

The UN has deployed a peacekeeping force in Cyprus, known as UNFICYP, since 1964, when inter-communal fighting erupted on the Mediterranean island.

STATEMENT FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION ON THE AGREEMENT REACHED BY THE GREEK CYPRIOT AND TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS ON A JOINT DECLARATION AND ON THE RESUMPTION OF THE NEGOTIATIONS

The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, issued today the following statement:

The European Union welcomes the agreement announced today by the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders on a Joint Declaration, which lays a solid foundation for resumption of negotiations for a fair and viable comprehensive settlement of the long-standing Cyprus problem. This Joint Declaration should help them to swiftly address matters of substance and to achieve rapid results in the negotiations. President Barroso and President Van Rompuy congratulate and salute the courage the two leaders have shown in agreeing it.

At the time of accession of Cyprus, the European Union declared its readiness to accommodate the terms of a settlement in line with the principles on which the Union is founded. As previously announced, the European Commission is keen to play its part in supporting the negotiations, conducted under UN auspices and to offer all the support the parties and the UN find most useful. As the negotiations resume, President Barroso’s personal representative will contribute actively to the search for constructive solutions in compliance with the EU acquis to overcome outstanding problems. In parallel, the European Commission will also step up its efforts to help the Turkish Cypriot Community prepare for implementation of the acquis.

The European Union also supports the efforts to reach an agreement between the two parties on a package of Confidence-Building Measures which can help to create momentum towards a settlement to the benefit of Cypriot people. The European Union stands ready to look creatively at how to contribute to this objective in the prospects of a final settlement.

Source: TRNC Public Information Office