TRNC News Today 7^th November 2014

Eide: “I have arrived in Cyprus with concrete ideas”

UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus – Espen Barth Eide said he arrived in Cyprus with concrete ideas and hopes in order to develop these ideas with the two sides.

Stating that UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon believes and supports him, Eide said Ban is ready to be involved in the process if needed.

President Derviş Eroğlu and UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus – Espen Barth Eide had a meeting yesterday which lasted about an hour. Following the meeting, Eide answered questions and said he aims to find a way for the resumption of negotiations and take the sides to the negotiation table.

Eide added “You know that Eroğlu is ready for resumption of negotiations but Anastasiades is not. We should discuss how we can create conditions to make the two sides return to the negotiation table and speed up the process”.

President Eroğlu: “Greek Cypriot Administration’s demands on territory are very excessive and unacceptable”

President Derviş Eroğlu stated that Greek Cypriot Administration’s demands on territory are excessive and unacceptable.

Answering questions at a TV programme he attended, President Eroğlu said that at the time when the give and take process would start, Greek Cypriot side withdrew from the negotiation table by putting forward Turkish vessels’ presence in the Mediterranean as an excuse and added that this was yet further evidence of Greek Cypriot side’s intransigence.

President Eroğlu said:“Turkish vessels are in the Mediterranean for a long time. When we were holding summit meetings with Christofias, at the same time Nobel started diggings, and Piri Reis seismic exploration vessel was making seismic explorations in the custody of Turkish Naval Forces, however, Christofias did not consider to withdraw from the negotiation table. What happened this time is very similar, only the name of the vessel has changed. Why did the Greek Cypriot side suspend the negotiations? Because the Greek Cypriot side is not willing to move to the give and take stage of the negotiations and continue the process” .

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami meets with Piri

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami met yesterday with Kati Piri, the Rapporteur on Turkey of the European Parliament (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) and member of the Socialists and Democrats Group; Charles Tannock, AFET Coordinator and member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group; and Othmar Karas, member of the European People’s Party.

During his contacts, Foreign Minister Nami drew attention to the importance of adopting a balanced approach at the session on Cyprus of the European Parliament, which is due to take place next week. Minister Nami added that the EP should be cautious not to reward the side which has abandoned the Cyprus negotiations and should, in this connection, take decisions and steps which will encourage the Greek Cypriot side towards a settlement and compromise.

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami expressed the necessity for the Greek Cypriot leader to return to the negotiation table in the shortest possible time in order to resume the comprehensive settlement negotiations, as well as the need to engage in dialogue in order to resolve all issues, including the issue of the management of hydrocarbon reserves. Foreign Minister Nami also mentioned some of the issues regarding the work conducted between Turkish Cypriots and the European Union, and exchanged views with his counterparts on how these issues can be resolved.

Ertuğ : “Greek Cypriot side put forward their intention and aim by voicing names of the villages, residential areas and regions”

Presidential spokesperson – Osman Ertuğ said that the Greek Cypriot side did not bring a concrete map to the negotiation table however they put forward their intention and aim by voicing names of the villages, residential areas and regions.

Reminding that UN Secretary General said that “map and numbers will be discussed in the end” Ertuğ said : “We are loyal to this. The Greek Cypriot side who refrained from bringing a map this time applied another method and voiced the names of the villages, residential areas and regions. In a way the Greek Cypriot side has put a verbal map on the table however this does not mean that the Turkish Cypriot side has accepted to take this.”

Eide : “Hydrocarbon issue concerns the whole island”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s Special Advisor on Cyprus – Eide said the hydrocarbon issue concerns the whole island. After meeting with the Greek Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister – Evangelos Venizelos, Eide made statements to the press.

Indicating that he made efforts for overcoming the deadlock in Cyprus, Eide said : “I work with both sides in Cyprus as well as with Turkey and Greece. The aim is to return to the negotiations by relieving the tension.”

Greek Cypriot National Guard had a secret military exercise in which Greece and Israel participated

Greek Cypriot National Guard had a secret military exercise that lasted three days in which Greece and Israel participated.

According to the Greek Cypriot daily Politis all the vehicles of the Greek Cypriot National Guard, Greek army’s air, land and naval forces and at the final day Israel’s warplanes participated in the exercise.