TRNC News Today 19^th December 2014

Greek Cypriots have no trust in the EU

It was reported that Greek Cypriots have the opinion that the EU does not take them into consideration. Greek Cypriot daily Fileleftheros reported that according to the data obtained from Euro-barometer, 79% of the Greek Cypriots think that their voice is not taken into consideration by the EU, with only 17% of them having a positive opinion.

According to the report, 38% Greek Cypriots have a negative image of the EU with only 24% having a positive image. It was also noted that 91% of Greek Cypriots do not have confidence in the Greek Cypriot parties, and this rate constitutes a record among the European countries.. Furthermore, 26% of the Greek Cypriots expressed their confidence in the UN with 67% of them not trusting.

It was also noted that 61% of the Turkish Cypriots have trust in the UN with 20% not trusting.

Regarding the confidence in the EU, it was reported that 68% of the Greek Cypriots have no trust in the EU with 25% having confidence. . On the other hand it was reported that 66% of the Turkish Cypriots have trust in the EU with 18% having different opinions.

Committee on Missing Persons organizes a press conference

Members of the Committee on Missing Persons have organized a press conference in the Solidarity House located in the buffer zone .

The Committee of Missing Persons noted that this year has been the most successful year regarding the number of missing persons identified. This year 157 missing listed as missing persons in consequence of 1963-64 and 1974 events in Cyprus were identified.

Members of the Committee emphasized that work should be accelerated because those who have information about the possible burial sites of missing persons are passing away one by one and also the possibility of making construction on the burial sites increase day by day, however, additional budget is needed for this purpose.

UN member of the Committee – Paul-Henri Arnialso pointed out that although the year 2014 has been the most successful year in terms of identification of the remains of missing persons found in the burial sites, the number of the missing persons found this year has remained very limited with only 65 for the second time.

Flags flew at half mast for one day

Flags flew at half mast for one day in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus yesterday for the memory of 145 people mostly children who lost their lives at the attack by the militants from the Pakistani Taliban in the Peshawar city of North Pakistan.

21-25 December Struggle and Martyrs Week will be commemorated

Those who lost their lives at the Turkish Cypriot People’s struggle for existence will be commemorated this year with ceremonies and activities organized during the 21-25 December Struggle and Martyrs Week.

The week’s program will start at 8:00am on Sunday, 21 December 2014 with a speech by Major Mahmut Gergin from the Security Forces at BRT TV. Later on a commemoration ceremony will be held at Lefkoşa Martyrs Monument at 9:30am. After the presentation of the wreaths to the monument according to the protocol, a minute’s silence will be observed and shots will be fired and the flags will be raised along with the National Anthem.