TRNC News Today 16^th January 2015

Secretary General Moon’s Report Released

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s report covering the period between 21 June-15 December 2014 regarding the activities of UN Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus was released yesterday.

In the report, the UN Secretary General stressed that removal of the obstacles and restrictions that impede the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community would positively contribute to a comprehensive solution in the island.

Ban’s report will be discussed at the UN Security Council meeting to be held at the end of this month.

Ban stressed that it should be guaranteed that both communities would benefit from mainly the natural resources and other wealth to be explored around the island. He added that the natural resources to be explored around the island are common wealth of both communities and they create an incentive in reaching a comprehensive settlement. Ban added that natural resources also constitute an encouragement for strong cooperation among the involved parties in the region.

In his report, mentioning the sanctions imposed on the Turkish Cypriots, the UN Secretary General stressed “Lifting of restrictions and barriers that impede the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community will promote trust. Such a development will help to address the isolation concerns of the Turkish Cypriots, as well as their inability to participate meaningfully in an interconnected world, thereby preparing Cyprus for a comprehensive solution.”

Furthermore, the report underlines that the status quo in the island is not sustainable especially when all the factors are taken into consideration, and makes a call to all the sides to create an atmosphere in the island for the resumption of result orientated negotiations based on the Joint Declaration signed by both leaders in Cyprus on 11 February 2014.

Statement of the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the report of the UN Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Cyprus (S/2015/17)

The Report of the United Nations Secretary-General on the activities of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (S/2015/17) which covers the period from 21 June to 15 December 2014 has been published today.

While the said Report includes various positive developments which have emerged as a result of the ongoing determination of the Turkish Cypriot side to display good will and engage in cooperation, it also contains omissions and errors. In this connection, paragraph 26, which makes simultaneous reference to both the comprehensive settlement negotiations and natural resources issues and thus constitutes one of the most critical sections of the Report, has not been written in an objective and fair manner despite all our warnings within the framework of the latest developments. Hence, it is unacceptable that the said paragraph depicts the natural resources issue as one between Turkey and South Cyprus and omits any reference to the Turkish Cypriot side as having equal and inherent rights over the natural gas on and around the Island.

Furthermore, the negligence to indicate that the Navigational Telex (Navtex) issued by Turkey was issued upon the request and on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot side as a result of the unilateral activities regarding the natural resources of the Island carried out by the Greek Cypriot side is yet further proof that the Report is far from depicting the facts of this matter. Unfortunately, this situation is only serving to encourage the Greek Cypriot side to maintain its negative stance which insistently abstains from developing an understanding of cooperation on the issue of hydrocarbons, which are the shared property of the two communities on the Island.

In the same paragraph, it is far from a realistic and fair approach that rather than openly calling upon the Greek Cypriot side to return to the negotiating table without any preconditions, very general expressions are used which attribute equal responsibility for the situation to both sides. This is particularly unacceptable since it is the Greek Cypriot side which unilaterally suspended the comprehensive settlement negotiations at a time when the process was about to enter a new phase. In this connection, the Greek Cypriot side is the only interlocutor of the call made on the two sides regarding the resumption of the negotiations.

Although the Report contains references that the status quo cannot be maintained, no message is given to the effect that the Greek Cypriot side is expected to act within the basis of cooperation and partnership with the Turkish Cypriot side, whether at the comprehensive negotiations or the hydrocarbons issue. This undermines the conclusion that the status quo must change and reduces it to mere words.

The lifting of the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriots, which is one of the primary components of the status quo on the Island and has no moral or legal ground, constitutes another important factor which would instill the understanding of cooperation and partnership between the two sides on the Island. In this connection, we note the reference in the current Report, which was not present in other recent UNFICYP reports, to the removal of restrictions and barriers that impede the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community. In conclusion, we remind the United Nations and the international community that the lifting of all dimensions of the isolation without further delay is a humanitarian duty and that steps towards this end will contribute to a comprehensive settlement, and we reiterate that the result-orientated efforts of the Turkish Cypriot side will continue relentlessly.

Strong reaction by Greek Cypriot side for UN’s report

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s report released on UNFICYP’s term of office caused strong reaction in the Greek Cypriot side for its mentioning the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and reference as ‘Greek Cypriot Administration’ to South Cyprus.

In the report which was released yesterday, expressions like ‘common natural resources’ for hydrocarbons, and ‘Greek Cypriot Administration’ for South Cyprus were used. Although the Greek Cypriot side spent intense efforts to get the paragraph changed they failed to succeed. Greek Cypriot Representative to UN, Nikos Emiliu sent a strongly-worded letter to the UN Secretary General and reacted to the content of the report.

Agreement on rotational representation at ETUCE

The Eastern Mediterranean University Academic Personnel Union (DAÜ-SEN), Cyprus Turkish Teachers Union (KTÖS) and Cyprus Turkish Secondary Education Teachers Union (KTOEÖS) and teachers unions from South Cyprus POED, OLTEK and OELMEK signed a joint declaration on rotational representation at the Education Committee of European Union’s Confederation (ETUCE).

It was stated that rotational representation will be put into practice starting from March as an application depending on equal representation of the two communities, and the representation issue was solved on the basis of organisational and political equality.

It was stated that, the agreement is signed based on the definitions of Turkish Cypriot community and Greek Cypriot community in 1960 Constitution of Cyprus and the implementation of rotational representation will be made among the teachers’ unions of two communities.

Dr. Küçük is commemorated on the 31st anniversary of his death

The late leader of Turkish Cypriot people in their struggle for existence and freedom, Dr. Fazıl Küçük was commemorated on the 31st anniversary of his death with a ceremony at Dr. Fazıl Küçük mausoleum at Anıttepe.

Speaking at the ceremony, TRNC President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu emphasized that Dr. Fazıl Küçük symbolises the awakening, resistance and freedom of the Turkish Cypriots on the principles of Atatürk and added that Dr. Küçük is an example of a Turkish Cypriot doctor who turned into a leader with social consciousness and responsibility by seeing the needs of the people.

TRNC attends ‘Matka Nordic Tourism Fair’ in Finland

TRNC Deputy Prime Ministry and Ministry of Economy, Tourism, Culture and Sports together with representatives of the tourism sector are attending the ‘Matka Nordic Tourism Fair’ organised between 15-18 January in Helsinki, Finland.

Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktaş attended the fair where TRNC has a stand promoting the country’s historical places, nature and tourism. At the stand videos of North Cyprus are being shown as well as brochures in English and Finnish are given.