TRNC News Today 9^th April 2015

Eroğlu: “We are pleased for the resumption of the negotiation process”

TRNC President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu stated that they are pleased for the resumption of the negotiation process halted 6 months ago due to the withdrawal of Greek Cypriot side from the negotiating table.

In the written statement he made the President stated the following:

“We, as the Turkish Cypriot side, are pleased that the negotiations will resume. Essentially we have been saying since that day that we are still at the negotiating table and ready to continue negotiations without pre-conditions. We understand from the statement made by Eide concerning the issue that Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades has come to this point at the end. We evaluate the statement of Eide within the main framework and welcome it positively. We, as the Turkish Cypriot side, are determined to do our best in order to reach a solution rapidly. In consideration of the lessons to be taken from the crisis which has arisen because of the hydrocarbons, we want to emphasize once again that unilateral attitudes for the sake of the negotiations should be avoided. We, as the Turkish Cypriot side, on one hand, will make efforts for the success of the negotiations and on the other hand will continue to defend the rights and interests of our people determinedly and confidingly”.

Target is to hold a referendum at the end of the year

Turkish Cypriot Negotiator Ergün Olgun and the accompanying delegation met with UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide in the buffer-zone. Following the meeting, the Turkish Cypriot Negotiator made a statement to Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS and noted that Turkish Cypriot side programmed the negotiations by targeting to conduct a referendum at the end of the year 2015. Stating that a solution is a matter of urgency for the reason of the situation in the island, Ergün Olgun added that this is also valid for the Greek Cypriot side and the target determined should be achieved together.

Ergün Olgun stated that they, as the Turkish Cypriot side, agree with the statement of Special Advisor Eide that the year 2015 will be a critical year and said that they are likeminded with the statement of the Special Advisor as the sides should not overcome by languor. Olgun underlined that the call of Eide to both sides for avoiding the unilateral attitudes is in good taste.

Reaction against Eide from Greek Cypriot government

The Greek Cypriot government has reacted against the statements of UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor to Cyprus Espen Barth Eide made to Greek Cypriot News Agency (KIPE).

According to the Greek Cypriot news resources, Spokesperson of Greek Cypriot government Nikos Christodulidis stated that the statements of Eide made to KIPE yesterday as ‘Some countries do not consider a country’s seismic research in another country’s Exclusive Economic Zone as a violation of the UN charter’ is a reason for disappointment.

Christodulidis qualified Eide’s comments concerning the Cyprus problem in general and his statements regarding the legal dimension of the so-called ‘Republic of Cyprus’ as “unfortunate” and “unacceptable”.

Yorgancıoğlu: “It’s important to refer the Police Act to Parliament again”

Prime Minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu said that the court decision that cancelled police promotions is an important reminder for the organization that it should be managed with a more democratic and participatory act, and the Police Act should be referred to Parliament again.

Yorgancıoğlu quoted that he announced the promotions related to police organization on 4th of September when he took over the office of Prime Minister and based on discussions in the police organization he offered those who are against it to go to court. Pointing to the decision of the court on this issue he said: “This shows that our foresight of the time was right”.

Yorgancıoğlu emphasized that with this decision another outcome must also be assessed and said: “This Court decision is important for reminding that both the Police Act and the Police Appointment and Promotion Commission should be referred to Parliament again and the organization should be managed with a more democratic and participatory act.”

Belgium is closing down her Embassy in South Cyprus

It is notified that after Denmark and Hungary, Belgium has also decided to close her Embassy in South Cyprus and Greek Cypriots are making great effort to persuade the Belgian Government to amend its decision.

Greek Cypriot Alithia newspaper wrote that the decision of Brussels to shut down her Embassy in Nicosia will probably hit the diplomatic relations between South Cyprus and Belgium.

According to information obtained, the Government of Belgium has decided to shut down its Embassy in Nicosia by referring to economic reasons and the newspaper noted that the country will withdraw its representative in South Cyprus within the year due to the idea of not having a development perspective of commercial relations between the two countries. According to the same information, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium also warned its South Cyprus Ambassador Alphonse Creusen to prepare to leave because of the closing down of the Embassy.

Bone remains of a missing Turkish Cypriot were identified in Polem village

Greek Cypriot Fileleftheros newspaper wrote that bone remains that are believed to belong to a Turkish Cypriot who went missing during the bi-communal conflict in 1964 has been identified by the Committee on Missing Persons at the village of Polem in Paphos.

Based on the information obtained by the newspaper, the research surfaced many remains of bones and the Committee on Missing Persons believe that these remains belong to a Turkish Cypriot who was a resident of “Arodes” and went missing in 1964.

Anastasiades meets Russian Ambassador

It is indicated that the Leader of Greek Cypriot Administration Anastasiades and the Ambassador of Russia to Nicosia – Stanislav Osadchiy, met yesterday.

Greek Cypriot Fileleftheros newspaper wrote that at the meeting between Anastasiades and Osadchiy, the Cyprus problem and the other issues discussed during Anastasiades’ Moscow visit, were on the agenda.

According to the news, Russian Ambassador Osadchiy expressed in his statement after the meeting that the context of the meeting was Anastasiades’ Moscow visit and what can be done further so that they do not lose the outcome of this visit.

“Straight talking is all very well if your audience is ready to listen”

UN SPECIAL Adviser Espen Barth Eide was doing so well. He announced on Tuesday that the Cyprus talks would be resuming after the elections in the north, which will be held on April 19.

A day later he found himself in the doghouse, not only with the usual suspects – the rejectionist parties – but with the government after an interview he gave to the Cyprus News Agency.

Two comments he made raised hackles. In one, he tried to play down Turkey’s forays into the island’s EEZ effectively saying it was no big deal.

His second ‘offence’ was when he tried to define the Cyprus problem, saying: “It`s essentially contested what is the Cyprus problem. Is it a hijack state, or part of the country is occupied?”

The government immediately made strong demarches, and the political parties trotted out the usual song and dance they perform when a foreign official doesn’t follow the Greek Cypriot party line.

At the time of writing yesterday afternoon we had lauded Eide for his sensible straight talking, saying that it was refreshing to see a UN interlocutor not afraid to be scrutinised over what he said in the hard-core Greek Cypriot media, which routinely eats UN envoys for breakfast.

The UN had not issued any ‘clarifications’ or statements that Eide had been ‘misunderstood’ or tried to smooth things over for the good of the negotiations, which indicated that he was ready to stand by what he said and not be cowed.

This viewpoint was short-lived. Late last night Eide issued a statement saying he had been ‘misrepresented’. Interestingly he did not say he had been misquoted but merely tried to clarify that he had not intended to make any kind of judgment about the competing narratives on the Cyprus issue, and also that Cyprus’ EEZ should be respected by other states.

With all the past experiences of his predecessors it is hard to believe Eide did not know that everything he said would be nitpicked to death, even though he did not say anything that was terribly shocking.

Straight talking is all very well if your audience is ready to listen and understand what you are trying to do. But in Cyprus, neither side wants to hear the other’s point of view. That’s why the Cyprus issue has not been resolved.

In their own ways, the sides in Cyprus ‘can’t handle the truth’ and anyone who speaks it is labelled ‘an ambassador for Turkey’ by the Greek Cypriot side or ‘pro-Greek by the Turkish side.

The unfortunate reality is that for the sake of the negotiations it is sometimes best not to give more ammunition to the political parties who are just looking for an excuse to pressure President Nicos Anastasiades into not returning to the talks.

(Cyprus Mail, 9 April 2015 – click here)