TRNC News Today 24^th April 2015

11th Anniversary of Referendum

Today is the 11th anniversary of the Referendum which was made simultaneously on both sides of Cyprus, for the Annan Plan.

The solution plan was offered to Cypriots by the UN Secretary General of the period Kofi Annan and was the first comprehensive plan that included everything on inter-communal talks which began in Beirut in June 1968.

Tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots gave support to the process of the Annan plan with the action taken at the İnönü Square, but the Greek Cypriots were called to say ‘no’ to the Annan Plan on national television at the leadership of Tasos Papadopoulos who was known to be extremely right-wing.

In response to Turkish Cypriot’s 65% ‘Yes’ vote, Greek Cypriots rejected the plan offered to referendum by voting 75% ‘No’.

Ertuğ: “Hristodulidis is making non-constructive, negative statements”

Presidential Spokesman Osman Ertug said that the recent statements of Greek Spokesman Nikos Hristodulidis are negative and non-constructive at this time when the negotiations are expected to restart.

Referring to the words of Hristodulidis such as President Derviş Eroglu refused the road map put forward, Ertuğ emphasized that in the recent critical period they do not intend to get into polemic on either the issue of hydrocarbons or the continuation of negotiations with Hristodulidis but it will be beneficial to remind the issue.

Ertuğ used the statements “the real reason for negotiations to be stalled since October is not the one-sided activities of the Greek Cypriot side on hydrocarbon issue, but it is their avoiding of the exercise to start ‘give and take’ at the negotiations. However the parties now need to go beyond these discussions; since it’s critically important to take the advantage of the arising opportunity window with a forward-looking approach.”

Öneri gives information about the second ballot for Presidential elections

The President of High Electoral Council Şafak Öneri gave information about the second ballot of the Presidential elections to be held on Sunday, number of voters and voting in an interview with the Turkish Cypriot News Agency (TAK).

Şafak Öneri said that everybody who voted in the Presidential election held last Sunday will vote at the same ballot box.

Öneri indicated that the voters, who have not received their election certificates can find their ballot box numbers and places at the website http://www.mahkemeler.net.

It is stated that 55,782 voters from Lefkoşa, 46,011 from Gazimağusa, 35,417 from Girne, 20,813 from Güzelyurt and 18, 957 from İskele will vote on Sunday and the total number of voters is 176,980.