TRNC News Today 4^th May 2015

President Akıncı will receive Eide

President Mustafa Akıncı will receive UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Eide today for the first time. Eide will hold contacts in Cyprus within the framework of the resumption of the negotiation process.

According to the statement of UNFICYP, it is stated that Espen Barth Eide’s purpose is to continue the preparatory studies related to the resumption of the negotiation process.

Akıncı will make his first official visit abroad to Ankara

Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı will make his first official visit abroad to Ankara, Turkey upon Turkish President Erdoğan’s invitation on Wednesday the 6th of May 2015. According to the statement issued by the Presidency the newly appointed Turkish Cypriot negotiator Özdil Nami will be accompanying the President during his visit.

Akıncı and his delegation are expected to return to the island on the same day after completing their official contacts in Ankara.

Talat declared his candidacy for the CTP-BG party leadership

2nd President Mehmet Ali Talat has announced that he will be a candidate in the extraordinary general congress of the CTP-BG to be held on the 14th of June.

Talat made a written statement related to the issue and said: “I decided to be a candidate for the party leadership to actively support my party’s efforts for a settlement.”

UN: “Akıncı will meet and dine with Anastasiades”

President Mustafa Akıncı will meet with the leader of the Greek Cypriot administration Anastasiades on May 11.

According to the statement of the UNFICYP Spokesman’s Office, the two leaders will meet at a dinner at Ledra Palace hosted by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus – Espen Barth Eide. It is indicated that Eide aims to complete the preparations towards the resumption of the comprehensive settlement negotiations with the leaders and other related sides within the framework of his Cyprus visit between the dates of 4-12 May.

Yorgancıoğlu: “Nami’s appointment as the Negotiator is a big chance”

Prime Minister Özkan Yorgancioglu said Foreign Minister Özdil Nami’s appointment as the new negotiator is a great chance. At an event Prime Minister Yorgancıoğlu attended, he made evaluations about Foreign Minister Özdil Nami’s appointment as a new negotiator. According to BRT’s news, Yorgancıoğlu stated that Nami has the necessary experience and practice and said “we all know that after the presidential elections, new and quick developments will happen on the Cyprus Problem. Therefore I consider Mr. Özdil Nami’s appointment as the new negotiator as a great chance.”

Yorgancıoğlu stated that he believes Nami, who has attended many talks in previous periods and developed himself in this area during at least 10-15 years of his life, will make very important contributions to this period.

Çavuşoğlu: “Greece needs to make effort”

Regarding Greece Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias’s statement that his country no longer wants to be a guarantor country of Cyprus, Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said “for negotiations to begin in Cyprus and to reach a solution this year Greece should make an effort.”

Upon a question of a journalist about how he considers the statement of Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias that Greece no longer wants to be a guarantor country related to Cyprus, Çavuşoğlu answered: “Turkey is a guarantor country in Cyprus and this has been confirmed by international conventions and treaties. For negotiations to restart in Cyprus and to reach a solution this year, Greece should make an effort. The Greek side should encourage and Greece should play a positive role. Turkey, like in 2004, is standing by TRNC and is a step ahead of everyone for a solution, this is not an ambitious word, and we have proven this with all our statements and actions. This is something the whole world accepts. Greece should play a more positive role so that we can get a result from negotiations this year.”

Çavuşoğlu continued: “Let’s reach a solution together with 2 founding states in Cyprus. That is to say on the basis of the joint statement of 2 leaders in February 2013. After a solution on the island, after two communities start living together, and after they start using economic advantages of all natural gas and oil evenly, the situation will work out itself.”

Minister Çavuşoğlu emphasized that for negotiations to start again and to reach a solution on the island, Turkey and Greece should approach positively on taking encouraging and confidence-building steps.

Upon being reminded that the leaders of Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus made a tripartite summit and negotiated the sharing of energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, Çavuşoğlu said: “Without Turkey any restriction or step does not apply in the Eastern Mediterranean. We will not allow this. It is extremely clear.”

Letter of congratulations from Juncker to Akıncı

President of EU Commission Jean-Claude Juncker sent a congratulation letter to newly elected TRNC President Mustafa Akinci.

In the letter which was delivered by hand to Akinci by the General Director of Regional Policy of the European Commission, Walter Deffaa during his visit to the TRNC President last Friday, Juncker stated that the determination of Akinci on reaching a comprehensive agreement in the island is welcomed and emphasized the importance of resumption of negotiations as soon as possible.

President Juncker stated in the letter that an agreement reached in Cyprus will be for the benefit of both communities in Cyprus and as well as for Cyprus and the European Union and added that the European Commission will continue to give full support to the negotiations to be restarted under the auspices of the UN.

Junker also stated that Turkish Cypriots are EU citizens and they should benefit from all issues arisen by the EU membership.

Yildiz: “I don’t find the decision of carrying natural gas belonging to Cyprus from Egypt practicable”

Energy and Natural Resources Minister of Turkey Taner Yildiz stated that he did not find the decision of carrying natural gas belonging to Cyprus from Egypt practicable when he was reminded that the leaders of Greece, Egypt and South Cyprus discussed sharing of energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean by holding a tripartite summit.

Stating that Egypt is not a consumption country, Yıldız said “It was said that it will be carried as liquefied natural gas (LNG). The cost of LNG is obvious. I don’t approve such a decision which is not feasible.”