TRNC News Today 8th May 2015

Ban sent a congratulatory message to President Akıncı

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon sent a written congratulatory message to President Akıncı due to his winning the Presidential elections.

In his message Ban Ki-moon first of all sent sincere congratulations to the President, and referred to the importance of having been selected at a critical stage of the negotiation process, which will begin in order to find a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.

Ban, who expressed in his message that he welcomes the determination of President Akıncı about restarting the process of negotiations, emphasized that there is a great momentum that supports the comprehensive solution and it’s time for a solution.

Ban Ki-Moon expressed his belief that a result-oriented negotiation process will provide real progress until the end of the year, and committed that the United Nations will work closely with Akıncı and his team and also expressed his belief about working in the same way with the Greek Administration leader Nikos Anastasiades and move the process forward within the coming weeks.

President Akıncı is meeting with Eide again today

President Mustafa Akıncı is meeting again with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide today.

Eide who has been conducting talks for the purpose of resumption of the negotiations in the island had a meeting with President Akıncı on Monday.

Akıncı met with Todd

President Mustafa Akıncı met with the British High Commissioner Roderick Todd yesterday.

Answering questions of the press after the meeting Todd expressed that he had congratulated President Akıncı and that the UK government is ready to do their best about finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Saying that Britain is always taking their responsibility seriously in this matter, Todd stressed that one of the reasons of interest in Cyprus is emotional and humanitarian, there are humanitarian and family relations between British and Cypriot people hence in respect to this Cyprus is important for them. Todd also added to his words that the United Kingdom is one of the guarantor countries.

Todd said he is optimistic about the solution of the Cyprus problem and noted that there is an opportunity to find a solution to the Cyprus Problem.

Minister Nami is holding official contacts in Berlin

TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs Özdil Nami has gone to Berlin after having contacts in Ankara together with the TRNC President Mustafa Akıncı. Nami will have a series of high level contacts with the German Government authorities and return to the island on Friday.

Eide visited Head of the TRNC Department of Religious Affairs Atalay

The UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser to Cyprus Espen Barth Eide paid a visit to the Head of the TRNC department of Religious Affairs Prof.Dr.Talip Atalay.

The UN Special Adviser emphasized the constructive role religion could play in establishing a dialogue between the two sides and reaching a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem.

Eide also said that the religious dialogue in which Talip Atalay played a role is helpful and encouraging for the two sides to take bold steps.

The Head of the TRNC department of Religious Affairs Prof.Dr.Talip Atalay for his part said that they supported the ongoing process carried out by the two leaders on the island and the religious leaders on the island represented a constructive role for mutual respect, co-existence and peace between the two communities.

Bozkır: “We have gained an important momentum in Cyprus”

Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkır stated that the Cyprus problem is not an issue which can be solved by the two people and the two states. “Guarantor countries Greece and UK, United Nations and EU have responsibilities. We have gained an important momentum at the moment” Bozkır added. Stating that the solution of the Cyprus problem is easier than a solution of Syrian and Ukrainian problems, Bozkır said “its parameters are clear”. Furthermore, expressing that an agreement was reached on parameters last February, Bozkır said “What is needed now is to solve the Cyprus problem through these parameters”.

Matsakis returned to DIKO

Marios Matsakis who stole a Turkish flag from a porters’ lodge in 2005 and was captured in the TRNC and got out from DIKO membership within this framework, has returned to DIKO again. According to Politis newspaper, DIKO made a statement regarding returning of Matsakis, who was an MP in the European Parliament in the past years and caused great discussions in South Cyprus for supporting a two-states solution in Cyprus. DIKO stated “Matsakis has been accepted to DIKO to give support to democratic powers of the country which experiences a critical process at the moment”.