TRNC News Today 18^th June 2015

Akıncı : “Substantive negotiation process will start on Monday 29 June 2015”

President Mustafa Akıncı explained that after completing the baseline assessment, they are now entering into substantive negotiations on unresolved core issues. President Mustafa Akıncı made a statement to the press at the presidency after completing the meeting with Greek Cypriot Administration leader Nikos Anastasiades. Akıncı also stated that they achieved their third meeting yesterday and their next meeting is on the 29th June and said that they welcomed the successful conclusion of the baseline assessment that they had entrusted to the negotiators in their first meeting on 15 May 2015. Akıncı said that they have tasked their negotiators to focus their work on a specific set of core issues across chapters. Akıncı and Anastasiades continued their work on further confidence-building measures in parallel to the negotiation process. The leaders formulated a mandate for the new committee on gender equality and appointed its members. Akıncı also shared with the media the names of the Turkish Cypriots on the gender equality team as “Mine Atlı, Umut Bozkurt, Mine Yücel, Doğuş Derya, Ömür Yılmaz, Afet Özcafer, İzlem Gürçağ and Derya Beyatlı”

Responding to press questions, finally President Akıncı noted that within the framework of confidence-building measures, the works on the electricity and GSM services were also on the agenda of the meeting.

Eide: “Leaders are entering into substantive negotiations”

The UN Secretary General`s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide said on Wednesday that the Cyprus Leaders are now entering into substantive negotiations on unresolved core issues. In a statement after the third meeting between Anastasiades and Akinci, in the framework of UN-led negotiations on the Cyprus problem, Eide said that “with strong determination, and driven by their joint commitment,” the two Leaders “pursued their goal of reaching a comprehensive settlement as soon as possible.”

He added that the Leaders, agreed that these negotiations will be the centrepiece of their work from now on and that they will be dealt with in a holistic and interdependent manner.

He added, “The leaders jointly reviewed the work achieved by their negotiators to date. They welcomed the successful conclusion of the baseline assessment that they had entrusted to the negotiators in their first meeting on 15 May 2015.”

Therefore, he added, “Mr. Anastasiades and Mr. Akıncı have tasked their negotiators to focus their work on a specific set of core issues across chapters. They will work intensively on this task and report back to the next Leaders’ meeting to be held on 29 June 2015.”

“Reaffirming the constructive atmosphere at the negotiating table, Mr. Anastasiades and Mr. Akıncı expressed once again their resolve to move forward without delay and to achieve further progress towards reaching a comprehensive settlement,” Eide noted.

Sloat to visit Cyprus

USA Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Amanda Sloat will come to the island today.

According to a press release, during her visit she will meet with leaders of both communities to review the latest developments on the negotiations for resolution of the Cyprus problem and will reiterate U.S. support for the UN-facilitated talks to reunify the island as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.

According to the statement, in her meeting with the Greek Cypriot Leader Anastasiades, Sloat will also discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including measures to promote prosperity and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Talat: “First we will be preparing the government program before we begin the coalition discussions”

The new president of CTP-BG (Republican Turkish Party- United Forces) Mehmet Ali Talat said that first they will be preparing the government program before they begin the coalition discussions and he also stated that the party will decide who will be the next Prime Minister, and they will be conferring with President Akıncı. Speaking to TAK news agency with regard to the new government and process, Talat said that he wanted to follow a different path. The first step is to establish the government program ahead of beginning the coalition talks.

Greek and Turkish Cypriot political party representatives visited historical places

Greek and Turkish political party representatives visited historical and cultural places in Famagusta with the organization of the Slovak Ambassador in Cyprus. The organization started from the newly renovated Othello Tower and Famagusta’s Mayor İsmail Arter and the so called ‘Varosha Mayor’ Alexis Galanos accompanied the political party representatives. Slovak Ambassador Oksana Tomova made a statement at the entrance of Othello Tower and she called that Greek and Turkish Cypriot political party representatives came together for the sake of visiting symbolic places. Ambassador Tomova also emphasized that at the time when Cypriots of both communities are inspired by the prevailing positive momentum of a new hope for a comprehensive settlement, this program promotes the concept of a peaceful cooperation and partnership of both communities. On the other hand; Famagusta Mayor İsmail Arter emphasized that such technical and social non-political visits and contacts in the country would help people move forward.