TRNC News Today 7^th September 2015

Turkish Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu in the TRNC

Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu has paid his first overseas visit to the TRNC. Sinirlioğlu arrived in the TRNC at 19:00 yesterday. Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Derya Kanbay, Foreign Minister Emine Çolak and other high level authorities met Sinirlioğlu at Ercan Airport.

Sinirlioğlu will be received by President Mustafa Akıncı at 12:30 today. Following the meeting, delegations will have a working lunch.

Akıncı and Sinirlioğlu will hold a joint press conference at 14:30.

Furthermore, Sinirlioğlu will be received by Speaker of the Assembly Sibel Siber at 15:00, Prime Minister Ömer Kalyoncu at 15:30 and Foreign Minister Emine Çolak at 16:00. After completing his contacts, Sinirlioğlu will leave the TRNC at 17:00.

Presidential Spokesman Burcu: “Nuffel is not a part of the negotiation table”

Presidential Spokesman Barış Burcu emphasized that the European Commission President’s Personal Representative of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Pieter Van Nuffel is not a part of the negotiation table.

Upon a question, Burcu stated that Nuffel participated in negotiations very rarely, only upon the request of the negotiators. Burcu added: “Mr. Nuffel has been invited to join the meetings 2-3 times upon the request of the negotiators to indicate his technical opinion”.

There were allegations in the news of the Greek Cypriot press for a while about Nuffel’s intensive participation in the negotiations.

Yeorgiadis: “Reunification provides enormous opportunities and perspectives on economy”

Greek Finance Minister Haris Yeorgiadis emphasized that huge opportunities and perspectives will emerge with the reunification of Cyprus both in local and international levels on economy.

Speaking to Greek Cypriot daily Politis, Yeorgiadis said: “I will only say one thing, Turkey has the 18th largest economy in the world and it is right beside us” and added “Solution will provide opportunities to access Turkish markets “

Furthermore, Yeorgiadis said: “We will evaluate our participation in Europe together with the Turkish Cypriots; our excellent geographical position and the advantages of our economy”.

Yeorgiadis indicated that new investment opportunities, cooperation and partnerships will be established. He also added that solution of the Cyprus problem and the establishment of economic and commercial relations with Turkey will expand their perspectives such as maritime, service, tourism and energy sectors.

Roelf Meyer: “I see a positive tendency for peace in Cyprus”

Roelf Meyer, who is regarded as one of the main architects in South Africa as a negotiator stated that he sees a positive tendency for peace in Cyprus.

Greek Cypriot daily Phileleftheros quoted the interview with Meyer and noted that Meyer has close ties with Cyprus and has been following the Cyprus problem since 1997.

Meyer stated that for the first time there is a window of opportunity for the solution of the Cyprus problem because there are leaders on both sides who want peace and added that there will be a great loss if this opportunity is not used.

Replying to the question “how the red lines in the negotiations were overcome”, Meyer said that each side should accept that they cannot exactly acquire what they want and stated that in order to achieve the win-win situation, something should be given and at the same time something should be obtained for creating a winning situation for both sides.

Replying to the question “what is the biggest problem of the Cyprus issue?” Meyer pointed out that he has two experiences in such a situation, one is fear; for the Greek Cypriots, the fear about what they will give and for the Turkish Cypriots, the fear about what they will not obtain.

UNDP: “Two contracts signed for the maintenance of the ancient monuments in TRNC”

UNDP made a statement and indicated that the United Nations Development Programme has recently signed two new contracts for the preparation of designs for future emergency measures/heritage conservation projects of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage. New designs are being prepared for five cultural heritage sites with European Union funds.

It was indicated that new designs are being prepared for Arhangelu Mihail Church in Geçiktale, St. Anne Church of Maronites, St. Mary Church of Armenians, St Mary of Carmel (Carmelite church), and the Tanner’s Mosque (Jacobite Church).

The questions Papadopoulos should be ashamed to ask

By Loucas Charalambous

I HAVE written on countless occasions that this country is an open political lunatic asylum. A day does not go by without statements by our political clowns (they do not only have them in Athens) to remind us of this.

The leader of the Citizens’ Alliance Giorgos Lillikas on August 27 urged the government and DISY chief Averof Neophytou “to start thinking about the deconstruction of the image of sainthood they had created for Mr Akinci”. I have met Akinci personally and heard him talk on many occasions. He is a serious man and Lillikas is not fit to lace his shoes. Next to him, he is a midget.

Another prominent member of our political circus, Nicolas Papadopoulos speaking on Sigma TV on August 31, made a different demand. “It would be useful for the president of the republic, DISY and AKEL, all those who accepted the exemptions, [to say] how many Famagustans would return,” he said.

A few days earlier, on August 26, addressing the annual jamboree of the overseas Cypriots, he posed more questions: “Have we seen a map of the territories that would be returned? Has Turkey agreed to the departure of the settlers? Has it agreed to the withdrawal of the Turkish troops?”

This smart-ass nonsense reveals the incredible political nerve of Papadopoulos. He can accuse Anastasiades of many things, but not for stuff that he and his fellow travellers are guilty of. He should be ashamed to ask today how many Famagustans would return to their town. If his father. Demetris Christofias and Lillikas had backed the settlement of 2004, Famagustans would have returned 11 years ago (4/8/2004) to the fenced area and nine years ago (24/10/2006) to rest of the town.

But if there is a settlement tomorrow none of the Famagustans who passed away in the last 11 years would return. This is the achievement of his father, Christofias and their accomplices in the ‘no’ camp. He should therefore not seek from Anastasiades answers to questions he should have asked his late father.

And, of course, we have seen the 2004 map of the territories that would have been returned and enabled their residents to return, if Papadopoulos senior and his accomplices had not killed the settlement back then and cemented partition. Instead of feeling utter shame over the political crime of his father, Christofias and Lillikas, he has the temerity to attack Anastasiades who had supported the settlement and the return of territories.

What can one say to the rest of his idiotic question? Where was Nicolas when Turkey agreed in 2004 to the withdrawal of the troops and only 41,000 settlers remaining? Now, thanks to his father, Christofias and Lillikas, 160,000 settlers would remain. Quadrupling the number of Turkish settlers that stay put after a settlement is their achievement.

Stupidly, he also asks, with insufferable arrogance, whether Turkey “agreed to the withdrawal of the Turkish troops”. Of course Turkey agreed and if his father and Christofias had not taken a stand in favour of perpetuating partition in 2004, today there would only be 3,000 Turkish soldiers instead of 40,000. From 2018 there would only have been 650 Turkish soldiers together with 950 Greeks. But his father, Christofias and Lillikas did not allow them to leave. They voted for them to stay, as we were told by Ahmet Davutoglou who was mocking our stupidity.

Papadopoulos, Lillikas and their accomplices who, by their stance in 2004, prevented Famagustans and tens of thousands of others from returning, allowed the quadrupling of Turkish settlers and blocked the withdrawal of the occupation troops, would do well to show a little restraint, instead of brazenly accusing Anastasiades for their own outrageous political crimes.

It is not Akinci’s image that is in need of deconstruction. The deconstruction that is desperately needed is the deconstruction of political charlatanism, political dishonesty, political audacity and impudence that reign supreme in our political loony bin.

(Sunday Mail 06.09.2015)