TRNC News Today 17^th September 2015

Minister Çolak met with Nuland and Eide

Foreign Minister Emine Çolak met separately yesterday with Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. State Department, and Espen Barth Eide, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus.

During the meeting with Nuland, Minister Çolak assessed the UN-facilitated negotiation process aimed at reaching a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus, stating that this is the most intensified negotiation process between the two Leaders since the Annan Plan that this constitutes a unique opportunity, and that efforts are continuing to reach a positive outcome in the shortest possible time.

Reiterating that the support of the United States to the negotiation process will continue, Assistant Secretary Nuland expressed hope in a positive outcome.

At the meeting between Minister Çolak and Eide, the latest developments regarding the ongoing negotiation process between President Akıncı and the Greek Cypriot Leader Anastasiades was assessed. At the said meeting, Minister Çolak expressed that the support of the Foreign Ministry to the process will continue and that the Ministry is well aware of its responsibilities in this regard.

Akıncı to inform the Parliament regarding the latest stage reached in the negotiation process

General Assembly of the Parliament will meet at an extraordinary meeting upon the request of the President Mustafa Akıncı today. President Akıncı will inform the members of the Parliament about the Cyprus issue and the latest stage reached in the negotiation process.

Today’s extraordinary meeting is expected to be held closed to the press based on the ballot upon the request of the government as usual.

The General Assembly of the Parliament will start the new legislative year on Thursday, 1st October 2015.

Akıncı: “Justice is an essential factor in all matters”

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the judicial year of 2015-2016, President Mustafa Akıncı indicated that they have to find a fair solution to the Cyprus issue and said: “Justice is the most necessary element in every issue, and justice needs to be secured here.”

Stating that long and comprehensive speeches were made at such opening ceremonies and he participated in these ceremonies in the past, Akıncı said, “I think each opening ceremony of the judicial year became our confrontation day. We are confronted with not only the problems in the legal world, but also with our social order and ourselves. Akıncı wished that these events and problems will not be faced in the coming years.

Akıncı continued his words as follows: “We must ensure a fair solution on the Cyprus problem. We need to provide justice here. Turkish Cypriots need to go to a referendum with a feeling that it will be a fair solution and that they would not return to pre 1974 conditions. By taking our rights into account as well as the rights of the other community, we can build a peaceful future together. This is our duty.”

Eide is seeking funds for post settlement

According to the Greek Cypriot daily Politis, the UNSG’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide stated that he will put on the agenda the issue of providing necessary funding for the implementation of a solution in Cyprus in his contacts in New York and in the following periods.

Stating that almost all of the USA leaders came to Cyprus this summer Eide pointed out that the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland was also in Cyprus and added that the interest of the international community towards the Cyprus issue continues.

TURKSOY Opera days

The TRNC concerts of the 18th TURKSOY Opera Days will be held in commemoration of the famous Kyrgyz artist Bolat Mincilkiyev today and tomorrow.

Concerts will take place at the Bellapais Monastery at 20:00.

At the concerts, artists from the Turkish World will be accompanied by the orchestra of the Ankara State Opera and Ballet conducted by Maestro Aytuğ Ülgen.

Opera Singer Beste Berk will represent the TRNC at the concerts.

Besides the artists from the TRNC, Soprano Farida Mammadova and Counter Tenor İlham Nazarov from Azerbaijan, Mezzo Soprano Svetlana Arginbayeva from Bashkortostan, Soprano Zhupar Gabdullina from Kazakhstan, Soprano Elnura Samarbekova from Kirghizstan, Soprano Elza İslamova and Bas Artue İslamov from Tatarstan, Soprano Zerrin Karslı from Turkey and Ayan Eyvazova and Anar Mıkayilov from Azerbaijan will participate in the 18th TURKSOY Opera Days.

Project for collecting peace poems into a book

BKP Youth Organization and EDON Youth Organization, which have taken a decision to realize projects in the fields of arts and literature, have scheduled the project of collecting peace poems of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot poets to be compiled into a book.

In his statement, Co-chairman of BKP Youth Organization Ahmet Aslım stated that they have decided to realize this joint study in order to lay claim on the hope for peace also in arts and literature in Cyprus.

Islamic Broadcasting caused political problem

It has been stated that the agreement signed about a year ago between the Greek Cypriot Telecommunication Authority (CYTA) and “Noorsat” satellite system which makes propagandist broadcasts to the Arab countries and thus broadcasts made to the Arab countries through this system caused political problems between South Cyprus, and Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

According to the Greek Cypriot daily Fileleftheros, extreme Islamist channels broadcast from the mentioned satellite system and these broadcasts reached to the Arab countries via the satellite station of the CYTA named “Makarios”. The newspaper reported that the authorities of these two countries contacted the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs due to broadcasting against the governments of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Award from Biennale of Chianciano to Ayhatun Ateşin’s “Sessiz Yürüyüş”

Artist Ayhatun Ateşin’s work entitled “Sessiz Yürüyüş” was granted an award at the Biennale of Chianciano which is organized and hosted by the Chianciano Art Museum. Biennale of Chianciano is an opportunity to see the artworks of talented contemporary artists that are selected from all around the world.

Biennale of Chianciano which was held with the participation of 40 countries, 5 continents and 120 artists is being organized every other year at Chianciano Art Museum. Awards which are known as “art prestige” in the world are being distributed in 9 separate categories by Toskana Chianciano Art Museum.

Ayhatun Ateşin’s work which is composed of 50 pairs of ceramic women’s shoes representing different languages, religions and views and the division in Cyprus was granted the Leonardo Award in Applied Arts.

Ateşin is invited to the World Art Jubilee to be held in Italy in 2016.

“Moon is looking forward to meeting the two leaders of Cyprus”

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is looking forward to meeting the leaders of Cyprus` two communities during the General Assembly to discuss with them and add his political support to their effort. Replying to a question, during a press conference on the occasion of the beginning of the 70th Synod of the UN General Assembly, the Secretary General said he is encouraged that the two leaders are meeting and negotiating in a detailed manner, since the resumption of the negotiations on May 15th of this year. “During the meetings both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots are approaching the talks with a positive, constructive, and program solving spirit. This has helped to generate fresh and important momentum as well as a significant progress in the talks,” he said. Ban Ki-Moon said he was encouraged by the two leaders’ commitment that was recently reaffirmed during their September 14th meeting “to continue to work tirelessly in order to reach a comprehensive settlement as soon as possible”.

In this regard, he has also welcomed “their agreement to intensify their work and to increase the frequency of their meetings”. He stressed that his Special Envoy Espen Barth Eide is staying in the region and he is closely coordinating with the two leaders. Ban Ki-Moon finally said that he is looking forward to meeting the leaders during the time of General Assembly and discuss further and add his political support.