TRNC News Today 3^rd November 2015

Akıncı and Anastasiades met again

Within the framework of negotiations to find a settlement to the Cyprus problem, President Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades met again yesterday. No statement was made following the meeting.

The leaders had previously agreed to intensify their meetings and to hold at least 6 meetings in November. The leaders will meet again on November 5th. The rest of the meetings have been scheduled as 18, 20, 23 and 25 November.

President Akıncı congratulated Davutoğlu

President Mustafa Akıncı called the Turkish Prime Minister and the Leader of AKP Ahmet Davutoğlu and congratulated him on their success in the elections.

Akıncı wished the new period to be successful in Turkey and also expressed that he would be very happy to see Davutoğlu in the TRNC in the near future.

Furthermore, Davutoğlu expressed that he would also be very pleased to visit the TRNC in a short time and thanked Akıncı for his best wishes.

“Hate crime” warning from the European Council to the Greek Cypriot Administration

The European Council made a call to the Greek Cypriot Administration to try to prevent the hate crimes towards the immigrants, Turkish Cypriots and Romany people in the country.

In the report issued yesterday, the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) made a call to the Greek Cypriot Administration to give education to the security forces on the issue of human rights to prevent increasing hate crimes in the country. In the report, it was stressed that racism is increasing in South Cyprus and the police forces are not intervening enough. It was also stated that training for the police forces should be according to the human rights norms, ethnic discrimination in the daily life should be abandoned and a multilingual and transparent community should be provided.

In the report it is also emphasized that South Cyprus has been facing an upsurge in racially motivated violence and racist hate crime, directed against migrants and refugees as well as the Turkish Cypriots and Romany people.

The Committee expressed concern over reports that most victims of racially motivated offences hesitate to turn to the police, because they lack trust in the officers’ capacity or willingness to investigate the case properly, or are afraid that such involvement could exacerbate their situation.

Fikri Toros will speak at the “The Economist 11th Cyprus Summit”

The President of Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (TCCC) Fikri Toros will speak at the Economist 11th Cyprus Summit today in South Cyprus.

Toros will discuss the Cyprus issue within the perspective of the business world at the summit which will take place at Hilton Park Hotel in Nicosia.

The representatives of European business world, academia and the leading non-governmental organizations will discuss the various aspects of the Cyprus issue at the 11th Cyprus Summit which is organized by one of the world’s leading business publications ‘The Economist’.

President of TCCC Fikri Toros will be the only Turkish Cypriot among the many participants from different countries at the summit which is being regularly organized every year and at which Europe-Cyprus relations will be discussed. Toros will take place among the speakers in the panel entitled “The Cyprus issue from the world of business perspective: Is there a glimmer of hope?”

The delegations of TDP and DISI came together

The delegations of the Communal Democracy Party (TDP) and the Greek Cypriot Democratic Mobilization Party (DISI) came together.

At the meeting which took place at the Headquarters of the TDP, the leader of TDP Cemal Özyiğit stated that their meeting comprised one more step towards strengthening inter-party relations, on the basis of mutual respect and understanding. Özyiğit also stated that they exchanged their views on the Cyprus Problem and the solution efforts carried out by the leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration Anastasiades and President Mustafa Akıncı.

Özyiğit thanked the leader of DISI and noted that they agreed on the issue of reunifying the island and to reach a settlement although they have ideological differences with each other.

Stating that they will continue to work with DISI in order to give full support to the intensive Cyprus negotiations, Özyiğit mentioned that the Joint Declaration on 11 February 2014 is important and he also expressed his wish that the visit of 4 Foreign Ministers to the island in November will be realized “not as a foreign intervention” but as a “contribution to the solution.”

Mentioning that reaching a solution is important and the federal Cyprus that will be formed as a result, will be part of the EU, Özyiğit said that the bi-zonality and bi-communality are important for the Turkish Cypriots.

Özyiğit added that the bi-communal festival which will be organized on 19 December aims to bring people from the two communities closer and lend support to the leaders in their effort to reach a settlement.

South Cyprus is concerned about international recognition of TRNC universities

The number of students who come to the TRNC universities to have education has exceeded 80.000 and this situation has disturbed the Greek Cypriot side.

Greek Cypriot daily Simerini reported that international recognition of the TRNC universities caused concerns in the Greek Cypriot side.

Photograph taken by Plümer came first at Qatar GT Instagram contest

Aytuğ Fazıl Plümer, the representative of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Doha, came first at the “9th Gulf Times Instagram Photo Contest“ which was organized by the Gulf Times newspaper published in Qatar.

Plümer stated that he took this photo, which is entitled “Aerial view of Doha”, during one of his flights and the photo got an overwhelming number of likes from Gulf Times followers.

The news related to the selected picture taken by Plümer was published under the title “Diplomat wins GT Instagram contest” in Qatar Gulf Times.