TRNC News Today 9^th December 2015

Akıncı: “This will be the last trial of the present generation for a federal solution”

President Mustafa Akıncı stated his belief that he didn’t want to say it will be the last chance for the solution of the Cyprus problem however he said: “This will be the last trial of the present generation for a federal solution”. Akıncı also hopes that there will be a new referendum to which both sides will say ‘yes’ in the spring.

When Akıncı was briefing at one of his receptions about the ongoing negotiations in order to find a solution to the Cyprus problem, he stated that there is a new climate for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem, if a solution cannot be found, both Turkish and Greek Cypriot people would like to live separately in the same island.

Mentioning the natural gas resources in South Cyprus, Akıncı stated that the Turkish Cypriots also have rights in these resources and a solution to the Cyprus problem should be found in order to benefit from these resources.

Özgürgün: “Assembly gives the decision for the right to be a negotiator”

UBP Leader Hüseyin Özgürgün expressed that the TRNC Assembly gives the decision for the right to be a negotiator, not the people.

Özgürgün said that President Akıncı does not give enough information to the Assembly about the ongoing negotiation process. In his speech made at the TRNC Assembly, Özgürgün stressed that the President is also responsible for providing the people’s solidarity, solution of internal problems and working together with the government to ease the life of the people in the country.

Furthermore, Özgürgün stressed that the President should inform the Assembly every week or once a month about the negotiations.

Tatar: “Akıncı’s statements are not qualified to remove the concerns of the people”

UBP Lefkoşa Deputy Ersin Tatar argued that the statements of President Akıncı are not qualified to remove the concerns of the majority of the people. Adding that according to the information given by the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades to the National Council, there is not even a little change in the attitude of the Greek Cypriot side, Tatar said that, in spite of this, in his statements President Akıncı expressed that it is possible to reach a solution within months and this causes concerns.

Furthermore, Tatar stressed that Akıncı should put forth his attitude on the issue of guarantees, as Anastasiades, and express in a clear way that he will not take any step back from the continuation of Turkey’s full and effective guarantee.

TGNA President İsmail Kahraman to arrive in the TRNC today

The President of the Turkish Grand National Assembly İsmail Kahraman is arriving in Cyprus for an official visit today.

Kahraman who will arrive in Cyprus as a guest of the Speaker of the Assembly Sibel Siber will be accompanied by the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Yıldırım Tuğrul Türkeş and some Members of Parliament.

The delegation will hold meetings with government authorities during their one day official visit and will be received by President Akıncı. Following the meeting with Akıncı, the delegation will be received by the Speaker of the Assembly Sibel Siber at the TRNC Assembly and the Prime Minister Ömer Kalyoncu at the Prime Ministry.

Protest by Union Platform

Some unions which took place within the Union Platform conducted a protest in front of the Republican Assembly yesterday.

The Union Platform protested regarding the government and demanded a solution of many problems experienced by the community. During the protest, it was stressed that if the government does not find a solution for the problems of the country, it should resign.

The crowd which gathered in front of the TRNC Assembly conducted the protest with their slogans and posters.

Akıncı: “Turkish Cypriots being the majority in the North is the base of bi-zonality”

President Mustafa Akıncı said: “Turkish Cypriots being the majority in terms of both the population and property ownership in the North is the base of bi-zonality and this has been the parameter of the UN since 1990.”

Akıncı also emphasized that the majority of the property ownership which is the requirement of the bi-zonality should be in the Turkish Cypriot side.

In his statement yesterday, Akıncı stated that the documents published in the press were draft papers and the last published document was most probably published by the Greek Cypriot Administration however he could not find any time to examine this in detail.

Akıncı stated that the documents which are published are “completely draft papers.”

Bilgiç: “The military existence of a third country apart from the guarantors in Cyprus is not possible”

Turkish Foreign Minister Spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said: “The military existence of a third country apart from the guarantors in Cyprus is not possible according to the treaties of ‘Alliance and Guarantee’.

However Bilgiç said: “Also there are some military agreements made by the Greek Cypriot Administration with the third countries and both the Greek side, Russia and the states which signed these agreements knew our attitude well regarding these military agreements.”

Bilgiç also said that the ongoing negotiations continue in core issues but there is no information to hand if they had an agreement on the citizenship issue and he added: “The negotiation process is a very sensitive process and this news is manipulative.”

“Although isolation and limited opportunities, EU preparation of Turkish Cypriots continues”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Emine Çolak gave a speech at the 6th. Boğaziçi Summit organized in İstanbul by the International Cooperation Platform under the title of “Sustainable Development Targets”, “Less Poverty More Prosperity”. In her speech at the summit, Minister Çolak said that preparation of the Turkish Cypriots for the EU is continuing although the isolations and the limited opportunities. Çolak also pointed out that the Turkish Cypriots are not a part of the international community therefore they experience financial and social difficulties. Adding that in such an atmosphere, it is not possible for the Turkish Cypriots to reach the sustainable development targets, Minister Çolak also mentioned the ongoing negotiation process in Cyprus.

“At the moment, we are in an intensified negotiation process. We are cautiously optimistic. The leaders and their teams spend efforts for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal Cyprus within the framework of the UN parameters” Çolak stated.

Çolak also referred to the isolations and said that Turkish Cypriots are trying to do their best with limited resources and motivation.

“Although all of these negativities, we do not have issues of severe poverty or hunger in the country. Although not perfect, we have a state, education and health system. We are conducting the necessary preparations for the EU” Minister Çolak stressed.

Today, Çolak will go to Brussels from İstanbul to attend the reception to be held within the framework of the 10th. Anniversary of the Brussels Office of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce.