TRNC News Today 2^nd February 2016

Minister Çolak met with Qatar Minister of Economy and Commerce

Foreign Minister Emine Çolak continued her contacts in Qatar yesterday. Çolak and accompanying delegations visited Qatar Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani in his office.

Stating that the positive atmosphere which would emerge with a solution would create a favourable environment for foreign investors both on the island and in the Eastern Mediterranean, Çolak expressed that it will be useful for Qatari businessmen to investigate these opportunities on site to make investments.

Indicating that in the event of a solution the Turkish Cypriot society will be the first official Muslim member of the EU under the roof of the federal solution, Minister Çolak stated that it would be an important development for the Islamic world. Çolak also made a brief statement about the TRNC economy.

The next visit of the delegation was the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Meeting with the Vice–President of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mohammed bin Ahmed Twar Al Kovari and the board members, Çolak mentioned the investment opportunities and emphasized their desire to develop trade relations between the two brother countries.

Within the framework of her Qatar contacts, Minister Çolak also visited the Qatar Islamic Museum and signed the book of honour.

Gülden Plümer Küçük: “Remains of 1061 missing persons have been found up to now”

Turkish Cypriot member of the Committee on Missing Persons Gülden Plümer Küçük made a statement to a TAK correspondent regarding the work of the Committee and excavation work at the Tekke Garden. Küçük said that up to now, the remains of 1061 missing persons have been exhumed as a result of the excavation works.

Furthermore, expressing that about 100-120 areas have been excavated in a year, Küçük said that excavation works continued with 6 teams until 2009 and with 9 teams up to now in both South and North Cyprus.

Adding that the identities of about 700 missing persons have been determined and their remains have been returned to their families, Küçük said that the remains of 116 missing persons were found in 2015 and this number is the highest yearly number in the last four years.

Sucuoğlu: “Corendon Airlines to fly to TRNC in May”

The Minister of Tourism Faiz Sucuoğlu stated that when he took office, they started initiatives for Corendon Airlines to fly to the TRNC and they have prepared the necessary ground in 6 months. Sucuoğlu stressed that starting from 1 May 2016, Corendon Airlines will fly to the TRNC.

Adding that Corendon Airlines have started to do marketing for the TRNC by making contacts with countries, mainly Holland and Belgium, Sucuoğlu said that Corendon Airlines are planning to bring 12,000  tourists to the TRNC in 2016 and 30,000 tourists in 2017.

Furthermore, Sucuoğlu said that cultural promotions, shows and presentations regarding the TRNC were conducted at the EMITT Fair in İstanbul and the TRNC stand has been elected as the best stand among the 71 countries which conducted “The best Visual Show.”

Letter from Anastasiades to the UN chief leaked to the press by the Greek Cypriot parties

Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades withdrew a promise to Greek Cypriot party leaders to give them access to negotiation documents just hours after pledging to do so, following the leak of a paper he gave to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Davos last month outlining the Greek Cypriot position on the talks.

The document was distributed to the Greek Cypriot party leaders after they complained for the umpteenth time that Anastasiades was keeping them in the dark about the talks. During the meeting, Anastasiades said he was ready to circulate documents on the negotiations to them ahead of a closed-doors briefing of the Greek Cypriot Parliament on February 11, on condition they would not leak the information. They promised they would not.

They were not given these papers but were in the meantime allowed to have a copy of the document handed to Ban in Davos, clearly outlining the Greek Cypriot position. Within just a few hours the document had been leaked to the Greek Cypriot Sigmalive.

The disclosure was followed shortly afterwards by a written statement from the Greek Cypriot Administration Spokesman Nicos Christoudoulides expressing “deep disappointment” at the fact that “only a few hours after the completion of the Greek Cypriot National Council and while there had been discussion and specific recommendations, and all participants even condemned the leakage of documents, the one given to them by Anastasiades was leaked online,” he said.

“It is very regrettable once again to see such weakness when it comes to confidentiality and respect for the principles of confidentiality,” he added. Christodoulides also said such actions affected not only the credibility of the Greek Cypriot side but its negotiating power at the table.

Following the breach, the Greek Cypriot Spokesman said: “Anastasiades is obliged to re-examine his decision to provide documents to the Greek Cypriot National Council and instead to continue the current practice whereby members of the National Council can proceed to the place and study the relevant documents on the spot”. When they do that, they are not allowed to take photos or notes.

In the leaked document given to Ban, Anastasiades lays out the current state of play as regards the talks, and what he believes is necessary for a successful outcome and implementation of a settlement.

He asks for more time to reach and prepare for a solution, but still hopes to agree on a settlement in 2016

“My references aim at demonstrating that we need time,” he says in the document. “We should be well-prepared and present to the people a clear plan with no deficiencies, gaps and ambiguities that will jeopardise its implementation. Otherwise we risk the possibility of not achieving a positive outcome in the referenda to be held.”

He tells Ban that there is a common understanding with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on issues related to the chapters of governance and power sharing, property and EU but at the same time “it should be noted that despite progress there are still remaining differences in all chapters”.

“I believe that despite our wish for the opposite, we should not present a picture that does not reflect the reality and we should avoid creating expectations that the settlement is within immediate reach,” Anastasiades added.

In this respect, he said, any reference that all of the issues he outlined should be discussed at a final meeting with Ban “do not find us in agreement”, particularly “if you take into account the experiences of 2004 with the well-known results”.  Anastasiades was referring to the Annan plan in 2004, which was not finalised until all parties – Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Greeks, Turks, the British and the UN – got together at Burgenstock in Switzerland to thrash out the final aspects with the UN intervention. The current process is to be ‘Cypriot-owned’.

And even on those issues where there is a common understanding, he said the complexities associated with their implementation “demands time and careful planning” so not to affect the viability of the solution.

He gave as examples the costs of a settlement, cost of property compensation and those associated with the functioning of the federal state and setting up the various federal organisations and institutions.

He cited issues related to the creation of a fund, including donations through an international donors’ conference, guaranteeing the loans to be undertaken and the means and ways of paying the loans.

Referring to the IMF and the World Bank, which are to provide the necessary expertise, Anastasiades said this would also take time to do accurately. It was vital to ensure the economic viability of the solution before it was presented to the people, he added. Other issues that needed time included territorial adjustments, including the prompt return of Varosha and the buffer zone to the Greek Cypriots. The list of international agreements which bind the United Cyprus, i.e. guarantees, also needed resolving.

On security, Anastasiades said it was “crucial that on Day 1 there is a withdrawal of a significant number of Turkish troops. This will resonate with the population like few aspects of the settlement will,” he said

“Therefore it is obvious for the immediate implementation of the above on Day 1, thorough preparation and considerable work that will last some months is needed, even before the referenda.”

There would also be benefits for the Turkish Cypriots from Day 1, he said citing participation in the government and the opening of ports and airports in the North.

Source: TRNC Public Information Office –

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