TRNC News Today 26^th February 2016

Akıncı met with EU Minister of France

President Mustafa Akıncı met with French Minister of State for European Affairs Harlem Desir yesterday. During the meeting, the developments in the Cyprus negotiations, EU and the region were discussed.

The Ambassador of France to South Cyprus Rene Troccaz accompanied Desir at the meeting.

After the meeting Desir wrote on his Twitter account that the reunification of Cyprus will be to the benefit of both communities in Cyprus, as well as to the benefit of the stability in Europe and the region.

Eide: “There is a good development on some issues but much more speed is needed”

UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide stated that the constitutional, economic and the EU issues are developing in a good way but much more speed is needed.

President Mustafa Akıncı met with the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide yesterday.

In his statement following the meeting, Eide said that the meeting was very fruitful.

Replying to the questions of the journalists, Eide said that the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative to Cyprus Lisa Buttenheim will leave the island in the summer and Elizabeth Spehar who has a good knowledge about the Cyprus problem will be on duty.

Turkish Customs and Trade Minister Tüfenkçi to arrive in TRNC today

Turkish Customs and Trade Minister Bülent Tüfenkçi is arriving in the TRNC today. Tüfenkçi will meet with Finance Minister Birikim Özgür and the Minister of Economy, Industry and Commerce Sunat Atun. Moreover, Tüfenkçi will sign two different agreement texts prepared for establishing a joint customs committee and for the protection of consumers between the two countries.

“Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Joint Customs Committee” will be signed between the Ministry of Customs and Trade and Ministry of Finance. After that, a cooperation protocol about the “Protection of Consumers’” will be signed between the Turkish Customs and Trade Ministry and Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce. Tüfenkçi will also be received by Prime Minister Ömer Kalyoncu.

Çavuşoğlu: “There is a consensus for a solution in TRNC”

Informing the TBMM Foreign Affairs Commission about the latest developments in the Turkish foreign policy, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that there is a consensus for a solution in the TRNC.

Stating that important steps had been taken by both sides in the negotiations, however some complicated issues remain to be discussed Çavuşoğlu said, “I hope a permanent solution will be found to the Cyprus problem in this year.”

Kalyoncu: “Both parties satisfied for the stage reached”

Prime Minister Ömer Kalyoncu stated that a positive result has been gained from Turkey on the water issue and added “Both parties are satisfied for the stage reached”. In his statement before yesterday’s extraordinary Council of Ministers Meeting, Prime Minister Kalyoncu said that the agenda of the meeting was a conciliatory proposal between the governments of Turkey and TRNC regarding water supply.

Furthermore, stating that they will meet with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in the near future and sign an agreement, Kalyoncu explained the articles agreed with Turkey. No statement was made following the meeting. Some sources from the TRNC Prime Ministry stated that the water text was approved by the Council of Ministers and the authority was given to Prime Minister Kalyoncu to sign it.

Kalyoncu: “All underground water resources will be controlled by the TRNC”

Making a statement regarding the water issue, Prime Minister Ömer Kalyoncu stated that there are some claims about transferring of the underground water resources to a private company. Kalyoncu said that the underground water resources will be controlled by the TRNC. Indicating that the text agreed by Turkey has not been signed by the cabinet yet, Kalyoncu said that the agreement will be prepared within a year after it was signed.

Kalyoncu said, “With the last deal, the municipalities which choose to remain out of the system will still be able to use the water but will not be given a 10% share of the profits achieved from the sale of the water and they will not gain any benefit from any investments.”

Stating that three points on the water agreement created discomfort, Kalyoncu said that the necessary changes have been carried out about these disrupting points and they were corrected.

Leaders to meet today

In the framework of the ongoing negotiations in order to find a solution to the Cyprus problem, President Mustafa Akıncı and the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades will meet again today. The meeting will take place at the buffer zone.

The Leaders had attended the last meeting on 13th February. After the last meeting, President Mustafa Akıncı had stressed that there is no blockage in the talks and the difficult issues had been discussed. Akıncı also emphasized that the negotiators will study harder to speed up the negotiation process.

President Akıncı also had mentioned about the “Rotating Presidency” and he said that; “Our understanding on this issue is clear, but the Greek Cypriot side has some problems on this issue, as they say. Therefore, there is no agreement on this issue yet. But I think it is inevitable to reach an agreement. Our stance on this issue is very clear.”

The “39th International KIBATEK Literature Festival” was held in Italy

Turkish Cypriot playwrite Sevil Emirzade attended and represented Cyprus Turkish literature at the 39th International Literature Festival which was organized by the Cyprus-Balkans-Eurasia Turkish Literature Institute (KIBATEK) in Italy.

Poets, writers, translators and Turcologists from Italy, Turkey, Azerbaijan, TRNC, Iraq, India, Ireland, Canada, Romania, Holland, Germany, Albania, Belgium and the Philippines participated at the event which was organized in Bari-Taranto city of the Italy between the dates of 19-20 February.

Gulfood 2016 Food Fair ended

Gulfood 2016 Food Fair, which was organized in Dubai city of the United Arab Emirates with participation arranged by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry, has now ended.

With support of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and under the umbrella stand of the KTSO 10, participation included 9 companies under the “North Cyprus” brand.

IMF and European Commission organize workshop on the economics of a federal Cyprus

The International Monetary Fund and the European Commission, in cooperation with the UN, have organized a two-day workshop in Cyprus on fiscal federalism, to contribute to the discussion on the financial system after a future Cyprus settlement.

UN Secretary-General`s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide has written in his personal account on Twitter that the workshop on fiscal federalism was “very useful’, adding that there were “important inputs to the talks”. Both Turkish and Greek Cypriot economic experts participated in the workshop.