TRNC News 5th April 2016 - Talat: CTP - duty for interests of people and country

Talat: “CTP applies to be on duty for the interests and prosperity of our people and country”

Leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Mehmet Ali Talat has announced that CTP will apply to be on duty in the new government.

Stating that they will meet with all political parties at the formation process of the new government, Talat said that the main objective is a government formation which will ensure the interests and prosperity of the country.

Making a statement to the press following the decision taken by five UBP deputies who submitted their resignations, Talat said that Prime Minister Ömer Kalyoncu will present the government’s resignation to President Mustafa Akıncı today.

Akıncı: “Gas may fund peace deal”

Cyprus’ potential wealth from newly found offshore gas reserves could be used to partly fund a costly deal reunifying the island, President Mustafa Akinci told The Associated Press in an interview.

Mustafa Akinci said natural gas could boost energy cooperation between Israel, Cyprus and Turkey and foster peace in a tumultuous region, but warned unilateral drilling by Greek Cypriots could re-ignite tensions. “Definitely gas is going to be an asset, if wisely prepared and conducted in a way not to trigger yet more tension in the area,” Akinci said.

“My understanding was that when we started the negotiations this was not going to create trouble for our process,” said Akinci. “Now I see the potential danger.” U.S. Company Noble Energy discovered a field around 100 miles (160 kilometres) south of Cyprus that’s estimated to contain more than four trillion cubic feet of gas. France’s Total and Eni along with its South Korean partner KOGAS are also licensed to drill off Cyprus. Akinci said “we are closer than ever before” to a peace deal, but the pace of negotiations has slowed down because of parliamentary elections in South Cyprus next month. He said Turkish Cypriots should remain a majority in the area that they will administer within an envisioned two-zone federation.

Kiprianu invites Anastasiades to seriousness

AKEL Secretary General Andros Kiprianu who made statements on the Cyprus problem criticized Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades for sacrificing the Cyprus problem by bringing his political interests to the fore.

In his statement, Kiprianu said that the decisions taken for shortening the duration of military service and going out to the third tender for the natural gas are tactics to strengthen DISI party before the elections. Adding that the initiatives of Anastasiades to strengthen the DISI party could cause problems in the negotiation process, Kiprianu invited all sides to be serious on the Cyprus problem.

South Cyprus implicated in Panama Papers Scandal

It was claimed that South Cyprus has been involved in the Panama Papers Scandal which became the most important agenda topic of the world in the last 48 hours.

Accordingly, it was stated that the incoming money to Cyprus through Switzerland, transferred through the Panamanian-based law firm Mossack Fonseca to the world’s largest uncontrolled accounts was found in the island states of the Caribbean region.

Concerning the leak which is deemed as “the largest in history”, the names of former Greek Cypriot Leader Dimitris Hristofiyas, as well as former Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou – Markoulli and former Attorney General Petros Klerides were also mentioned on the papers.

Reporting that Panama-based world’s fourth biggest offshore Law Firm Mossack Fonseca has been registered in Cyprus since 2003, the Guardian reported that the company has three employees in Cyprus.

As the Guardian reported, RCB is described as the subcontractor of the Bank Rossiya and Putin’s friend’s bank, the former Permanent Secretary at the Greek Cypriot Ministries of Finance and Justice, Andreas Tryfonides, and former Ambassador and Permanent Secretary at the Greek Cypriot Foreign Ministry Sottos Zakheos as well as Markulli and Klerides took part in the Board of Directors.

It was indicated in the report of the Guardian that the bank Rossiya has apparently extended “enormous unsecured loans” worth over $1 billion, and citizenship was conferred to the two senior officials of the bank, Mikhail Kuzovlev and Kiril Zimarin, 3 months after Hristofiyas took the chair in June 2008.

On the other hand, the symbol name of the Cyprus negotiations Kofi Annan also was mentioned in the phenomenon.

Peri Hakkı sworn in as Supreme Court Justice

District Court President Peri Hakkı who has been appointed as Supreme Court Justice by Supreme Judicial Council swore in the presence of President Mustafa Akıncı.

Peri Hakkı was born in Dikelya on 15 June, 1967. After graduating from London University Law School in 1992, she enrolled as a lawyer on 17 May, 1994.

She was appointed as District Court Justice on 1 November, 1999 and then she was appointed as District Court President on 2 July, 2007.

During her judicial tenure, she served at Nicosia District Court, Güzelyurt District Court, Criminal Courts and finally at Kyrenia District Court.

Berberoğlu was commemorated on the 14th anniversary of his death

The founder and the first leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Ahmet Mithat Berberboğlu was commemorated on the 14th anniversary of his death.

Speaking at the commemoration ceremony held at Karaoğlanoğlu cemetery, CTP leader Mehmet Ali Talat reminded that Ahmet Mithat Berberoğlu was active in politics during the most difficult times of the Turkish Cypriots and worked for the establishment of a political party, and had realized his aim by establishing CTP in 1970. Talat added that they commemorated Berberoğlu one more time with respect on the 14th anniversary of his death.

Identities of 15 Greek commandos have been determined

Cyprus Commissioner for Humanitarian Issues Fotis Fotiou announced on Monday that the remains of 15 persons have been identified during excavations at the site where Greek warplane `Noratlas`, carrying commandos from Crete, was downed by Greek friendly fire in July 1974 on the outskirts of Nicosia.

He also said that the remains of two persons who were wrongly given to relatives of the Noratlas warplane have been returned.

Noratlas was carrying 28 Greek commandos and four pilots. One soldier, Thanasis Zafiriou, survived the crash. The remains of sixteen of these people had already been found in the past and were buried in a military cemetery in Nicosia.

Fotiou referred to the repatriation of two cases of remains that were wrongly given to relatives in Greece from Cyprus, noting in the past the remains of one person were returned and a further 13 cases are still pending.

According to the list of missing persons, all the missing Turkish Cypriots were civilian and 25-28% of them were women and children, however 12% of the missing Greek Cypriots were women and children and 55% of them were Greek and Greek Cypriot soldiers.

Former Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopulos pulled into spiralling scandal

Greek Cypriot Attorney-general (AG) Costas Clerides on Monday called on any member of the public to come forth with information on the Marathounda and Koshi landfill scandals, provided however that their evidence can be documented.

The AG was asked to weigh in on the political maelstrom raging since the weekend, after daily Politis – piggybacking on statements made by Paphos Mayor Phedonas Phedonos – ran a story claiming that the late former Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos and top aides had held three meetings with Greek businessman Georgios Bobolas, in Athens and at Strakka, the Papadopoulos family’s ranch outside Nicosia.

Bobolas is the father of Leonidas Bobolas, CEO of contractors Helector. Leonidas Bobolas is currently fighting an arrest warrant issued by South Cypriot authorities in connection with the scandal involving two waste management facilities in Paphos and Larnaca, in South Cyprus which have so far seen 12 suspects indicted.

Asked by the Greek Cypriot News Agency to comment on the Paphos mayor’s latest allegations, the Greek Cypriot AG said anyone with evidence on the case should come forward.

“I expect that Mr Phedonos or anyone else in possession of evidence on the case should provide this evidence, in detail and in a documented fashion, in a deposition to investigators, and they should rest assured that their information shall be investigated,” he said.

But the AG sidestepped the original question put to him, which was whether Phedonos has already provided this information to authorities. Phedonos’ latest broadsides implicated not only Papadopoulos, but also top aides, specifically then-Presidential Commissioner Polakis Sarris and Chrysis Pantelides, Papadopoulos’ right-hand man.