TRNC News 18th April 2016 - The new Cabinet has been formed

The new cabinet has been formed

The new cabinet which has been formed by the National Unity Party leader Hüseyin Özgürgün and the Democrat Party leader Serdar Denktaş with the support of the independent deputies has been approved by President Mustafa Akıncı.

In his statement Özgürgün announced the names in the cabinet of the new government as follows:

Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Serdar Denktaş, Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, Interior Minister Kutlu Evren, Economy and Energy Minister Sunat Atun, Minister of Labour and Social Security Hamza Ersan Saner, Tourism and Environment Minister Fikri Ataoğlu, National Education and Culture Minister Özdemir Berova, Health Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources Nazım Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Communication and Public Works Kemal Dürüst.

Minister Ertuğruloğlu took over his duty

The handover ceremony was conducted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu took over the duty from Emine Çolak. The ceremony was held at the Minister’s office. In her speech at the handover ceremony Çolak wished success to Ertuğruloğlu and asked for support for the negotiation process.

Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu for his part stated that he took over an important Ministry, the process will be continued in a way which protects the equality, sovereignty and the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and asked no one to doubt about this.

Biography of Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu is as follows:

He was born in Nicosia in 1953. He graduated from University of Arizona Faculty of Political Sciences Department of International Relations.

Between the years of 1983-1991 he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence. Between the years of 1986-1991 he worked at TRNC London Representative Office as Third Secretary responsible for Political Affairs. He became Undersecretary of the Prime Ministry in 1991 and held this office until 1994. In 1995, he attended a one year education programme, Humphrey Fellowship, on Public Administration at Minnesota University of America. He was reassigned as the Undersecretary of the Prime Ministry in 1996. He served as a member and Chairman of Board of Directors of BRT. He was elected as a National Unity Party MP for Nicosia on December 6, 1998 and served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence in the coalition governments of National Unity Party – Communal Liberation Party and National Unity Party (UBP) – Democrat Party (DP) between the years of 1993 – 2003.

On 14 December 2003 General Elections and 20 February 2005 Early General Elections he was elected as a National Unity Party MP for Nicosia. In the UBP congress held on 16 December, 2006 he was elected as the Leader of UBP. He held this office until November 29, 2008.

He was re-elected as a National Unity Party MP for Nicosia on April 19, 2009. Between the dates of June 2009 – April 2010 he represented the National Unity Party in the meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

He resigned from the National Unity Party on 15 March, 2010. He served as an independent MP until the 15th of July, 2011. He founded Democracy and Trust Party on July 15, 2011. After the abolishment of the Democracy and Trust Party, he participated in the National Unity Party in 2012.

Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu took part in Parliament as National Unity Party (UBP) MP from December 31, 2012 and he was elected as UBP MP for Lefkosa at the Early General Elections held on July 28, 2013.

Ertuğruloğlu served as the Minister of Transport between the dates of 15 July 2015- 4 April 2016.

Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu is serving as the Foreign Minister at the newly formed UBP-DP government with effect from 16 April 2016.

Ertuğruloğlu is married with two children and speaks English.

Akıncı and Özgürgün received Çavuşoğlu

The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu who came to the island for a private visit was received by President Mustafa Akıncı.

After his courtesy visit to President Akıncı, Çavuşoğlu was received by Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün. Özgürgün emphasized that their priority target is to work in harmony and cooperation with Motherland Turkey.

In his statement at the reception, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated that formation of the new government in a short time is important for the continuation of stability in the country and he also wished the close cooperation with Turkey to continue.

Lakkotripis: “Contracts regarding the third licensing round within the EEZ will be at the beginning of 2017”

In his statement in the Greek press yesterday, the Greek Energy Minister Yorgos Lakkotripis mentioned that 2017 will be the year in which the Greek Cypriot side will increase the research activities at the so-called “Exclusive Economic Zone” (MEB) by transferring the new parcels to the international companies.

According to the news of the Greek Cypriot weekly Kathimerini, Lakkotripis stated that companies can submit a proposal to the tender until 22 July 2016.

Lakkotripis said that they will begin seismic research and drilling preparations based on the programme that the companies will put forward in 2017. However, they are ready to hand over only the three parcels at the moment.

Cem-Papandreu International Peace Award ceremony was held

The first “Cem-Papandreu International Peace Award”, which was initiated by Former Turkish Foreign Minister İsmail Cem’s family and Yorgo Papandreu, was given to businessmen Şarık Tara and Theodoros Papalexopoulos.

Cem’s daughter İpek Cem Taha complimented the two statesmen’s efforts to build peace, underlining that “friendly relations between Turkey and Greece seem natural today,” because their work was encouraged by both countries.

Ceremony at Limassol Martyrdom

A commemoration ceremony was held in memory of martyrs who have not had tombstones erected so far in respect of the 1963-1974 events in Limassol.

The ceremony was held with the support of sponsors and volunteers of Leymosun Cultural Foundation and attended by many people. Hundreds of Turkish Cypriots from Limassol had emotional moments.

Speaking at the ceremony, the President of Leymosun Cultural Foundation Yücem Rasımoğlu said that they have been working on the ‘Renewal of Limassol Martyrs’ Gravestones and Landscaping Project’ for 2 years.

Mentioning that this project was carried out in order to share the families of martyrs’ pain, Rasımoğlu said: “Our project is the result of the sensitivity for the respect to our martyrs who gave their lives at the events between the two communities and the hope that this kind of pain would not happen again.