TRNC News 28th April 2016 - Mogherini: visa exemption for Turkish citizens if criteria met

Mogherini: “The EU Commission will take recommendation on visa exemption for Turkish citizens in the event that all the required criteria are met”

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini said that the European Union Commission will take a recommendation decision on the visa exemption for Turkish citizens in the event that all the required criteria are met.

Stating that there is no reason for the Turkish authorities to worry, Mogherini said, “If all criteria are fulfilled, the EU Commission will take a recommendation decision for the visa exemption as it was applied for other countries in the past.”

The EU Commission will announce the third and last report about the visa exemption on 4th of May. If the report concludes that Turkey fulfilled all the criteria, the EU Commission will take a recommendation decision for the abolition of visas. However, visa-free travel of Turkish citizens to the EU member countries will only be possible after the approval of the European Parliament and the EU Council.

With the abolition of visas, Turkish citizens will be exempt from a visa for their travels up to 90 days.

At the Turkey-EU Summit on 18 March, the abolition of visas had been decided to be in effect at the end of June in the event of all the required criteria being met.

Political party leaders and representatives met in the buffer zone

Some Turkish and Greek Cypriot political party leaders and representatives met yesterday within the framework of routine meetings organised by the Slovakian Embassy in South Cyprus.

Following the meeting, it was reported that the parties called for President Mustafa Akıncı and the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades to “strengthen the consensus process”.

The subject of the meeting hosted by the Greek Cypriot United Democrats was about “what is missing for reaching a United Cyprus, is it compromise, political will, both of them or more?” After the meeting, Slovakian Ambassador to South Cyprus Oksana Tomova read the joint statement and announced that the next meeting will be held on Wednesday 25 May.

Tomova expressed that the political party leaders called for President Mustafa Akıncı and the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades to “strengthen the consensus process with the aim of supporting the negotiation process for the reaching and implementation of a solution.”

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has condemned the Greek Cypriot Administration from maltreatment towards refugees

The European Court of Human Rights imposed a compensation penalty to the Greek Cypriot Administration to pay €12,700 because of maltreatment and outraging of human rights to refugee Kone Sehana Seagal.

According to the Greek Cypriot daily Fileftheros, the ECHR ruled that the Greek Cypriot Administration had violated Articles 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) and 5 section 1 (right to liberty and security) of the European Convention of Human Rights. In this context, the ECHR ordered the Greek Cypriot Administration to pay non-pecuniary damages to Seagal.

Seagal alleged that on 22 April 2013, while serving his sentence, he was attacked by five prisoners after refusing to clean their cells. He submitted that the prison guards also hit him when he was taken back to his wing. He further alleged that, having sustained injuries to his face, ear, back and chest, he was only taken to hospital 24 hours later.

The ECHR holds that there has been a violation of Article 3 of the Convention in its substantive and procedural aspects, and holds that there has been a violation of Article 5 of the Convention and that the respondent State is to pay the applicant, within three months from the date on which the judgment becomes final in accordance with Article 44 of the Convention, 12,700 EURO plus any tax that may be chargeable, in respect of non-pecuniary damages.

UN Spokesman: Cyprus talks are going well

Cyprus talks are going well `the last we heard`, a UN Secretary General`s spokesman has said, adding however that he would refrain from making predictions.

“Finding a settlement in Cyprus should not be like when one talks about 60 or 70 per cent of things”, UN SG’s spokesman Stephan Dujarric said, when asked to comment on whether it is estimated that there is a 60 per cent chance that a settlement could be reached in Cyprus.

“The Secretary General`s Special Envoy Espen Barth Eide is continuing with the discussions”, he pointed out.

The last we heard, he added, “the discussions were going well”.

“When we`re ready to announce something, we will, but we will refrain from making predictions”, Dujarric said.

The panel of the İŞAD “Federal Cyprus: Is this the last chance?” was held

A panel discussion was organized by Cyprus Turkish Businessmen Association entitled “Federal Cyprus: Is this the last chance?” at the House for Cooperation in the buffer zone yesterday.

“Living together on the island with different ethnic origin communities, the ground for a federal solution, the dangers in front of a federal solution, the latest situation of negotiations and the difficulties encountered in the negotiations” were discussed at the panel.