TRNC News 27.7.2016 Akinci: Territory, Security and Guarantees : first time discussion

Akıncı: “Territory, security and guarantees will be discussed on Friday for the first time”

President Akıncı stated that “territory, security and guarantees” will be discussed at the next Leaders meeting for the first time but that exact details (such as the name of places) would be discussed at a later stage.

In a press statement following yesterday’s Leaders meeting, President Akıncı announced that both sides want to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem in 2016 and it is still possible to achieve this. Akıncı noted that positive steps had been taken at every meeting, and that during yesterday’s meeting, some new points of agreement were reached.

President Akıncı explained that while some difficult issues still remain unsolved, they can be overcome through mutual understanding and determination.

President Akıncı also affirmed that, as a leader of the same generation as Anastasiades, their experience of the Cyprus problem suggests that the current process represents the last chance for a federal solution.

Intensified talks between the two sides are set to resume in the second half of August following a short break.

Prime Minister Özgürgün: “Turkey’s presence on the island is the most important assurance of security of the Turkish Cypriots until we reach a settlement”

As part of his first official visit overseas, Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün met with the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım in Ankara.

Following the meeting, the two Prime Ministers held a joint press conference and shared their assessment of the Cyprus issue, the water transfer project and the coup attempt in Turkey on 15 July.

Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün said: “Turkey’s presence on the island is the most important assurance of security of the Turkish Cypriots until we reach a settlement”

Stating that his government consistently aims to improve relations with Turkey in all areas, Prime Minister Özgürgün said that foreign policy decisions of the two countries are always carried out in close cooperation and coordination, in particular when it comes to solving the Cyprus problem. He added that Turkey provides the greatest level of support to the settlement process.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım confirmed that the relationship between Turkey and the TRNC is a strong one.

He also pointed out that the north of the island has been neglected for years and Turkish Cypriots are isolated by the embargos in place. This prevents the TRNC from enjoying many benefits of EU membership, which South Cyprus is able to rely on. The Prime Minister insisted that the full and effective guarantee of Turkey is indispensable for the TRNC.

Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün also met with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his official visit.

Eide: “Property, security and guarantees will be discussed in the next few weeks”

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Advisor on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide has said that issues relating to “property, security and guarantees” that have not yet been discussed will be on the negotiation table over the next few weeks.

Following the closed session of the UN Security Council on the Cyprus issue, Special Advisor Eide held a press conference with the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative and Head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar.

“The opportunity for a solution will not last forever”, Eide noted. Spehar was confident that recent developments in Turkey will not have an effect on the guarantor countries’ support for finding a solution to the Cyprus issue, or on the Leader’s efforts.

Spehar added that all UN Security Council members fully support the Leaders’ efforts to find a solution.

Anastasiades’s demands not met by Netanyahu

The Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades travelled to Israel on Sunday following a recent détente in relations between Turkey and Israel and statements by the Israeli authorities on the natural gas pipeline project from the Leviathan to the south coast of Turkey.

According to a report by the Greek Cypriot newspaper Politis, in spite of Mr. Anastasiades’ demands, Prime Minister Netanyahu was unwilling to rule out the possibility of an agreement with the Turkish government or a Turkish company to lay a pipeline from the Leviathan to the south coast of Turkey through the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone.

An agreement on this project could be reached before the new licence tender this Autumn, and before the conclusion of the intensified negotiation process at the end of 2016.

French Ambassador to Nicosia visited the President of Religious Affairs Atalay

French Ambassador to Southern Cyprus René Troccaz met with the President of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. Talip Atalay yesterday.

The TRNC Religious Affairs office strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks in France and Turkey in a written statement, and expressed his sympathy for the victims of such cowardly attacks against innocent people.

The communication process between religious leaders from both sides, and its effects on the negotiations, were also discussed during the meeting.

Workshop on “Opportunities and Risks in Cyprus” organized in Italy

A workshop entitled “Opportunities and Risks in Cyprus” has been organized in Italy in cooperation with the Near East University (NEU) and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.