TRNC News 28.7.2016 : Ozgurgun "Taking serious measures against FETO"

Özgürgün: “We are taking serious measures against the Fetullah Terror Organization (FETO)”

Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün stated that the Government was taking serious measures against the FETO at sea and airports in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Prime Minister Özgürgün answered questions from TRT News following his visit to Ankara. The Prime Minister said that the TRNC included the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) on its list of terrorist groups after the coup attempt in Turkey on 15 July. The decision has been approved by the Council of Ministers.

Prime Minister Özgürgün added: “We will not make the slightest concession with regards to the FETO. We will continue our investigations in close cooperation with Turkey’s intelligence service.”

Discussing the ongoing negotiation process in Cyprus, the Prime Minister said: “The Greek Cypriots are responsible for the fact that this issue has not been solved for 48 years. They did not accept Turkey’s offer to help fight the large fire in Troodos. A solution can only be possible with the goodwill of both sides. We continue to hope for the negotiations to succeed.”

Meetings regarding the economy, tourism, agriculture and finance have been productive, says Prime Minister Özgürgün

Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün and several accompanying ministers have returned to the island after completing their official visit to Ankara.

At a press conference at Ercan Airport, the Prime Minister stated that he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, the President of the National Grand Assembly İsmail Kahraman, Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avcı, and the Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar. Meetings were also held between the delegations, he noted.

Prime Minister Özgürgün said that meetings on matters relating to the economy, tourism, agriculture and finance were particularly productive, and built upon Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım’s first official overseas visit to the TRNC.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “The reality that there are two equal sides in Cyprus is ignored”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a written statement regarding extension of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus and said that as long as one of the equal sides in Cyprus is treated as a state and the other is treated as a community then it will not be possible to find a fair and permanent solution in Cyprus.

Reminding that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus until 31 January 2017, the Ministry noted that the reference to the Greek Cypriot Administration as “Government of Cyprus” does not reflect the realities on the island. The full statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the UN Security Council Resolution is as follows:

“The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously adopted a resolution on 26 July 2016, extending the mandate of the UN Peace Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 January 2017.

The reference to the Greek Cypriot Administration as the ‘Government of Cyprus’ in the UN Security Council resolution does not reflect the reality on the Island. Referring to the Greek Cypriot Administration as a ‘government’ is not an acceptable definition for the Turkish Cypriot side, as the Greek Cypriot Administration has in fact usurped the legitimate government by force of arms since 1963. It goes without saying that the Greek Cypriot Administration, which governs and represents the south part of the Island, does not have any authority in the North of the Island and that the Greek Cypriots do not represent the Turkish Cypriots.

While the resolution in question states that the mandate of UNFICYP is extended with the consent of the so-called ‘Government of Cyprus’, the Turkish Cypriot side is never included in the appointment procedures of the authorities which shall serve in UNFICYP on the Island. In its UNFICYP resolution, the United Nations Security Council disregards the fact that there are two equal sides in Cyprus and only seeks the consent of the Greek Cypriot side. We would like to take this opportunity to, once again, call on the relevant UN authorities to end this seriously inadequate, biased and improper approach. It should be known that as long as one of the equal sides of Cyprus is treated as a state and the other is treated as a community, it will not be possible to reach an acceptable fair and sustainable settlement on the Island.

Furthermore, the resolution expressed appreciation for the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders’ joint statements of 15 May 2016, based on the joint declaration adopted on 11 February 2014, along with welcoming the progress made in the negotiations. However, the omission of any reference in the resolution to the joint declaration by the two leaders to reach a settlement by the end of the year 2016 constitutes a manifest shortcoming.

We consider it a positive fact that, similar to the previous Report, the present Report has referred to the importance attributed by the international community to the negotiation process, by highlighting that a bi-zonal, bi-communal comprehensive settlement based on political equality has not yet been reached. In this framework, a call is made in the Report for both sides to intensify substantive negotiations. It should be clearly noted that the Turkish Cypriot side has maintained its commitment in this regard. It is, therefore, not the Turkish Cypriot side which needs to be encouraged, but rather the Greek Cypriot side.

In its latest resolution and as per its previous resolution, the Security Council calls for renewed efforts to implement all remaining confidence-building measures. However, no reference is made as to why the confidence-building measures have not been realised or how the Greek Cypriot side is acting irrationally and not taking the necessary steps for their realisation. We find it useful to hereby underline that in order for the mutually agreed confidence building measures to be implemented, the Greek Cypriot side should portray a similar approach to the Turkish Cypriots and put forward constructive proposals and a compromising approach. There can be no doubt that confidence building measures shall have a significant impact on reaching a potential settlement and implementing it.

With respect to the status of the buffer zone, only references related to the military status quo were included in the resolution. We note that no call has been made to the Greek Cypriot side regarding the university and casinos which they operate in the village of Pyla without permission; this reflects an unbalanced approach to the issue.

Regarding the removal of mines located in the buffer zone, it should be noted that the Turkish Cypriot proposal for removing the mines, which was to be carried out in cooperation with Greek Cypriot side, has still yet to be answered.

As is the custom, appreciation for the previous reports of the UN Secretary General concerning the UNFICYP (S/2016/598) and (S/2016/599) are welcomed. In this context, it is unfortunate that the issue of the TRNC’s isolation is mentioned in this resolution only of concern to the Turkish Cypriot side, despite the fact that they had been put on UN record. Continuing to cite the restrictions which seriously affect the daily lives of the Turkish Cypriots as only a mere concern has caused dismay for the Turkish Cypriot people.

As the Turkish Cypriot side, we find it essential to remind all parties that we anticipate that our constructive and focused efforts towards finding a solution will be reflected in the UN Security Council resolutions. Additionally, we find it imperative to remind all parties that we wait for the UN Security Council to adopt an approach which will place the Turkish Cypriot people, who have unfairly been secluded from the international arena for years, in their rightful position.”

The UN has appointed a new Force Commander

The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Kİ-moon has announced the appointment of Major General Mohammad Humayun Kabir, of Bangladesh, as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

Major General Mohammad Humayun Kabir will replace Major General Kristin Lund, the first female Force Commander in the United Nations, who will complete her assignment on 29 July 2016.

Major General Kabir has held positions of command in the Bangladeshi army since 1989.

In a Resolution dated 26 July 2016, the UN Security Council unanimously approved the renewal of UNFICYP’s mandate for another six months, until January 31 2017.

The missing martyr Kemal M. Emin to be buried in Çamlıca

The missing martyr Kemal M. Emin will be buried at Çamlıca Cemetery today in a military ceremony.

Kemal M. Emin went missing in 1964. As a result of the work by the Committee on Missing Persons, his remains were found in a well in Paralimni alongside three other people.

Kemal M. Emin was 39 years old with 5 children when he went missing in 1964.

Cem Karabay enters the Guinness Book of World Records

Cem Karabay has succeeded in his bid to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for staying underwater for the longest continuous time.

Regarded as the first Turkish underwater sportsman, Cem Karabay broke his own record for the fourth time by staying underwater for 142 hours 42 minutes and 42 seconds on the 42nd anniversary of the 20 July Peace and Freedom Day. He has now received the official certificate from the Guinness World Record Referee.

In a statement Karabay said, “I have been training really hard for a long time now and it looks like it’s paid off. I’m proud that I broke the record and that I could do so here in the TRNC.”

Karabay also set three world records in 2009, 2011 and 2015.