TRNC News 1.9.2016 : Akinci: ...complete intensified negotiation process and hold tripartite meeting in New York”

Akıncı: “Our aim is to successfully complete the intensified negotiation process and hold a tripartite meeting in New York”

President Mustafa Akıncı met with the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu yesterday, as part of the Minister’s official visit to the Island.

According to the President, the aim is to successfully complete the current intensified phase of the negotiation process and to hold a tripartite meeting in New York, which will pave the way for a multiparty meeting attended by the two sides as well as the guarantor countries.

President Akıncı affirmed that 2016 is the year a settlement can be reached but there is still a long way to go to reach that result. Akıncı also stated that reaching a settlement is everyone’s goal and Turkey is fully committed to supporting this goal until the end.

Regarding the exploration of hydrocarbons around the Island, President Akıncı called for all parties to refrain from acting in a way which could make it more difficult to achieve this goal.

A settlement must be based on the political equality of the two constituent states, Akıncı affirmed, and this will only be possible by the people’s approval.

“We are working to reach a settlement which will be accepted by both sides. We are considering the security and equality of both sides on the Island, and peace can only be reached if both of these conditions are present.”

As part of his speech, Minister Çavuşoğlu stated that the most challenging issues of property, territory and security and guarantees will be discussed in a meeting with the guarantor powers. The Minister also added that this multiparty meeting should be held as soon as possible in order to avail of this opportunity for a solution on the Island.

Ministers Ertuğruloğlu and Çavuşoğlu opened the Information and e- Archive Infrastructure Project

Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu and the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu attended the opening ceremony of the Information and e-Archive Infrastructure Project at the TRNC Foreign Ministry.

The opening ceremony was held following a presentation about the project. In his speech, Minister Ertuğruloğlu said that “the project aims to strengthen the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ information technology infrastructure. Through the project, safe and secure access to information has been made possible for the foreign representation offices as well as the central ministry. The Ministry’s current archive – which was created in 1975 – has been transferred to an electronic system as part of the project.”

UNSG’s Special Adviser on Cyprus is optimistic about reaching a solution

According to a report by the Greek Cypriot newspaper Alithia, the UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide wrote an article under the headline ‘I can see a solution in Cyprus in a few months’ in the Norwegian newspaper Dagsavisen.

The article highlights that the next few months will be a crucial period in the Cyprus negotiations.

Eide affirmed in his article that both sides believe in a solution and that peace will prevail in Cyprus.

While external factors still affect Cyprus, Eide acknowledged that without Turkey’s strong support, peace will not be possible on the island. Eide also highlighted that a new state structure will be created, as both sides have agreed on power-sharing through a presidential system which will be comprised of an upper and lower house in parliament. They have also agreed on the electoral system, he stated.

In his article, Eide praised the two Leaders’ efforts towards achieving a solution, and highlighted the importance of making progress on the Cyprus issue due to its geographic proximity to the Middle East.

Eide also stated that the presence of hydrocarbon deposits in the region could be a cause of conflict in the event that a solution is not reached.

Eide noted that out of six chapters necessary for a solution on Cyprus, four chapters – governance and power-sharing, property, economy and the EU – have already been discussed. The two most contentious chapters – territory and security and guarantees – will be discussed at the end of the negotiation process.

Source: TRNC Public Information Office –