Burcu: “Political equality is one of the basic principles of the settlement”
Presidential Spokesperson Barış Burcu stated that the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot people is one of the basic principles of the settlement, along with freedom and security.
Burcu made it clear that an agreement that does not enshrine the political equality, freedom and security of the Turkish Cypriot people would never be signed.
Stating that the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot people is not an issue open to debate, and that the rotating presidency, as well as the effective participation in the decision making process are indispensable for the Turkish Cypriots, Burcu said that the Greek Cypriot people need to be prepared to face the realities regarding these issues.
In the statement, Barış Burcu observed with sadness that, rather than preparing the Greek Cypriot community for a federal solution, whereby Turkish Cypriots will have political equality and effective participation in decision-making process, the continued behaviour of some parties suggest they are doing the opposite. “It is clear that such attitudes do not contribute towards the efforts of a federal solution based on the equality of the two constituent states,” he added.
Reiterating that President Akıncı has made clear that he would not sign and put to referenda a document that did not include these elements, Spokesman Burcu said: “We would like to emphasise once again that we will never sign a document that does not include the political equality, freedom and security of the Turkish Cypriot people.”
Eroğlu: “We cannot give concessions on guarantees, rotational presidency and permanent derogations”
The former President Derviş Eroğlu stated that the Turkish Cypriot people cannot give concessions on the issue of guarantees, a rotational presidency and derogations.
Speaking this weekend on the subject of ongoing negotiations, Eroğlu pointed out that if there are no permanent derogations and if any future settlement is not the EU’s primary Law, the majority of the Turkish Cypriot people would likely spend their lives in the European courts because of the property issue.
While some parties have raised the option of postponing the talks until after the presidential elections in South Cyprus in 2018, if no results emerge from the negotiations in March, Eroğlu made clear that such an open-ended process serves only to harm the Turkish Cypriot people. “It’s time to set a time limit for the negotiations”, Eroğlu added.
The former President Eroğlu reiterated that while the Greek Cypriot side had no concerns regarding the prolongation of the talks, the Turkish Cypriot side have not gained anything from the talks thus far.
While everyone on the Turkish Cypriot side is in favour of achieving a sustainable and viable solution, any form of settlement which uproots and relocates many people would not be accepted by the Turkish Cypriots.
Eroğlu also emphasized that the UN Security Council and the EU, which approved the one-sided EU membership of South Cyprus, were in part responsible for the lack of a solution in Cyprus.
Eroğlu underlined that Republic of Cyprus needs to be dismissed and the two constituent states need to form a partnership state.
Nami and Mavroyannis held meetings in London
Turkish Cypriot negotiator Özdil Nami and Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyannis held technical meetings in London regarding the economic aspects of a settlement in Cyprus.
Presidential Spokesperson Barış Burcu stated that the negotiators held not political but technical level meetings with certain organisations in London in order to discuss financial opportunities and ways of funding the settlement. Barış Burcu noted that similar visits have been made before.
Arpalık Martyrs to be commemorated
Arpalık Martyrs will be remembered with a ceremony today.
A commemoration ceremony will be held at Tekke Garden today in memory of the five Turkish Cypriot martyrs, İsmail Musa Mani, Ali Hasan Mulla, Mehmet Hüseyin Büyük, Mustafa Osman Magrili and Hasan Mulla Mustafa, who were killed during the resistance against the Greek Cypriot attacks in the Arpalık village in 1964.
Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu to be remembered on the 37th anniversary of his death
Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu will be remembered today on the 37th anniversary of his death.
The commemoration ceremony will be held today for the former Health Minister and Member of the Parliament and the founder of the TMT. Dr. Nalbantoğlu took a leading role in many aspects of the Turkish Cypriot people’s resistance years, served in many fronts including Erenköy and was responsible for the creation of the country’s health infrastructure. The ceremony will take place by his grave in Lefkoşa Cemetery on the 37th anniversary of his death.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
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…one hopes, one day, that all Cypriots will stand with the Flag of Cyprus behind them.
One hopes that Universal Principals can be demonstrated, as Cypriots, under that Flag, whatever Individuals, Citizens, choose as Persons to identify themselves to be. We are all equals in this, in Cyprus, as Human beings, around the world.
Let us not forget that while the “Greeks”, and, the “Turks”, were busy in mayhem, murder, and disappearances, it was not against each other for the most part, but those not “Greek”, not “Turkish”, for “being” Cypriot.
Indeed, Equality of Individuals, Equality of Persons, living respectfully, Bicommunally, and as a Federation, Bizonally, certainly does not mean that people, “must” be “Greek” if they are not “Turkish”, or “Turkish” because they are Turkish for that matter; something to think about.