TRNC News 14.6.2017 Unilateral attempts of Greek Cypriot side contradict spirit of negotiations

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “Unilateral attempts of the Greek Cypriot side contradict the spirit of the negotiations”

It has come to our attention that the Greek Cypriot administration of southern Cyprus and Israel have commenced joint military exercise in the south of the Island in the vicinity of the Troodos Mountains beginning on the 11th of June and will last for a week. This military exercise, agreed within the framework of the defence and cooperation agreement signed between the two sides on 24 February 2016, have been set to coincide with a rather unfortunate time, and puts into question the true motives of the Greek Cypriot administration.

As we enter a crucial stage in the negotiation process, where the five-party Geneva summit is to be reconvened, such unilateral attempts of the Greek Cypriot side contradict the spirit of the negotiations, further damage the environment of trust which has already suffered recently, and lead to their intentions being questioned.

We deem it necessary to note that we assess these activities of the Greek Cypriot administration as an attempt to influence the negotiations with the claim that they are the sole sovereign entity on the Island. We repeat that it is crucial for the Greek Cypriot administration to refrain from taking such one-sided steps during such a significant period, and that the equal and sovereign rights of the Turkish Cypriot people on the Island cannot be ignored.

TRNC Deputies to participate in PACE Political Affairs and Democracy Committee meeting in Denmark

The Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will meet on 14-15 June on Bornholm Island, Denmark.

The deputy of the TRNC National Unity Party (UBP) Erdal Özcenk and Republican Turkish Party deputy, Mehmet Çağlar, will participate in the meeting.

Eide to arrive in Cyprus on Thursday for further meetings

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, will arrive in Cyprus on Thursday (15th June) to hold meetings with the leaders. Special Envoy Eide will be received by President Mustafa Akıncı on Thursday and is expected to meet with the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades on Friday morning (16th June). As part of the ongoing groundwork for the Conference on Cyprus in Geneva on 28 June, Eide is also expected to meet with the guarantor countries, the UN and the EU over the coming days.