Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu continues to hold working meetings with government officials during his US trip, which continues this week in Washington DC.
Meeting with members of the US Congress yesterday, Ertuğruloğlu discussed recent developments on the Cyprus issue. He also attended a roundtable at the International Republican Institute (IRI) where he gave an address on the same topic.
Discussing the latest developments in Cyprus following the Crans-Montana talks with Turkish Cypriot and Turkish citizens living in Washington, the Foreign Minister stressed that the United Nations needed to change the parameters of negotiations in Cyprus. He encouraged his audience to continue striving to give the Turkish Cypriot people a voice in America and to remain persistent in their lobbying activities.
The new process in Cyprus should be based on equality between both states, Ertuğruloğlu said, adding that the international community should not ignore the fact that the Turkish Cypriot people were equal partners in the 1960 Republic of Cyprus.
Indicating that the Turkish Cypriot people no longer have faith in the process that has run unsuccessfully for so many years, Ertuğruloğlu said that it was unacceptable for the Turkish Cypriot people that a process that has ended in failure should be revived.
“We are not closing the doors on the negotiations,” Ertuğruloğlu said. “However, the negotiations are not our only option – there are many options for the future.”
Mentioning that the Turkish Cypriot people have been suffering under embargoes for many years, losing 50 years after being held hostage at the negotiating table, Ertuğruloğlu continued:
“The negotiating process in Cyprus cannot continue like this. The Turkish Cypriot people are still waiting for support from the international community to remove these embargoes. It is unlikely that this process, which follows the framework provided by the UN Good Offices Mission, will be successful because it is not based on equality. Both the conference and the negotiations in Crans-Montana have collapsed. We cannot afford to continue like this once the Greek Cypriot presidential elections have passed. “
Gencay Eroğlu attends FIDAF meeting
Director of Youth Office Gencay Eroğlu attended an international meeting at the Federation of International Dance Festivals (FIDAF) in South Korea yesterday.
Following the meeting, Eroğlu emphasised the importance of the occasion, which was attended by representatives from 90 different countries. Eroğlu also stressed that the meeting was of critical importance for promoting the TRNC and its culture abroad. Speaking of her pride in the TRNC presence at such an occasion, Eroğlu said that the TRNC will continue to work with FIDAF, adding that the relationship will help both the TRNC and its flag to gain greater recognition in the future.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
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