TRNC News 17.10.2017 Burcu: Decision of Greek Cypriot House of Representatives invalid

The Presidential spokesman Barış Burcu has stated that the decision of the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives demanding the cancellation of the Treaties of Guarantee and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island is “completely unilateral and invalid”.

Burcu said, “The Greek Cypriot House of Representatives, which gathered on October 13, took a unilateral and invalid decision demanding the cancellation of the Treaties of Guarantee and the complete withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island. The 1960 Treaties of Guarantee and Alliance are multi-lateral international treaties. These treaties can only be changed or removed by the consent and approval of all signatories. Therefore, the decision of the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives taken unilaterally is null and void. Moreover, the painful experiences and historical facts already invalidate the decision of the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives”.

Burcu also stressed that Greek Cypriot Administration’s “negative attitude” caused the Cyprus Conference in Crans Montana to collapse, and the Greek Cypriot side always acted against the basic principles of the negotiation process.

“As it is known, according to the February 2014 Joint Declaration, it was foreseen that the six chapters should be negotiated in parallel and in an interconnected manner. It is also contrary to the principles and methods of negotiation to discuss the issue of Security and Guarantee alone. Instead of abolishing the “Enosis” resolution taken in 1967, taking such a useless decision does not make a positive contribution to the future of Cyprus. However, the emergence of a new opportunity for a lasting solution, as President Akıncı has stated frequently, can only be achieved if the Greek Cypriot leadership and society change their mentality” Burcu added.

Özgürgün: “The Turkish Cypriot people will never approve an agreement which does not involve Turkey’s full and effective guarantee”

According to Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün, the Greek Cypriot Parliament has demonstrated once again that their ultimate goal is not to reach a solution on the Cyprus issue, but to implement Enosis. Describing the Greek Cypriot parliament’s choice to uphold the Enosis decision as an ongoing source of conflict between both sides, the Prime Minister stated that their insistence on a “zero-guarantee, zero troops” agreement has harmed the negotiation process.

Özgürgün also added that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had witnessed the perennial lack of cooperation on the Greek Cypriot side, which caused the collapse of the 50 year- long negotiating process, at the Crans-Montana conference last July. However, the Prime Minister expressed dismay that this was not reflected in Guterres’ report on Cyprus published on Wednesday 11^th October.

Özgürgün stressed that the Crans-Montana negotiations had been thwarted by two Greek Cypriot ELAM parliamentarians who had chosen to commemorate the 1950 Enosis Plebiscite in schools. He also stated that the Greek Cypriot Parliament sustains its provocations against the Turkish Cypriot side by approving proposals from the Greek Cypriot Ecological and Environmental Movement.

The Prime Minister stressed, “It must be known that Motherland Turkey’s right of guarantee intra vires within the Guarantee Agreement will never be undermined by the provocations of the Greek Cypriot Parliament and the Greek Cypriot leader. The Turkish Cypriot people will never approve an agreement which does not involve the full and effective guarantee of Motherland Turkey.”

Speaker of the Assembly Sibel Siber meets with Inter-Parliamentary Union President Saber Hossain Chowdhury

TRNC Speaker of the Assembly Sibel Siber met with the Inter-Parliamentary Union President Saber Hossain Chowdhury as part of her visit to St. Petersburg, Russia for the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly.

Siber spoke about the negotiation process after the collapsed Crans-Montana talks and the expectations of the Turkish Cypriot people at the Tavrichesky Palace where the IPU General Assembly was held. She also gave examples of the unjust embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people, explaining that it is the duty of countries which believe in democracy to lift the political and economic embargoes which affect all aspects of life in the TRNC, including sport, culture and commerce.

Stating that elected representatives of the Turkish Cypriot people have been prevented from contacting other parliamentarians, Siber said that this is against parliamentary diplomacy and asked for support from the IPU President for the TRNC’s observer status membership. She also demanded the participation of Turkish Cypriot women parliamentarians in IPU parliamentary meetings, adding that women must play an important role in politics to achieve world peace.

IPU President Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that he was against the embargoes and diplomatic isolation imposed on democratically elected parliaments. Having followed the collapse of the Cyprus negotiations closely, President Chowdhury expressed dismay that negotiations had failed. He also stated that he would lend his support to the TRNC’s bid for observer status membership.

Sibel Siber also met with Mexican Senator Gabriela Cuevas, one of two female candidates who is a frontrunner for the Mexican Presidency in the new period of the PAB. Senator Cuevas promised Siber her support and pledged to remove obstacles to dialogue and parliamentary diplomacy.

Having addressed the Senate briefly, giving a short address on the isolation and embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriots and asking for its support, Siber wished the Senate success in its work.

Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu completes his meetings in London

Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu has completed his London visit. Ertuğruloğlu held a number of important and constructive meetings during his visit, including bilateral discussions with two former UK Secretaries of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Rt Hon Jack Straw and the Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind QC. The Minister also met with a number of senior UK parliamentarians, high-level authorities and diplomats, as well as representatives of the Turkish Cypriot people.

During his meetings in the UK Parliament, Ertuğruloğlu gave information about the latest developments in Cyprus and outlined the expectations of the Turkish Cypriot people from the UK. He also emphasized the importance of holding more overseas meetings at this significant time for the island.

Minister Ertuğruloğlu also met with members of the Board of Directors of the London-based Turkish Community Football Federation, Serdar Sarı and Mustafa Çetinkaya.

Source: TRNC Public Information Office –

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