- Akıncı: “I wish to meet with Anastasiades after 15 October” …
- Uluçay met with Mandviwalla …
- Özersay: “Status quo harms Turkish Cypriot side” …
- Özyiğit to go to Morocco …
Akıncı: “I wish to meet with Anastasiades after 15 October”
President Mustafa Akıncı stated that he wishes to meet with Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades after 15 October when the Cyprus report will be submitted to the UN General Council.
Akıncı received the leaders of the TRNC coalition government yesterday (9th October).
In his statement to the press following the meeting, Akıncı said that he also met with the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative to Cyprus, Elizabeth Spehar, and they discussed the opening of Derinya and Aplıç gates as soon as possible.
Furthermore, in his statement to the press, Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman said that in recent days, the Greek Cypriot side stresses a ‘loose’ or decentralised federation, which has been a long-standing belief held by Anastasiades but today, a strong wing federation model has been on the agenda. Expressing that the reason of moving away from a strong centralized federation is the issue of political equality, Erhürman said that the Greek Cypriot side has created an expression of a new model due to not being able to explain the issue of political equality to their people.
Uluçay met with Mandviwalla
TRNC Speaker of the Assembly Teberrüken Uluçay met with Pakistan Senate delegation Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla.
Uluçay thanked Mandviwalla for the support to the Turkish Cypriot people at international platforms.
Recalling the decision taken in the period after 2004 by the Islamic Conference Organization and the current Islamic Cooperation Organization, providing for supporting the Turkish Cypriot people, Uluçay asked for his interlocutor’s support the issue of putting this decision into force at international platforms.
During the meeting, Uluçay brought onto the agenda issues such as the increase in the number of Pakistani students in the TRNC and the cooperation with Pakistan in the field of trade.
Uluçay also raised the issue of launching sports and cultural activities between the two countries and Mandviwalla for his part expressed that they will continue to be the voice of the Turkish Cypriot people both in the Islamic Cooperation Organization and other international meetings and added that they could launch efforts on the issue of joint trade activities.
Özersay: “Status quo harms Turkish Cypriot side”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kudret Özersay said that the status quo continuing in Cyprus harms the Turkish Cypriot side.
In his statement to the Anadolu Agency, Özersay said that following the Cyprus Conference which failed in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in July 2017, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has taken a step that gives an opportunity to the sides to think again. Adding that the negotiations continuing for 50 years with failure should be questioned, Özersay said that Turkey and the TRNC made a sincere evaluation, and we, as the Turkish Cypriot side, do not want the status quo to continue.
Expressing that integration with the world is prevented due to the status quo, Özersay said that primarily, we prefer lifting of the status quo through a comprehensive solution, and if the Greek Cypriot side impose obstacles for a comprehensive solution, we want to prevent the continuation of the status quo in different ways. “As long as the status quo continues, it harms the Turkish Cypriot side” Özersay stressed.
Furthermore, Özersay said “the Greek Cypriot side’s call for the negotiation process to resume where it left off is actually a continuation of the status quo”.
Touching upon the report that is being prepared by the UN Secretary-General’s special temporary envoy Jane Holl Lute this month, Özersay said that it would be wrong to think that the report to be presented to the UN will evaluate the 50-year-old ethnic problem and come to a point where it will lead to the solution of the Cyprus problem.
Emphasizing that the Turkish Cypriot side, with Turkey, had always put forward their good intentions in order to find a comprehensive solution so that they can be integrated into the world, Özersay said: “The Turkish Cypriot side does not want to enter into a new negotiation process that will not reach an outcome. It is time to stop and question what is going on.”
Indicating that there is a wind of cold war between 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, Özersay said that it is not realistic to start a new negotiation process in such circumstances.
Özersay also added that if the process which had been tried for 50 years did not work, they should sit and negotiate sincerely with all relevant parties and the Greek Cypriot side and discuss what else can be tried? “In the meantime, we should try to develop a concrete relationship and make an effort to create trust between the two sides on every issue, especially on the economic issue” said Özersay.
Touching upon the UN military camp that is located in the Gazimağusa area, Özersay said that as the area has developed, the camp has remained within the city where hundreds of people are now residing and that the location of the camp had become a problem.
Özersay pointed out that they had met with the UN officials and said:
“There are helicopters which land and take off at that camp and there is continuous movement of military trucks. The camp is currently in an urban area. This needs to change. We as the TRNC Foreign Ministry informed the UN about this and are waiting for a positive reply in view of the fact that the circumstances in the area have changed.
Özersay also pointed out that the site could be transformed into a green area or a city park and this is not an issue related to the mission of the UN Peace Forces and it is a general issue of the needs of the country and the people.
Pointing out that it is ‘unlawful’ to open tenders to foreign companies for natural gas exploration activities at the 7th parcel within the so called Exclusive Economic Zone by the Greek Cypriot side, Özersay said that this is an initiative to usurp the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people.
Özersay continued: “If other companies step into the 7th parcel we, as the TRNC and the Republic of Turkey, will not allow this to happen. We will also conduct exploration activities in all areas where Turkish Cypriots have rights. The Turkish Cypriot side will also start to do its own exploration activities with Turkish Petroleum Corporation which is authorised for this.
Özyiğit to go to Morocco
Minister of National Education and Culture Cemal Özyiğit is going to Morocco to attend a conference regarding education.
Özyiğit will give a speech at the 13th Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural General Conference to be held on 11-12 October by the Islamic Educational Scientific and Educational Organization (ISESCO) which operates within the body of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation of which the TRNC is an observer member under the title of the Turkish Cypriot State.
Özyiğit will also meet with the Ministers of Education and Culture who are members of the Organisation and their delegations.
