The Committee on Missing Persons has announced that President Mustafa Akıncı has donated €50,000 to the Committee on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot side.
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TRNC News 12.5.2017 Akıncı: “It’s now time to make the decision”
Akıncı: “It’s now time to make the decision”
President Mustafa Akıncı has stated that he has evaluated the work he has done with the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades up until today, and that the negotiators have conveyed their progress on the issue of property. He said that it is now time to make a decision.
The President made the statement following his latest meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades, on his return to the Presidential Palace, which stated that the second year of negotiations had now come to an end.
The statement explained that the leaders gave instructions to the negotiators on what should be done in advance of the next meeting to be held on 17 May, stating that the negotiators would come together a few times and work intensively until that meeting.
Indicating that more than 60 leaders’ meetings and more than 150 negotiators’ meetings had been held in 2 years, Akıncı said that numerous committees have been working on many areas during this period.
Akıncı expressed that there were some outstanding issues in the negotiation process, and that the leaders should make a decision about whether or not they will reach an agreement.
Stating that the material that they had accumulated now brought them to the decision stage, Akıncı stated that there was a time table even if the name was not given.
Reiterating that the Turkish Cypriot side’s determination to find a solution is well known and it has been proved many times, President Akıncı underlined the importance of policy determination, political will and the need to prove them rather than a time.
Akıncı added that if this is required, political determination will be displayed in the forthcoming period, because no one wants these efforts to fail. Akıncı expressed his wish that the days ahead bring good news, adding that he is also responsible for sharing even the negative news with the people of the TRNC.
Eide: “I had encouraging meetings with high level officials of international financial institutions on the island”
UN Special Advisor Espen Barth Eide has stated that he had encouraging meetings with high level officials of some international institutions on the island yesterday, adding that these institutions are ready to provide active financial support after a settlement. He said that this development indicates that both leaders and people on the island have great support in reaching a settlement, stressing however, the negotiation process should be carried out by the leaders.
Indicating that no one from the UN is considering arbitration Eide noted that there was not a UN plan.
Eide said that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is encouraging him and the leaders to redouble their efforts, and not to miss the opportunity. He said that it is possible to reach a settlement, however this will require serious leadership and hard work.
President Mustafa Akıncı and Eide had a two-hour meeting ahead of the leaders’ meeting. Making statements to the press, Eide said that he had a comprehensive meeting with President Akıncı regarding the issues on their agenda.
Stating that enormous progress has been achieved in the negotiations process despite some difficulties, Eide said that international developments are also a factor. Eide also emphasized that the progress that has been achieved so far should not be wasted because of the crises and stalls that might be experienced.
Eide said that two years have passed since the first meeting of leaders within the negotiations process, and that existing improvements should not be wasted just because of any possible crisis. He also underlined that time should be used wisely to make further progress.
Members of the Committee on Missing Persons visit UN Headquarters
Members of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) visited the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 8-9 May.
Members met with UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and with other authorities.
From 24 April to 5 May, 3 members of the CMP, including Paul-Henri Arni and two Cypriot researchers, studied both confidential and public documents at the UN archives dated 1963/4 and 1974. This research helped discover burial places of missing persons in Cyprus.
It was announced that one more visit will be needed to complete the study of archives in New York. That trip will be the part of a more comprehensive investigation undertaken by the CMP that will include studying archives from the United Nations and the International Red Cross Committee as well as from 12 other countries.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
To read more news and information from the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please click here
Pictures shown are courtesy of the TRNC Public Information Office Facebook page.
TRNC News 2.5.2017 Özgürgün: Economy “significantly improved despite political uncertainty”
Prime Minister Özgürgün: Economy “significantly improved, despite political uncertainty”
Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek and Economy and Energy Minister Sunat Atun gave a speech at the opening of the conference entitled “Conference on Economic Developments and Expectations in the World, Turkey and the TRNC”, which was organised by the Final International University (FIU) with the cooperation of the TRNC Central Bank and the Cyprus Turkish Economic Association.
In his speech, Prime Minister Özgürgün stated that the Cyprus issue has had a great impact on the configuration of the TRNC’s economy, and added that economic embargos and isolations have negatively affected the economy. Özgürgün said that the service sector is at the forefront of the Cyprus economy, but that the incomplete Cyprus negotiations, which have been ongoing since 1968, and the uncertainty surrounding the talks, has negatively affected the economy.
Stating that the negotiation process has been wounded due to the Enosis decision of the Greek Cypriot Parliament, Özgürgün said that the Turkish Cypriot side organises its economy in accordance with the negotiation process. Özgürgün also noted that as the uncertainty in the Cyprus problem continues, economic development would be limited in the TRNC.
Prime Minister Özgürgün emphasized that the TRNC economy has developed significantly over the years, despite the political conjuncture, and emphasized that considerable progress has been made in the education, health, tourism and agricultural sectors.
In his speech, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek stated that although the embargos, political situation, and the statue of the TRNC constitute a problem, positive developments have been made in developing the TRNC economy. Şimşek emphasized that Turkey has always supported the TRNC in every field, and that this support will continue. Şimşek also mentioned the importance of reforms, saying, “If you make reforms, other countries come for investment as well.”
Şimşek also noted that a solution in Cyprus would be supported by Turkey.
In his speech, Economy and Energy Minister Sunat Atun stated that the TRNC was affected both directly and indirectly from the global economic crisis in 2008. Minister Atun said that the USA’s strict monetary policies have impacted developing countries. He stressed that the TRNC’s economic slowdown in 2013-2015 was caused by economic protocol not being signed, however reforms have been accelerated since 2015, which have brought the economy to good standards.
Leaders meet today
President Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades met again earlier today, within the framework of the ongoing Cyprus negotiation process. The meeting was held at the buffer zone.
Cohen to hold meetings in Cyprus
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Jonathan Cohen will hold meetings in Cyprus.
It is expected that within the framework of his visit, Cohen will attend meetings with President Mustafa Akıncı and the Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades.
Members of the Committee of Missing Persons to hold meetings in New York
Members of the Committee of Missing Persons, who continue their efforts to discover, identify and deliver the remains of people who went missing in Cyprus between 1963 and 1974, will hold meetings in New York on the 8th and 9th of May. They are due to meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres during their visit, on the 9th of May.
According to Turkish Cypriot Member of the Committee, Gülden Plümer Küçük, the UN archives are already under examination as part of the committee’s project for “the exhumation, identification and return of the remains of missing persons”.
Küçük stated that the third member of the CMP in the Archives Working Group, Paul-Henri Arni, and two officers of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot contingent are studying the UN archives in New York. He added that the purpose of their visit to New York was to utilize the UN archives in the context of their project, and to hold a meeting with Guterres.
Küçük also said that the Committee had received a positive response from Turkey, Greece, the UK and other forces operating under the UN and the Red Cross to examine their archives in the hope of finding any information which may assist in the discovery and identification of the remains of missing persons.
Festival of North Cyprus this week to “bring the TRNC to the UK”
The Festival of North Cyprus will be held in London this week between the dates of 5-6 May.
The festival will be held with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, and under the organisation of North Cyprus UK Limited, at London’s most prestigious exhibition centre, the Business Design Centre in Islington. The slogan of the festival will be, “We are moving TRNC to London”.
In his interview for the Cyprus newspaper, Minister of Tourism and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu said that the ministry has implemented numerous initiatives in cities around the world in order to promote the TRNC. Ataoğlu also stated that their aim is to promote the TRNC, and to encourage third and fourth generations living in London to visit the TRNC on holiday, rather than going to other destinations
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
To read more news and information from the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please click here
Pictures shown are courtesy of the TRNC Public Information Office Facebook page.
TRNC News 11.4.2017 Leaders to resume negotiations today
Leaders to resume negotiations today after two month hiatus
Today the new term starts in the Cyprus negotiation process, which had been stalled by the enosis decision in February.
President Mustafa Akıncı and the Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades will meet in the buffer zone at 10:00am local time.
The last meeting of President Mustafa Akıncı and the Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades was on 9 February before the process was derailed on February 10, due to the decision of the Greek Cypriot Parliament to commemorate the Enosis plebiscite in schools.
The leaders met on February 16th to discuss the emerging picture and the negotiations were stalled when the Turkish Cypriot side expressed their concerns about the vote taken and demanded the withdrawal of the decision.
The approval of the draft law by the Greek Cypriot Parliament to transfer the authority to decide whether to commemorate the “Enosis” referendum at schools to the Greek Cypriot Minister of Education last Friday, which effectively nullifies the previous decision, paved the way for the resumption of negotiations.
President Mustafa Akıncı meets with political party representatives
President Mustafa Akıncı met with the leaders of the main political parties in the TRNC Assembly to update them about the new negotiation process yesterday.
The meeting lasted about an hour and a half, after which the party leaders responded to questions from the media.
In his statement to the press, UBP General Secretary Dursun Oğuz said that they are looking forward to a constructive approach from the Greek Cypriot side.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Serdar Denktaş said that they evaluated the latest developments with President Akıncı, and noted that Akıncı made clear beforehand that the negotiations will continue for some time. Denktaş added, however, that, “We do not agree with his statement that “The Enosis Plebiscite Decision was withdrawn by the Greek Cypriot Parliament, and this should be welcomed”.
Denktaş continued, “It is very clear that the Greek Cypriot side sees us as a minority. It is impossible to reach an agreement with such a mentality”.
Eide expresses support for ‘optimal’ restart to the negotiations
President Mustafa Akıncı held an hour-long meeting yesterday with the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser to Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide.
Eide, who made a statement to the press following the meeting, stated that they aimed to resume the negotiations in the best way possible, bringing areas of disagreement to the agenda and supporting reconciliation between the leaders in the coming weeks.
While he reiterated that he and his team were trying their utmost to support the talks, Eide said that the process would be carried out by the leaders, dismissing rumours that he would arbitrate in the negotiations.
He said that neither the two leaders nor the UN want arbitration as a means to moving the talks forward, and that the leaders will decide how the UN can help support the eve of the resumption of talks, which had previously stalled.
Eide said the two sides had lost a lot of time and trust, and that while he believes the leaders can rebuild their relationship, people in the two communities had begun to express their concerns over the credibility of the process.
Committee on Missing Persons signs agreement with International Committee of the Red Cross and the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team
The Committee on Missing Persons has signed two agreements to provide training to experts including forensic scientists and decision makers from around the world who also face the challenge of missing people due to armed conflicts and different events in their own countries.
The Committee on Missing Persons has signed a cooperation agreement with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (Equipo Argentino de Antropología Forense, EAAF).
The collaboration with the Red Cross has started by establishing a Committee. This agreement will be a good template for countries which undertake studies for searching for missing persons.
“Ancient times and Terracotta Figurines” exhibition opened at St Barnabas Icon and Archaeology Museum
An exhibition entitled “Ancient times and Terracotta Figurines” has been opened at St. Barnabas Icon and Archaeology Museum, under the auspices of the Ministry for Tourism and the Environment.
2,700 year old ceramic sculptures, which are under the protection of the Ministry, are being exhibited at the exhibition.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
To read more news and information from the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please click here
Pictures shown are courtesy of the TRNC Public Information Office Facebook page.
TRNC News 13.12.2016 – Leaders to meet today
Leaders to meet today -13th December
The two leaders, President Mustafa Akıncı and the Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades will meet today to prepare for the negotiations which will take place on 12 January 2017 in Geneva.
The meeting will begin at 7.30pm in the UN buffer zone.
President Akıncı also received the Ambassador of Netherlands in Nicosia, Nathalie Jaarsma yesterday. No statement was made to the press following the meeting at the Presidency.
Çavuşoğlu: “We have not made any concessions on the issues of security and guarantees”
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu emphasized that no concessions have been made on the issues of security and guarantees in Cyprus.
Addressing the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said that the Cyprus negotiation process was being carried out transparently and there was full consensus from the Turkish side regarding the framework of the agreement to be reached, as well as the need to introduce a timetable for the talks.
Çavuşoğlu underlined the importance of a timetable and reiterated that the Cyprus negotiation process could not continue as an open-ended process. He stated: “Of course we cannot negotiate this way forever. The talks started, they have proceeded, and now it is time for a timetable. Irrespective of whether or not the talks will succeed, everyone needs to see what is ahead of them. The aim is not to pressure or rush anyone, but it is not possible to negotiate indefinitely.”
Çavuşoğlu also added, “We have made no concessions, particularly on the issue of security and guarantees”.
Burcu: “The reconvened talks will lead to the Cyprus Conference with the participation of the three guarantor countries”
Presidential Spokesperson Barış Burcu stated that the new phase of negotiations, which will start with the meeting of President Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades in Geneva on 9 January, will lead to the Cyprus Conference with the participation of the representatives of the three guarantor countries – Turkey, Greece and the UK – on 12 January.
However, Burcu warned that “Any explanation or publication about the formation and participation of the Cyprus Conference is unrealistic and speculative.”
In his statement, Presidential Spokesperson Burcu noted that speculative reports, citing Greek Cypriot officials, were being published and circulated in the Greek Cypriot media regarding the formation and participation of the Cyprus Conference.
Burcu said, “As we stated several times before, the formation and type of participation at the Cyprus Conference was agreed by all parties, with the support of the United Nations (UN), on 1 December 2016. The content of this agreement was announced to the public by the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide, on behalf of the two leaders.”
The congregation of the five parties, which are directly involved in the solution of the Cyprus problem and the security and guarantees issues, will be sufficient for the formation and the beginning of the Cyprus Conference. Other relevant parties can be invited to the conference as needed and if approved by all parties. Any explanation or statement about the formation and participation of the Cyprus Conference, apart from this agreement, is unrealistic and without merit.”
1192 of 2001 missing persons have been found
Since its excavation project started in 2006, the Missing Persons Committee has now found a total of 1192 of 2001 missing persons. The Committee aims to determine the identities of missing persons who were lost due to the conflicts in Cyprus between 1963-1964 and in 1974, and to return them to their families.
The Missing Persons Committee has been working across the island for 10 years to ease the missing persons’ families’ distress.
The teams of the committee have undertaken 1119 excavations to find 2001 missing persons – 1508 Greek Cypriots and 493 Turkish Cypriots. They have currently found the remains of 1192 missing persons. The identities of 553 Greek Cypriots and 184 Turkish Cypriots, a total of 737 missing persons, have been determined and returned to their families.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
To read more news and information from the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please click here
Pictures shown are courtesy of the TRNC Public Information Office Facebook page.