Turkish Republic Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said that the TRNC’s current international embargoes cannot continue forever, and there will be different processes after today.
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TRNC News 28.6.2017 Conference on Cyprus starts today in Crans-Montana, Switzerland
The Cyprus conference will begin again today in the town of Crans-Montana in Switzerland.
The conference, which will be held within the framework of the UN Secretary General’s declaration on 4th June, will start at 10.00 local time. (TRNC time: 11.00)
The conference, which will be attended by the both sides in Cyprus, as well as the guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom, will focus on the issues of “Security and Guarantees” alongside all other issues for which a solution has yet to be reached so far in the Cyprus negotiation process.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kocias, and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson will participate in the conference. Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini will represent the EU as an observer country.
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is expected to attend the conference in the following days.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Serdar Denktaş and Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu will be present at the negotiations to be held in Crans-Montana.
Meanwhile, the official opening of the Cyprus Conference was held yesterday evening at the Le Regent Convention Centre in Crans-Montana.
President Mustafa Akıncı, the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Kocias and the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson attended the meeting. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was also present at the dinner.
Additionally, President Mustafa Akıncı held a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Crans-Montana in order to evaluate the current status of talks before the conference.
Türkeş: The UN has ‘forced’ a meeting in Crans-Montana once again
Discussing the Cyprus Conference to be held in Switzerland, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş has stated that the UN has ‘forced’ the meeting in Crans-Montana this week.
Türkeş, who is in London said: “I have to use this term again, a meeting will be forcibly held in Crans-Montana by the UN on June 27-28, with a ‘compulsory’ ‘meeting once again.” He continued, “Turkish Cypriot people do not deserve the unfair isolations imposed on them and they need to get rid of these as soon as possible. The politicians in Cyprus, especially the TRNC President, the negotiator and the government, are doing their utmost. Turkey also supports the TRNC. I know that the international press often misrepresents these things. It is clear that Turkey has always lent its support to finding a solution.
The Greek Cypriot side, which unfairly secured EU membership in 2004, sees the Turkish Cypriot people as a minority. This is the problem – it starts here. Our proposal, however, is to facilitate two equal communities, and a new federation state. Turkey supports this. This is the truth. Today’s population rates do not mean anything. However, from time to time, the Western press, especially the European press says so many different things.”
Eide: UN “will not submit a joint document” at the Cyprus Conference.
The United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide has stated that the UN will not present a “joint document” to the parties in the conference.
Eide said at a press conference at the UN Geneva Office that the Cyprus Conference, which will start today, will be the continuation of the conference in Geneva in January.
Eide reiterated the statement of President Mustafa Akıncı at the press conference held the previous day that the conference should be treated as time for “a decision”. Responding to the question, “Are you of the same opinion?” Eide said that this approach is crucial: “we hope that it will be a conference for a decision, for a comprehensive solution that will unite the island.”
UNSG Guterres hails Cyprus Conference ‘opportunity’
The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on all interested parties to consider the opportunity of Cyprus reunification this week.
In his written statement ahead of the Cyprus Conference which will start today in Switzerland, Guterres said that he is pleased that the parties are coming together again for negotiations in Switzerland. He added that this determined step which has been taken by the sides has encouraged him.
Stating that the UN would support this effort, Guterres said, “As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I reiterate my steadfast commitment to supporting this effort. I urge all participants to demonstrate the will and leadership required to conclude a comprehensive settlement.”
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 5.6.2017 Guterres: Leaders agree need to reconvene Conference
Guterres: “Leaders agreed on the need to reconvene the Conference on Cyprus in June”
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has announced that President Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades have agreed on the need to reconvene the Conference on Cyprus in June, in line with the 12 January statement from the first conference.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres made a statement following the meeting he had with the two leaders at the UN headquarters in New York on Sunday.
Stating that all sides agreed that the chapter on security and guarantees is of vital importance to the two communities, Guterres emphasised that progress in this chapter is an essential element in reaching an overall agreement, and in building trust between the two communities in relation to their future security and co-existence.
“The Special Adviser of the Secretary-General, Mr. Espen Barth Eide, will engage with all participants in the preparation of a common document to guide the discussions on security and guarantees, based on the outcomes of the conference on Cyprus in Geneva and the meetings in Mont Pelerin”, said Guterres.
The Secretary General also added that the leaders had agreed to continue the bi-communal negotiations in parallel in Geneva, with a specific focus on the territory, property and governance, and power sharing chapters, as well as other outstanding issues.
Guterres stated that the leaders agreed that all issues will be negotiated interdependently, and that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, as per the joint declaration of the 11 February 2014.
“As a follow-up to this meeting, I will reach out to the other participants of the conference: Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom and the European Union as an observer” Guterres concluded.
2nd CONIFA Euro Cup 2017 kicks off in the TRNC
The 2nd Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) Euro Cup 2017, which gathers the national teams of countries and regions that are not members of International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), kicked off this weekend, hosted by the TRNC.
The opening ceremony of 2nd CONIFA Euro Cup 2017 Championship, which is organised under the slogan ‘Freedom to Play Football,’ was held in Lefkoşa Atatürk Stadium yesterday evening.
In his opening speech, the President of the Cyprus Turkish Football Federation (CTFF) Hasan Sertoğlu, welcomed all the participating teams. He added that the 2nd CONIFA Euro Cup 2017 would be a chance to show that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is equal to any of the UEFA and FIFA member countries and to highlight what can be achieved if the opportunity is given to Turkish Cypriots.
CONIFA European President Alberto Rischio thanked the Turkish Cypriot Football Federation for providing such high standards, and said that the tournament proved that all restrictions and obstacles can be overcome.
CONIFA World President Per Anders Blind said that CONIFA is a very special platform because it is a unique opportunity to showcase a diverse cultural heritage and the principle of friendship to the world.
In his speech, Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün underlined that such an organization has great significance for the youth of the TRNC. He added “We are a generation who have lived for many years with the bitterness of our young people because they have been denied the friendship, brotherhood and peace structure of sports due to the mentality of the Greek Cypriots.
Özgürgün added that the sports embargoes imposed on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and its youth are a violation of human rights and a shame on humanity.
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 1.6.2017 : Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu arrives in the TRNC
Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu arrived in the TRNC yesterday in order to hold meetings on the Cyprus issue.
Çavuşoğlu will hold evaluation meetings regarding the negotiation process with President Mustafa Akıncı, the negotiating team, and leaders of the political parties represented in the Assembly.
The Turkish Foreign Minister will be received by President Mustafa Akıncı. The meeting between Akıncı and Çavuşoğlu will then continue with the participation of the delegations.
The meeting at the Presidency will take place with the participation of Prime Minister Özgürgün, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Serdar Denktaş and Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu.
Minister Çavuşoğlu will then meet with the leaders of the opposition parties represented in the Assembly, namely CTP General Secretary Tufan Erhürman and TDP General Secretary Cemal Özyiğit.
Following the meetings at the Presidency, President Akıncı and Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu will hold a joint press conference.
Çavuşoğlu will then be received separately by the Speaker of the Assembly Sibel Siber and Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün.
Afterwards, he will meet with Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu.
UN Secretary General to meet Akıncı and Anastasiades in New York
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held a telephone call with President Mustafa Akıncı yesterday.
In his written statement, the Presidential Spokesperson Barış Burcu announced that Guterres held the conversation with President Akıncı yesterday evening, and stated that the UN Secretary General invited the President to New York with the Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades on Sunday 4th June for a working dinner.
Spokesman Burcu said, “President Akıncı has accepted the UN Secretary-General’s invitation, and he will participate in the meeting”.
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 29.5.2017 Akinci: International community and UN should warn Greek Cypriot side
Akıncı: “The International community and UN should warn the Greek Cypriot side”
“I believe that the Greek Cypriots can abandon their bad attitude towards the talks, but there is one condition for that; the international community and the UN must issue a warning to the Greek Cypriots over their stance” said President Mustafa Akıncı last week.
Speaking at an event, President Akıncı gave his evaluation of the developments on the Cyprus issue. Akıncı said that the Greek Cypriot side and media are engaging in games to portray the Turkish Cypriot leader and Turkey as guilty.
President Akıncı repeated that the preconditions offered by the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades to discuss the Security and Guarantees and Territory chapters before moving to other outstanding issues is out of the question. He added that this proposal entirely contradicts the Geneva Joint Declaration on 12 January and 11 February 2014.
Emphasizing that the Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades is running out of time due to the Greek Cypriot presidential elections to be held in 2018, Akıncı said, “If winning the election becomes more important than finding a solution, we have nothing more to say at that point.”
President Akıncı emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready to go to Geneva, but that achieving a result can only be made possible by discussing all issues.
President Akıncı spoke to the leaders of the political parties represented at the TRNC Assembly, and informed them that the shuttle diplomacy run by UN Special Envoy Eide was unsuccessful as a result of the preconditions of the Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades.
Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu briefs students of Carolina University
Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu briefed students from the History and Political Science Department of the US Coastal Carolina University on the Cyprus issue and the ongoing negotiation process.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mustafa Lakadamyalı and General Director Kemal Köprülü accompanied Minister Ertuğruloğlu during the briefing, which took place at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Briefing the students on the Cyprus issue and the ongoing negotiation process, Minister Ertuğruloğlu stated that a settlement in Cyprus can only be established on the basis of equality.
Stating that the Turkish Cypriot people are not a minority but equal partners on the island, Ertuğruloğlu emphasized that they would never be part of an agreement which recognises them as a minority.
Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot people were the equal partners of the island during the 1960 Republic of Cyprus, Ertuğruloğlu emphasized that they would never give up their rights and equal status on the island.
The Minister explained that the 1960 Republic of Cyprus collapsed because of the Greek Cypriots’ refusal to recognise the political equality of Turkish Cypriots. He said “after 50 years of insisting on the same things, it is my personal view that it is not possible to reach a settlement. If we get into a new partnership and if an agreement is signed, Turkish Cypriots should take their place as an equal partner”.
Ertuğruloğlu pointed out that Turkey and the Turkish Armed Forces were not occupiers as claimed by the Greek Cypriot side, and were on the island to ensure the freedom, security and safety of the Turkish Cypriot people.“They are the guarantee of peace and security on this island” emphasized Ertuğruloğlu.
Thanking the students for listening to him, Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu gave an example of the international embargoes imposed by the Greek Cypriots towards the Turkish Cypriots.
He explained children who came from Serbia to Cyprus in order to participate in the 19th International 23rd of April Children’s Festival, were prevented from crossing to the TRNC and deported. Ertuğruloğlu continued as follows:
“Embargoes are imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people such as no international contacts are allowed. Time is being stolen from the negotiating table, and nobody wants to take responsibility for the termination of the process. But we continue to be held under embargoes.
We should not allow this situation anymore. We have many choices; partnership is not the only option. We are ready to establish partnerships, not as minorities, but as equal partners. If this does not occur, we have to make our way. We have to put forth other options.
The Greek Cypriots are happy with the present process and the status quo because state facilities were only used by them. The Turkish Cypriot people, who were kicked out from the partnership, are continuing to live under the embargoes.
We do not want to waste more time at the negotiation table.
The facts in Cyprus are well known by all international communities. A new page should be turned in Cyprus.
Failure in negotiations should be explained by the UN Good Offices Mission, and everyone should look ahead”.
Ertuğruloğlu also criticized the recognition of the Greek Cypriots as a unilateral member of the European Union, before responding to the students’ questions.
The Minister emphasised that the most important thing for the solution of the Cyprus problem is equality, and stated that the TRNC could open up to the world even in the absence of a settlement, perhaps even seeking international recognition with the support of Turkey.
Responding to a question on hydrocarbon exploration, Ertuğruloğlu stated that Turkey will continue to look out for the interests of the Turkish Cypriot people as it does in other areas, and that they would not allow the Greek Cypriots to take a unilateral step on this issue.
Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu indicated that the Turkish Cypriot people will never give up on the guarantee of Motherland Turkey, and emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot people are only assured a place in the world with the guarantee of Turkey.
Statement by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Cyprus negotiations
Following the last meeting held between the two Leaders in Cyprus on 17 May 2017 within the framework of the ongoing comprehensive settlement negotiations, SASG Mr. Eide conducted shuttle diplomacy between the Leaders with the aim of reaching an agreement on reconvening the Conference on Cyprus. Within this framework Mr. Eide met each Leader twice in the previous days.
SASG Mr. Eide stated today that these meetings were unable to produce any results.
Turkey shares the views expressed on this issue by TRNC President Mr. Akıncı in his statements of 23 and 26 May 2017. Our view is that the preconditions put forth by Greek Cypriot Leader Mr. Anastasiades for reconvening the Conference on Cyprus are contrary to the principles in the Leaders’ Joint Declaration of 11 February 2014 that all issues “will be discussed interdependently” and that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”. They are likewise not in keeping with the Statement from the Conference on Cyprus dated 12 January 2017.
It will be recalled that one of the tasks from the Statement from the Conference on Cyprus was for a Working Group to convene in order to identify questions regarding the Security and Guarantees chapter as well as the instruments needed to address them. This tasking was fulfilled on 18-19 January in Mont Pèlerin. The second tasking which resulted from the Conference was for the continuation of negotiations on outstanding issues in the other chapters between the two sides on the Island.
Turkey expects the Conference on Cyprus to be able to reconvene without any preconditions, in keeping with the understanding in the Leaders’ Joint Declaration of 11 February 2014 and in accordance with the methodology which was foreseen but not implemented for the first Conference, namely with all chapters being addressed together, as also expressed by President Akıncı in his statements.
Eide: “No basis” for sustaining shuttle diplomacy
UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor Espen Barth Eide has stated that the leaders were unable to find common ground despite active shuttle diplomacy between the two sides, which he had been engaged in since 17 May, as requested by the leaders.
In his written statement Eide stated, “As both leaders have publicly expressed their desire to reconvene the Conference on Cyprus and to finalise all outstanding issues in Geneva, our sole focus has been to agree the modalities by which this can be achieved. Unfortunately, despite serious efforts to overcome their differences regarding the modalities for meeting in Geneva, the leaders were unable to find common ground. Without a prospect for common ground, there is no basis for continuing this shuttle diplomacy.”
Former US Ambassador accuses Anastasiades over impasse in talks
Former US Ambassador to South Cyprus John Koenig has stated that the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades is responsible for the collapse of the negotiations.
Koenig shared a message from his Facebook account saying “There is plenty of blame to share around, but one person stands out as the cause of the impasse and collapse: This is Nikos Anastasiades. He never was the courageous, committed leader he claimed to be – not even in 2004 – but instead a self-absorbed small-time operator with grand ambitions and no spine.
“Anastasiades owns this failure but many others will pay the price. (Maybe I should write that book I threatened to write when I left Nicosia!) “
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.