TRNC news headlines, 2 March 2012

PRESIDENT EROGLU: ‘NOTHING LEFT UNDISCUSSED’

President Dervis Eroglu said that there is not any issue which has not been discussed during the negotiations and both sides should want to reach a solution on the island.

Eroglu added ‘There are two results of the negotiations. You reach an agreement or not’ and said that as the Turkish Cypriot side, they always wanted a solution but the attitude of Greek Cypriot side is very clear. Referring to the forthcoming Presidential elections in the South, Eroglu said ‘it is not possible to think that Christofias will want a solution during this process’.

Moreover, reminding that Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias has been continuing negotiations with him which started with the 2nd. President Mehmet Ali Talat, Eroglu said ‘They could not reach a result at the end of the negotiations realized with Talat although they discussed Cyprus problem for about 18-19 months. There is nothing left un-discussed during the negotiations’ Eroglu said.

Indicating that mutual take and give process should start in order to reach an agreement, Eroglu said ‘it is not possible to reach an agreement before the beginning of this process’.

BAGIS: “WE SHALL IGNORE THEM”

The Turkish Minister for European Union Affairs and chief negotiator to the EU Egemen Bağış has said that Turkey will ignore the Greek Cypriot administration’s EU Term presidency. Delivering a speech at the London School of Economics, he said that Turkey will not recognize the Greek Cypriot Side as an interlocutor during the South Cyprus’s rotating EU presidency this year.

Responding to a question about Turkey’s stance towards the Greek Cypriot administration which will undertake the rotating presidency of the EU in July, the Turkish Minister Bagış said that Turkey would ignore the Greek Cypriot administration.

“We hope there will be a solution to the Cyprus Problem till July”, said Bagış, adding that if there was not a united Cyprus till that date, Turkey would pursue its relations with European Commission, European Parliament and EU member states, but ignore the rotating Presidency of the Greek Cypriot Administration.

He pointed out that the only time EU candidate countries had any meaningful contact with the EU term President was when a chapter was opened for negotiations or during council partnership meetings.

He also reminded that Turkey had a 52 year relationship with the EU, thus, a six month waiting period was not a long time for Turkey.

OZERSAY HAVING CONTACTS IN CZECH REPUBLIC

Special Representative of President Dervis Eroglu Kudret Ozersay met members of Foreign Affairs Committee of the Czech Republic Parliament and also parliamentarians of different political parties within the framework of his contacts in Prag.

Ozersay also had a meeting with the high level authorities of Czech Republic Foreign Ministry related to the increased role of the UN during the negotiations process and related to the steps to be taken within the natural calendar put forward by the UNSG.

Ozersay also spoke at the seminar titled ‘44 years old Cyprus Negotiations: We should look forward’ at Charles University in the Czech Republic and answered the questions of university students.

Member of Negotiations Team Güneş Onar is accompanying Ozersay who will continue his contacts in Czech Republic an expected to return to the island before this weekend.

PRIME MINISTER KUCUK: WE DON’T EVEN RECEIVE PROPOSALS FROM HRISTOFIAS

Prime Minister İrsen Küçük stated that there is an effort in the South Cyprus to create an artificial agenda before the elections in 2013 by following a propaganda that Greek Cypriot Administration Leader Dimitris Hristofias is giving concessions to Turkish Cypriot Side however this is not the reality as Hristofias is not even presenting proposals in the Cyprus Issue negotiations.

Prime Minister also underlined that the drilling activities in the Northern Cyprus is not a reprisal to the drilling activities of the Greek Cypriot Administration and the seismic research activities done continuously. Küçük pointed out that with the cooperation of Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPC) the gas research activities are ready to start.

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