ANKARA - Turkey expected the Islam world to lift embargoes on Turkish Cypriot people and to take action to upgrade status of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday.
Gul introduced Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Turkey's candidate for the office of OIC Secretary General, to ambassadors of OIC member countries to Turkey in a reception held at the Foreign Ministry Residence.
Ihsanoglu is the Director General of OIC Research Center For Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA).
Speaking at the reception, Gul said that Turkey had attached special importance to its relations with Islam world.
Gul noted that Turkey was working to further improve cooperation with Islam countries and to give OIC the place it deserved in international arena.
''It is one of our political priorities to further improve our bilateral relations with OIC member countries,'' Gul said.
Gul recalled that many international problems from Eurasia to the Middle East were on OIC's agenda.
The organization should take initiatives to find peaceful, fair and lasting solutions to all those problems, Gul said.
Gul stated that Turkey would fulfil its responsibilities in those efforts.
OIC was carefully following situation of Turkish Cypriots, Gul said.
Gul noted that the organization could understand views of Turkish Cypriot people about a fair and rightful solution of Cyprus issue.
The results of simultaneous referenda held in Cyprus on April 24 showed that it was the Turkish Cypriot side which was in favor of a solution in the island, Gul pointed out.
Gul said that Western states and organizations had taken action after the referenda to lift embargoes on Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and to integrate TRNC with international community.
''Islam world should also evaluate this situation sincerely and should not leave Muslim Turkish Cypriots alone in their rightful cause. Protecting Turkish Cypriots means proving the reality that Muslims are in favor of peace and solution. Within this framework, we expect Islam world to take action to lift unjust embargoes imposed on Turkish Cypriot people and to upgrade TRNC's status in OIC,'' Gul added.
TRNC and Greek Cypriot side voted United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem in simultaneous referenda held on April 24.
Sixty-five percent of Turkish Cypriots voted ''yes'' to the Annan plan while 35.09 percent voted against the plan in the simultaneous referenda. A total of 75.83 percent of the Greek Cypriots said ''no'' to the plan while 24.17 of them voted ''yes.''
The rate of participation in the referendum was 84.35 in TRNC and 96.53 percent in the Greek Cypriot side.
(BRC) 10.05.2004