OIC Secretary General Urges Muslim Nations To Reward Turkish Cypriots

ISTANBUL (CIHAN) - The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Abdelouahed Belkeziz called on OIC members to take appropriate steps in regards to Turkish Cyprus.
Secretary General Belkeziz, referring to Turkish Cyprus as a state, said that he had carried out talks with Turkish Cypriot leaders on how to take the rights of the Turkish Cypriots under guarantee and how to give more support to Turkish Cypriots.
Belkeziz, speaking at the opening session of the 31st Foreign Ministers Summit of the OIC said that the Cyprus issue entered into new era following the April 24 referendum. Belkeziz recalled that the failed Annan plan had foreseen a federal structure consisting of one Turkish and one Greek component state. Belkeziz said that the Greek Cypriots rejected the UN peace while the Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly approved the peace plan. OIC Secretary General said that the post-referendum process paved the way for the elimination of international sanctions against the Turkish Cypriots.
The Cyprus report of the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan presented to the UN Security Council had called for an end to the international isolation of Turkish Cyprus.
Belkeziz urged Muslim nations to take appropriate steps in favor of the Turkish Cypriots, taking into account the recent developments.
Turkey has been seeking support of the Organization for Islamic Conference (IOC) to promote the representing level of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC).
After the UN-backed Cyprus blueprint to unite the island failed at the April 24 referendum due to the rejection of the Greek Cypriots, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Abdelouahed Belkeziz paid an official visit to Turkish Cyprus for the first time in May. He signaled during the visit that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), which is currently only officially recognized by Turkey and has but observer status at the OIC, would be officially accepted as the Northern Turkish Cyprus State at the OIC foreign ministerial level meeting at Istanbul.