EROĞLU: “GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE HAS NO INTENTION OR NECESSITY TO MAKE AN AGREEMENT”

TRNC President Dervş Eroğlu stated that they are negotiating with a partner who has no intention or necessity for a solution so that it is nonsense to criticize our selves as we are responsible from the deadlock. Commenting on the protest of the main opposition party Republican Turkish Party United Powers (RTP-UP), President said that the brochure which the protesters send me was telling met to give the territory which was demanded by the 2004 dated Annan Plan and they are claiming that Greek Cypriot Administration Leader Dimitris Hristofias is in the desire of a solution but I am not however ex-leader of the Republican Turkish Party United Powers (RTP-UP) and the II. President of the TRNC Mehmet Ali Talat has negotiated with Hristofias for 20 months and these two leaders were known as the supporters of the solution but as well as they couldn’t reach a solution, even there are some topics that they couldn’t start to negotiate.

President EroÄŸlu underlined that Hristofias is the leader of a European Union Member Side so that he has no intention or a necessity for a solution and this attitude is very well known by Mr.Talat as he mentioned that Hristofias has no will for a solution several times however it is incredible that Mr. Talat is going to villages and criticizing me and Turkey to Turkish Cypriot People.

PM KUCUK SAYS TURKEY’S EU MINISTER HAD LAID BARE OPTIONS OF TURKISH CYPRIOTS IN CASE OF DEAD END

Prime Minister of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Irsen Kucuk, referring “Turkey’s EU Ministers’ statement that annexation of TRNC to Turkey was also an option” said it was quite normal to talk about some options.

Evaluation of the Prime Minister came amid war of words triggered by the statement by Egemen Bagis Turkey’s Minister for EU and Chief Negotiator during his visit to UK last week.

PM said, Bagıs had spoken of many option and not just one.

Irsen Kucuk warned that the talks would fall into uncertainty when the Greek Cypriot became EU Term Presidency in July.

Referring United Nation Secretary General’s statement in New York following his meeting with two Cypriot leaders that said he would decide for the future of the talks after seeing the progress report at the end of March, Kucuk, pointing to Greek Cypriot side’s upcoming EU term presidency said that recent developments were causing anxiety with Turkish Cypriot and Turkish side who wanted to see a solution.

In case of a deadlock some alternatives had to be looked closer at, Kucuk said adding, “If there is going to be a delay to the talks, keeping Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots further waiting is out of question. The Turkish Cypriot Leadership who has been in full cooperation with Turkey during the talks will have to produce a new decision”.

The Prime Minister continued by saying “before reaching to this stage it is normal for Egemen Bagıs the EU Minister and Chief Negotiator to talks about some alternatives”.

Prime Minister Kucuk concluded by saying, “Embargoes and isolations are still continuing. No flexibility has been shown till today. If the talks are to be postponed, it is not the Greek Cypriots that will be feeling the affects; it will be the Turkish Cypriots. So taking some measures is quite normal. Egemen Bagıs’s statements lay before these options. Then again it is not possible to take and put into act a decision before the consent of TRNC people”.

BAGIS: ‘SEEING SOME GREEK CYPRIOT SYMPATHIZERS IN CYPRUS WORRIED ME’

Turkish EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagıs said that the main aim of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side is to reach a solution in Cyprus as soon as possible, ‘no one should expect from Turkey to leave alone the TRNC if a solution is not reached in Cyprus’.

Upon a question, Bagıs evaluated his statements made in London and said ‘ I have seen that there are some Greek Cypriot sympathizers in Cyprus who tried to change the meaning of my words expressed related to Cyprus in London and this worried me too much. I advise them to read my statements once more by spelling’.

Moreover, Bagıs said that as Turkey, they have been giving full support for the solution of Cyprus problem.

CTP-BG SECRETARY GENERAL AKANSOY CRITISIZED BAGIS

The Secretary General of the main opposition party CTP-BG criticized the latest statement of Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bagıs related to integration with Turkey. During a program in SIM TV, Asım Akansoy referred to critics of Bagıs for CTP and said ‘We can not let anyone to blame us in this way. We can not accept this and we condemn Bagıs strongly. The last thing to do was to blame us as Greek Cypriot sympathizers’.

Moreover, stating that the statements of Bagıs related to integration with Turkey would give harm to the negotiations, Akansoy said ‘we declared our will with the Immovable Property Commission and we made this accepted as a law structure. If you express integration with Turkey, you play into the hand of your competitors who describe you as ‘occupant’.

ARE YOU AWARE? ACTIVITY FROM RTP-UP

The main opposition party Republican Turkish Party United Powers (RTP-UP) made a protest activity in Lefkoşa named ‘Are you Aware? Against the attitude of TRNC President Derviş Eroğlu in the negotiation process of the Cyprus Problem.

The Leader of the Republican Turkish Party United Powers (RTP-UP) Özkan YorgancıoÄŸlu made a statement to the press and said that TRNC President Mr. EroÄŸlu never has been in favor of a solution in all his political life. YorgancıoÄŸu commented to the statement of Turkey’s minister for European Union Affairs, Egemen Bağış who has said that Ankara considers annexation of Northern Cyprus to Turkey as an option to end the Cyprus dispute if Greek and Turkish Cypriots fail to reach an agreement on the reunification of the island, or establishment of two independent states through a deal as ‘the idea of annexing the KKTC to Turkey is unacceptable’. YorgancıoÄŸlu added that the words that Bağış said are also against the vision of TR Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan which is ‘being one step ahead’.

OZERSAY: “RESTORATION SHOULD NOT BE POLITICIZED”

President Dervis Eroglu’s Special Representative Kudret Ozersay, said that, restoration of the Apostolos Andreas Monastery should not be politicized.

After visiting monastery with the bi-communal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, Ozersay said that the first step for the restoration of Apostolos Andreas Monastery was taken.

Speaking to the press, Ozersay also called the international actors like EU to support and cooperate on the financial aspect of the restoration.

After technical inspections at the site of the monastery, The Greek Cypriot member of the committee Takis Hacidimitriu said that, they took a very important step towards the solution of the problem. He also stressed that restoration should start as soon as possible.

CAKICI: “WE ARE NOT ANYONE’S PUPET”

Communal Democracy Party (TDP) Leader Mehmet Cakıcı criticized Turkish EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagıs due to his statements made the day before yesterday.

Cakıcı said: “Such statements are obsolete and has no value for the Turkish Cypriot People. We are representatives of the Turkish Cypriot People. We are not the puppet or hostage of anyone.” In his statement Cakıcı said that they are spending effort for the continuation of good relations between Turkish Cypriots and Turkey however Turkish authorities don’t take the same care and invited them to respect Turkish Cypriot People’s will.

ERTUGRULOGLU: “PARTNERSHIP IS NOT GOD’S ORDER”

Leader of the Democracy and Confidence Party (DGP) Tahsin Ertugruloglu said: “we never approve that only choice of the Turkish Cypriot People is establishing a partnership state with the Greek neighbors as it is God’s order”

In his written statement Ertugruloglu indicated that in statements made by certain groups it has been depicted as if the Greek Cypriot side has a real and viable partnership vision however the Turkish side is resisting to this and added: “No one has the right to make us a people which begs to the Greek Cypriot side.”

Regarding the choices made by Egemen Bagıs Ertugruloglu said: “Certain groups have immediately made their well known criticisms” and he added that they do not agree with such views and they look at the situation through a wider perspective.

EU COMMISSION: “ONLY SOLUTION FOR CYPRUS IS THE REUNIFICATION OF THE ISLAND”

EU Commission has declared that the only solution they can consider in Cyprus is the reunification of the island.

Peter Stano, spokesman of the EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule upon being asked about the statements made by Turkish EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagıs said: “we are not making comments on individual statements of different politicians. When Cyprus is in question single solution can be considered for the EU. This is unification of the island based on bi-communal, bi-zonal federation. All sides should focus all their efforts to the solution of this problem. Of course we are calling all related parties to divert their energy towards a solution.”

On the other hand, Turkey-EU Joint Parliament British Commissioner Andrew Duff criticized latest statements of EU Minister Egemen Bagıs related to his words ‘Turkish Cypriots should be integrated to Turkey’ and added that Egemen Bagıs was away from good will.

TRNC TO TAKE PART IN ITB BERLIN 2012 TOURISM FAIR

The TRNC will participate in the ITB Berlin 2012 Tourism Fair, which is one of the largest tourism fairs in the world, this year, as it did last year.

At the fair, which will be held in the German Capital Berlin between 7-11 March, the TRNC will be promoted with its 169 m2 stand, portraying the Bellapais Monastery.

According to the information given by the Tourism Ministry, besides the concept of Bellapais Monastery, many pictures reflecting the Turkish Cypriot architecture will decorate the authentic North Cyprus stand. The stand will also include an oriental corner, meeting and study rooms, a kitchen and storage.

The representatives of airlines companies and the NGOs in tourism sectors operating in the TRNC, like KITSAB, KITOB, Res-Bir, Kıt—Reb, Karpaz Eco Tourism, Health Tourism, Golf Tourism and Antique Magusa will have their own tables at the North Cyprus stand in order to promote their facilities.