EROGLU: “IT WILL BE POINTLESS TO CONTINUE TALKS AFTER JULY 1ST”

Following yesterday’s meeting with Greek Cypriot Leader Demetris Christofias with an aim to break the deadlock President Eroglu reiterated that, continuing the talks after the Greek Cypriot administration assumed the EU term presidency would be meaningless.

Speaking to the press at the court of the presidential palace, on his return from the UN controlled area in Nicosia where the talks have been taking place since 2008 Eroglu said, EU term presidency and the presidential elections in the south due in 2013 would render the peace efforts pointless.

Eroglu said, “From the start of the talks, Turkish Cypriot side has been working for an agreement, nonetheless bearing in mind that EU term presidency will be passed to Greek Cypriot side and that election debates have started early, it will render the talks pointless to continue. Our views with Turkey on this matter are same.”

The president also emphasized that the presidential elections would make Greek Cypriot leader Christofias, expected to run at the elections, more obdurate.

The leaders have continued discussion of the “Property” issue, one of the most challenging chapters.

“We, the leaders, have expressed our views on main subjects. Our representatives will try to prepare a common paper in the light of these views” he added.

Referring to his visit to Ankara where he met with Turkey’s leadership, Eroglu said that, the meeting was satisfactory.

“TURKISH CYPRIOT SIDE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN ITS CITIZENS”

TRNC Presidency announced that on the negotiation table, Turkish Cypriot side has put forth an approach which enables all Turkish Cypriot citizens to become a citizen of united Cyprus without discriminating between their citizens and has carried on this approach.

The Presidency emphasized that the news stating that “the name list of Turkish origin 55,000 people has been presented” in the II. Greentree meeting is groundless and is a product of campaign provoking the people, and said “like the previous news stating that passport of so-called ‘Republic of Cyprus’ would be prohibited for the TRNC citizens, the mentioned news is groundless”.

In the statement, the Presidency stated that Turkish Cypriot side had not presented a name list during the negotiation process and in any phase it has not accepted any approach which would require listing of the people according to their ethnic origins.

The Presidency added that there is not any change in the position of Turkish Cypriot side which defends the principle that when the solution is reached the all citizens of both sides will become the citizen of united Cyprus.

MOODY’S ALSO DOWNGRADES RATING OF GREEK CYPRIOT BANKS

International ratings agency Moody’s reduced its rating on Greek Cypriot banks following the Greek Cypriot economy.

In the previous day, Moody’s has reduced its rating on Greek Cypriot economy to "Baa3" and specified its outlook as ‘negative’.

Greek Cypriot daily Haravgi stated that Moody’s reduced its rating on ‘Bank of Cyprus’ to "B1", on ‘Marfin Bank’ to "B3", and on ‘Greek Bank’ to "Ba2".