EROGLU: “IT WOULD BE MEANINGLESS TO CONTINUE TALKS”

Dervis Eroglu the President of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said that, as the two leaders he and Dimitris Christofis could be having their last direct meeting today, leaving the settlement of the Cyprus problem dependant to a multilateral meeting.

President Dervis Eroglu talking to the press following his meeting with Alexander Downer UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus, who will be drafting the guiding report following the leaders meeting today, said “Since Downer will be submitting his views and thoughts after tomorrow’s meeting, it would be meaningless to continue to meet”.

He said after today’s meeting they will be waiting to see Downer’s report and the Secretary General’s approach the report will beget, which either will be a call to guarantor powers and some other international actors to finalize the draft settlement or report the Security Council on the impasse.

“We shall all together see the approach of the Secretary General… Upon this, we shall review decisions for the future and make our moves accordingly” President Eroglu said.

THE FINAL WORD

According to the news of Turkish Cypriot daily ‘KIBRIS’, unless UN Secretary General makes an international conference call, the negotiations will be terminated and closed town, Maraş, will be opened gradually.

The report prepared by UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor to Cyprus Alexander Downer concerning the point reached at the negotiations will be conveyed to New York at the end of this week. The report of Downer will determine the decision of Secretary General Ban ki Moon concerning the next process.

At the last stage of the report, it was stated that Downer who met with TR Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet DavutoÄŸlu in Brussels, has required more concession especially on territory and property, and the attitude of Turkish Cypriot side concerning the negotiations has become clearer.

According to the information obtained by the newspaper from ‘a reliable source’, it was stated that today’s meeting of the leaders probably will be the “last meeting”. Turkish Cypriot side, who lays down the call for a quintet meeting by Ban ki Moon as a condition, shall declare the negotiations to come to an end if this does not occur.

A quick solution is possible

Turkish Cypriot side and Ankara believe that the Cyprus problem can be solved in a short time in case a quintet meeting occurs. For this, an international conference, where Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders beside the three guarantors, Turkey, Greece and UK will attend, is proposed.

Unless UN Secretary General abstains and does not make a call for an international conference for the reason that Greek Cypriot side opposes this, continuation of the negotiations will be nonsense for the Turkish Cypriot side and it will come to an end.

Closed town MaraÅŸ, will be opened

According to the news obtained by ‘KIBRIS’, the decision taken by UN Security Council on prohibiting the opening of closed town, Maraş, will be accepted as invalid as soon as the negotiations are ended. More clearly, Turkish Cypriot side will not take the prohibitive decision of Security Council into consideration. An authorized person, who drew attention that in this case, the closed town, Maraş, will be opened gradually in the next summer months, said “we have complied the decisions of Security Council during the negotiations, but if the negotiations are terminated we do not need to comply this. We, as the Turkish Cypriot side, can do whatever we want”.

DOWNER: “WE SHALL DISCUSS THE REPORT WITH THE UNSG ON 19 APRIL”

With just days left before he prepares his evaluation report on the Cyprus negotiations, the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser Alexander Downer was received by President Derviş Eroğlu yesterday.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer said that they had a good meeting with President DerviÅŸ EroÄŸlu where they discussed the latest stage reached in the talks.

Reminding that he will be meeting with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on the 19th of April to evaluate the latest stage of the talks and to decide on future steps, Downer reminded that he will be submitting his evaluation report to the Secretary General by the end of this week.

Asked to comment on his report, the UN Special Envoy refrained from giving details, stating that the outcome will be determined following his meeting with the UN Secretary General.

“It will be a matter in the short term between me and the Secretary General” he added. Meanwhile, President Derviş Eroğlu and the Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias will be meeting today to resume discussions on the property chapter.

Today’s meeting will be the last meeting before Downer’s progress report on the course of the talks. The leaders’ Special Representatives had met yesterday as part of preparations for today’s meeting.

Downer is also expected to brief the UN Security Council today on the course of the talks.

OZERSAY : “IT IS TIME FOR THE SECRETARY GENERAL TO DECIDE”

Special representative of President Dervis Eroglu, Kudret Ozersay said that the leaders’ meeting today shall be the last one and that there shall not be any other meeting until the UNSG shall announce his decision related to the process.

Speaking to BRT Ozersay said: “Mr. Secretary General stated in his letter to both sides on 6 January before the second Greentree summit that the last phase had been reached at the negotiations and that there were four stages and added that the multilateral conference was the last element of the last phase. Both leaders accepted this program expressed in the letter before the Greentree summit. Ban also said that downer shall make an evaluation at the end of March related to the process.”

Ozersay added that: “we shall wait for the decision of the UNSG there shall be no more meeting between coming Friday and 19 April when the UNSG shall declare his decision. According to the calendar set by the UNSG the time has come for the UN to decide and we shall wait for this decision”

GEÇİTKÖY DAM’S CONSTRUCTION IS STARTING ON FRIDAY

According to the statement of the TRNC Ministry of Agriculture and National Resources the Project which is called ‘Century’s Project’ will start with the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday. TRNC President Derviş Eroğlu, Premier İrsen Küçük, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister in Charge of Cyprus Affairs Beşir Atalay and Turkish Minister of Forestry and Water Works Veysel Eroğlu will attend the groundbreaking ceremony.

The following phases are involved in the construction of land facilities and the 80-kilometers pipeline. The total pipeline will measure 107 kilometers from one dam to the other. The pipeline will provide 75 million cubic meters of water per year to North Cyprus. The Project authorities plan to complete a drinking-water pipeline to tackle water shortages in North Cyprus by March 2014.

TRNC Minister of Agriculture and National Resources Ali Çetin Amcaoğlu stated that bringing water from Turkey to TRNC is a dream that could not come true for years however with this Project which is called the ‘the Project of the Century’ TRNC will have extra 38 million meters square drinking water and 37 million meters square irrigation water for the citrus gardens in Güzelyurt Region. Amcaoğlu underlined that if demanded, the water which will come from Turkey can be shared by South Cyprus or Palestine by additional pipeline.