ANKARA - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said on Sunday that ''we signed two important protocols with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).''
Sener returned from TRNC to Ankara and replied to questions of reporters at Esenboga Airport.
When reminded about his immediate visit to TRNC after the signing of Accession Partnership Accord between Greek Cypriot side and European Union (EU) on April 16, Sener said that his visit to TRNC had been scheduled earlier.
Stating that before his visit, a technical delegation visited TRNC and carried out a detailed study, Sener said that they signed two important protocols with TRNC prime minister and state minister for treasury.
Sener said, ''one of the protocols foresees economic and financial cooperation and the other foresees cooperation in investments. We aim to strengthen TRNC economy and improve prosperity of Turkish Cypriot people with those protocols. Protocols were signed according to studies of technical delegations on investments, tourism sector and improvement of agricultural production.''
Noting that there were significant investment projects in protocols, Sener said, ''we focused on a project which foresees carrying water by pipes from Turkey to TRNC.''
Sener said that the protocol which was signed within the scope of the Economic and Financial Cooperation Protocol between Turkey and TRNC aimed to strengthen infrastructure of free zone and carry out technical studies to make free zone implementation widespread in the country.
He stated that cooperation was made to increase additional employment possibilities in Cyprus and noted that there was cooperation to restructure loans of Cyprus Development Bank to increase investments and give loans to businessmen, industrialists, tradesmen and those who wanted to buy houses.
Sener said that ''we target to decrease the cost of transportation between TRNC and Turkey. We plan to give credit by the TRNC Development Bank to incomplete hotels and additional hotels. We also consider important to start a big promotion campaign about TRNC tourism in order to increase the number of tourists coming to TRNC. Cooperation will be made to overcome the obstacles in exports and tourism.''
Sener said that universities came the first among the projects which contribute to economics and social life in TRNC, adding that 25,000 students studied in five universities of TRNC. Sener said that 9,000 of these were TRNC citizens and the remaining came mainly from Turkey and other countries.
Sener stressed that universities contributed significantly to the economic and social life of TRNC, adding that they would extend all kinds of support to construction of the incomplete building of Middle East Technical University's (METU) Guzel Yurt Campus to start the education year as soon as possible. English preparatory school and a dormitory will be built in Karpaz region of TRNC, Sener said adding that a technology center will also be set up.
Sener said that their interest in TRNC would continue, adding that ''our visits to TRNC will continue. We will review all kinds of cooperation fields and start a dynamic process not only within the framework of the signed protocols. We will assess new cooperation fields.''
(EÖ-ÖS) 20.04.2003