STATEMENT BY THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ASSOC.PROF. TURGAY AVCI

The German Federal Parliament has adopted a resolution the other day, which also included the lifting of inhuman isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriot side. The German Federal Parliament’s call for the lifting of the isolation and the interest it has shown towards the Cyprus issue with this resolution is most welcomed.

However, the references to substantive issues such as sovereignty, property, security and the guarantees which can only be addressed within the context of full-fledged negotiations are the serious negative aspects of the resolution of the German Federal Parliament. The call for the withdrawal of Turkish troops whose presence on the island is in accordance with international treaties and are the sole guarantee of our security, is unacceptable. Moreover, the suggestion made, in the said resolution, to carry out a new census, despite the fact that a scientific census was completed in our country on 30 April 2006 is  not worth considering.

The lifting of the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriot side will undoubtedly contribute to the negotiations process which has entered into stalemate due to the intransigent position of the Greek Cypriot side which enjoys the ease associated with holding the title of the so-called “Republic of Cyprus”. Within this context, we hope that the resolution adopted by the German Federal Parliament shall set a precedent for maintaining the interest of the international community towards the Cyprus issue and making the Turkish Cypriot side’s voice heard.

We consider the resolution as positive in terms of sensitivity shown by Germany towards the Cyprus issue as the EU Term President. While we welcome the call for the lifting of the isolation, our expectation from the EU and the German Presidency in particular is to urgently adopt the Direct Trade Regulation enabling the opening of our ports to direct world trade and tourism without further delay.

25 May 2007, Lefkoşa