TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat, who completed his first year at his post, in a press conference organized yesterday evaluated the developments of the past year and voiced his thoughts.

President stating that his first anniversary at this post was also the anniversary of another important development: the referendum which took place two years ago, on 24 April 2004 said, at that referendum, Turkish Cypriots, with their own free will … decided on their own future and voted to unify Cyprus.

President Talat underlined that April 24 referendum pointed to the existence of two equal communities and secured that the two separate communities had the authority to separately determine their own future. He added that the referendum also gave way to political and legal developments but the legal repercussions have not been seen yet although there was a clear potential.

President said the recent developments showed that the solution of the Cyprus problem would take some time because unfortunately on the Greek Cypriot side, the anti-solution camp was in power.

He said: “For us, the Turkish Cypriot side, the Annan Plan … is still the basis since our people strongly endorsed the plan. This plan is said to be an Anglo-American plan prepared to open the way for Turkey’s EU membership and overcome the obstacles Turkey may face in its bid to join the bloc. It is said to be part of a conspiracy. These are nonsense… We believe that the Annan Plan is the most serious plan to solve the Cyprus problem… The lifting of isolations will be an important step in solving the Cyprus problem too. If we desire a solution based on the political equality of the two communities it is necessary to work to have the isolations lifted.”

President Talat pointed out that just because the Greek Cypriot side, on April 16, 2004, entered the EU on behalf of the whole island, and a historic opportunity was missed… the prospects of a solution have been blocked by the Greek Cypriot side, which has lost its appetite for a solution after its accession to the bloc.

President Talat pointing out that since he came to this post, he has been extending his hand to the Greek Cypriot leadership said: “I expressed that I want peace, solution, and to reunify Cyprus . I repeated that I am ready to meet with the Greek Cypriot leader under any circumstances even to have a cup of coffee.” President added that although, the least to talk about is on the issue of the missing persons he was ready to discuss the issue.

President Talat also reminded that the EU still has not fulfilled the promises it made in April 26, 2004. he said : “The European Council, on that date, stated that the isolations on Turkish Cypriots will be lifted. The financial aid was not the only thing promised. What was promised was the lifting of isolations....As we have said before, we do not intend to block the implementation of the financial aid regulation. But right from the start, we have stated that we would not accept the implementation of a financial aid regulation under the management and control of the Greek Cypriot administration.”

President Talat referring to the meeting between Mr. Papadopoulos and Mr. Annan in Paris said “this meeting was staged due to the elections on the Greek Cypriot side. Papadopoulos asked for such a meeting because of the elections. He did not intend to initiate a serious process. The Paris meeting later led to many speculations. But as it can be told from the letter Mr. Gambari, the UN Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Political Affairs, wrote to me on behalf of Mr. Annan, there is not such thing as a ‘Paris Agreement… We have consent on the technical committees which were discussed during the Paris meeting before the meeting.”

President Talat drawing importance to the fact that the Greek Cypriots was inclined to discuss substantial issues said: “it was only the Greek Cypriot side who was involved in the preparation process of the Annan plan. So it is not very logical for the Greek Cypriot side to exclude and reject the Annan Plan. if they want to start from point zero, we are ready to do so. Come, let's start from scratch. But how long will these negotiations last? I believe, not only the Turkish Cypriots but the Greek Cypriots do not have the patience to wait for another 30 years. So it is more sensible and reasonable to have a starting point. And that starting point is the Annan Plan. I can't think of another sensible and reasonable starting point...”

Referring to the Greek Cypriot administration’s strict measures at the border gates President Talat said “such behavior is not going to contribute to the solution of the Cyprus problem… We fear that the idea of separation is spreading among ordinary people and that there is an increase in the number of Greek Cypriots who do not want to live with Turkish Cypriots. We of course know that these results... are affected by time and conditions. The policy of the current Greek Cypriot leadership that does not want solution has led to a decrease in the number of Greek Cypriots who want a solution and who want to live together with Turkish Cypriots.”

The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Conference Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ýhsanođlu stated that the OIC decision on TRNC was an indication of an important and radical change.

Speaking to a television channel in Ankara and responding to a question what it meant to refer to TRNC as “ Cyprus Turkish State” in accordance with the decision of OIC Parliamentary Union (OICPAU) in its 4^th Conference, said, this process has started during the OIC’s Foreign Ministers Meeting in Sana and was concluded at OICPAU.

Ýhsanođlu stated that the decision was important since the Islamic world has admitted that the unjust treatment of the Turkish Cypriot people should not continue, unjust isolation policies imposed upon them should be ended and they should conduct normal relations with the foreign world by having their legitimate rights.

Pointing out that there was a joint determination on this issue, Ýhsanođlu said, the decision was taken in order to ensure Turkish Cypriots to conduct normal relations with the foreign world and to carry out an active policy with the Islamic countries on economic, social, cultural, sportive, educational, and tourism issues.