PERTEV: “THE DATE OF TALAT-PAPADOPOULOS MEETING IS NOT CERTAIN YET”

Within the framework of the studies on the formation of the technical committees and the topic titles in the lists exchanged between the two sides, TRNC Presidency’s Under-Secretary Rasit Pertev and Greek Cypriot administration’s Chief of Diplomatic Bureau Tasos Conis met again yesterday (9 August).

Following the meeting at the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Cyprus Michael Moller’s residence in the buffer zone, answering the questions of the Turkish Cypriot News Agency (TAK), TRNC Presidency’s Under-Secretary Rasit Pertev said they continued to discuss the procedure on the formation of the topic titles in the lists that were exchanged between the two sides and the technical committees and added it was expected that they would meet again today or on friday.

In response to a question, Rasit Pertev said agreement was reached between the two sides on the holding of a meeting between President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot administration Tasos Papadopoulos after 10 August, however the date of the meeting was not yet certain.

Meanwhile, the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) stated in a press release that the meeting, which took place yesterday between Pertev and Conis in the presence of Moller was realized in a positive environment.

 

HANDOVER CEREMONY IN THE CYPRUS TURKISH SECURITY FORCES COMMANDERSHIP…

CYPRUS TURKISH SECURITY FORCES MAJOR GENERAL OZKILIC HANDED OVER HIS DUTY TO MAJOR GENERAL EROZ

The Commander of the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces Major General Tevfik Ozkilic handed over his duty to Major General Mehmet Eroz with a ceremony carried out yesterday afternoon (9 August). “Order-command handover ceremony” of the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces Commandership took place in the headquarters in Bogaz.

In his speech, Major General Tevfik Ozkilic noted that he followed Big Leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his idea system during his term of duty and said “I spent effort to advance the duty which I assumed two years ago with the personnel’s excellent understanding of duty, discipline, high morale, educational and physical strength, modern weapon systems, equipment and armament, administrative organization, modern settlement facilities. Fairness and affectionate service, morality, neutrality and friendly behaviour became my philosophy.”

Major General Mehmet Eroz who took over the duty stated that he would perform his duty of Cyprus Turkish Security Forces Commandership in the consciousness of the responsibility, without affecting from difficulties, in a discipline based on justice, love and respect and without taking into account the working hours. Eroz emphasized that their aim were the creation of a stronger and more modern Cyprus Turkish Security Forces and the continuation of the development initiative with an increasing speed and determination.

Eroz said, “the most powerful thing for him will be the belief of the public that for the presence, security and prosperity of the Turkish Cypriot people he will work to keep fighting efficiency of the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces at the highest level.”

Stressing that the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces is an institution, which is ready to perform all kinds of sacrifices for the defense of the country, President Mehmet Ali Talat noted that while performing a mission of defending the TRNC, as an institution, the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces played a significant role in improving the government structure. 

President Talat said, “Lebanese authorities that could not defend their country against the ongoing Israeli attacks spoke in tears. The reason of this is the lack of a strong defense power, a strong and regular army and a deterrent power. I believed that this was the latest example for everybody. We as the Turkish Cypriots also have to improve our Security Forces, like our all institutions, not for aggression but for defending our country.”

Noting that the Turkish Cypriot people were peaceful people and proved this through democratic ways by tolerating great sacrifices and venturing to go through serious sufferings, President Talat stated that the Turkish Cypriot people showed their readiness for peace.

Underlining that the Turkish Cypriot went through great difficulties until today, President Talat said, “the point reached by the Turkish Cypriot people, which the whole world admires, has been achieved with its determination to democracy, organization, government structure and peace.”