Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas who
is currently in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek where he on behalf of the
TRNC attended the International Issyk-Lake Cyprus Conference
organized jointly by Kyrgyzstan Parliament’s Foreign Relations
Department, Friendship Group of Kyrgyzstan-TRNC Parliaments and
TRNC’s Kyrgyzstan Economy and Tourism Office speaking during the
conference stressed that the embargoes and isolations imposed upon
the Turkish Cypriots should immediately be lifted. The conference
was also attended by Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.
Speaking
during the first session of Issyk-Lake Cyprus Conference Serdar
Denktas stated that it was the Greek Cypriot Side’s endless
attempts to leave the Turkish Cypriot people breathless, which had
led the Cyprus Problem to drag on for so long.
Serdar
Denktas said that the
Greek Cypriot Side was using its European Union membership and
preventing Turkish Cypriot youth in the international sports
activities.
Serdar
Denktas called on the international community to pressure the
Greek Cypriot Administration into respecting and returning Turkish
Cypriot people’s rights stemming from the 1960 Cyprus Republic.
Serdar
Denktas added that 1960 Partnership Republic of Cyprus co-founded
by the Turkish Cypriots was under the illegal control of the Greek
Cypriot side since 1963 and said “we created a secure atmosphere
for our people to live on our own territory and we want the
continuation of this atmosphere’.
Minister Denktas concluded by saying
that when the world says to the Greek Cypriots, “the Turkish
Cypriots are the co-owners of Cyprus and have the right to exist
and if you don’t agree with them we will establish separate
relations with them” then the Cyprus problem will be solved.
Meanwhile a final comminique has been issued at the end of the
international conference held in the Krygz capital Bishkek.
The communique approved unanimously
by the participants of the conference is as follows:
“Turkish
Cypriots with the aim of eliminating the isolation policy imposed
upon them since 1963, by knowing that 1/3 of their population will
become immigrants for the third time, for the sake of the policy
of integrating with the world, in simultaneous referendums held in
both sides accepted with a great majority the comprehensive
settlement plan named as the Annan Plan which was prepared by the
UN Secretariat General and supported by the European Union, United
States of America, Turkey, Greece and Britain as the guarantor
powers of the 1960 Republic of Cyprus and proved that it was the
side which needed and desired a settlement.
On the
other hand, the Greek Cypriots who have been usurping the Republic
of Cyprus since 1963, being aware that they would become the
member of the EU no matter what the results of the referendum was
going to be and despite the plan would have met most of their
demands, by following their leader Papadopoulos’ call voted “no”
with 76% majority to the comprehensive settlement plan and
prevented the ending of the Cyprus problem which has been
continuing and occupying the international community for 40 years.
In spite
of the fact that the result was realized in full view of the whole
world and against the expectations of the UN leading members, the
isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriots has not been ended and
further strengthened with the EU membership of the Greek Cypriot
side after the referendum, made the Turkish Cypriots who were in
thought and desire of integrating with the world and fully
benefiting from the human rights to face with a bigger isolation
compared to the past and an uncertainty for future and confidence
crisis against the international community.
At the
point reached, the Turkish Cypriots do not deserve to live under
this uncertain atmosphere created as a result of the isolations.
The embargoes and isolations that have no political and legal base
should immediately be lifted. This could be materialized only with
the cooperation amongst friendly and brother countries in the
fields of economy, culture and politics. With this aim:
The
efforts of the Turkish Cypriots towards finding a bi-zonal, bi-communal
and sustainable settlement based on political equality under the
supervision of the UN and establishing a partnership state should
be supported. With the aim of helping the Turkish and Greek
Cypriot sides to reach a settlement based on political equality,
1-
Efforts should be
spent in order to strengthen the relations amongst the Parliaments
of Turkish States and set up Turkish States Inter-Parliaments
Association.
2-
Efforts towards
developing cultural, social and economic relations amongst the
Turkish States should be supported
3-
Including Turkish
Cypriots in these activities should be understood as important and
inevitable in terms of message to be given to the world countries
4-
Taking into
consideration the fact that there was no similarity between the
issue of Azerbaijan’s Karabagh problem and Turkish Cypriot
administration in North Cyprus, which has been brought to the
agenda very often in order to weaken the solidarity between
Azerbaijan and Turkish Cypriots,
Drawing
attention to the importance of displaying joint willpower on the
issue of Azerbaijan’s Karabagh problem and supporting Azerbaijan
and Armenia for peaceful settlement of the problem within the
framework of the UN resolutions by the countries in the region;
the attending representatives assume that besides their internal
problems they with the aim of developing social, cultural and
economic cooperation with each other will take initiatives on
governmental level and be in solidarity with regard to their
internal problems, underline the importance of this cooperation in
terms of bringing Turkish communities close to each other.
ROLANDIS CONFESSED:
“SINCE 1974 WE REJECTED 7 TIMES TO GET ON SOLUTION TRAIN”
Former
Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Rolandis has joined to other
Greek Cypriot officials who turned into peace pigeons after the
end of their term of duty.
Speaking
to Greek Cypriot daily Alithia yesterday (20 August) Rolandis
confessed that since 1974 the Greek Cypriot side had rejected
solution opportunities for seven times.
Responding to a question Rolandis said the Greek Cypriot side was
wasting its time and the government, which was in power for three
and a half years did nothing and the opportunities were lost.
“The
train does not always come to the station. But when it came we let
it go”, said Rolandis and pointed out that a solution could not
meet all the requirements of the Greek Cypriot side and if the non-solution
continued there would be division.
Responding to another question, Rolandis reminded the statements
made by the Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Yorgos Lillikas about
the Annan plan who said: “the settlement plan presented to us
would lead to division” and stated that these words constituted a
disrespect and insult against the international community.
