President Mehmet Ali Talat received the Board of Directors of Turkish Cypriot News Agency, TAK (http://www.emu.edu.tr/~tak/), which is the official news agency of the TRNC on the 33^rd Anniversary of its establishment. Stating that the Greek Cypriots were recently trying to isolate the Turkish Cypriots systematically, President Talat said taking into consideration the Greek Cypriots’ capacity and power of lobbying and intelligence service, the Turkish Cypriots should work harder.

Talat said: "While spending efforts against the Greek Cypriot activities, who are physically and actively more powerful than us, we should also try to reach this physical power. This is technology and explaining ourselves correctly."

President Talat pointed out that the lifting of the isolations would help the Turkish Cypriots to further develop and improve themselves, to strengthen TRNC’s institutions and mechanisms and in a possible settlement to help the Turkish Cypriots to better defend their rights.

"We are right and therefore, powerful. We are powerful both mentally and morally. We are also powerful according to the world’s recent political inclinations," President Talat said.

Turkish New Ambassador to Lefkoşa Türkekul Kurttekin within the framework of his courtesy visits, yesterday (19 December) visited the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcı.

Ambassador Kurttekin pointing out that he would exchange views on various issues with Foreign Minister Avcı, said: “There is a long way ahead of us. There are lots of issues to be taken up. As Turkey and the TRNC we would solve these issues in cooperation and unity.”

Expressing his pleasure for being an ambassador in the TRNC, Kurttekin said they would deal with all the issues with cooperation and unity.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcı for his part stated that they would work in cooperation for the Turkish Cypriot people’s tranquility, security and welfare.

The TRNC Presidency noted that Russia has been providing support, all along the line; to all the efforts of the Greek Cypriot side aimed at avoiding the settlement of the Cyprus Issue and stated that they condemn Russia for employing such a position.

At the weekly press conference held by the Presidential Spokesman Hasan Erçakıca, it has been stressed that the Greek Cypriot side is striving to avoid the UN process and render the international calls to that end ineffective.

Spokesman Erçakıca said that Russia and France are providing their unconditional support to the Greek Cypriot side and therefore, support such efforts, which avert reaching a settlement to the Cyprus Issue.

Expressing that Russia has been providing support, all along the line, to all the efforts of the Greek Cypriot side aimed at avoiding the settlement of the Cyprus Issue; Spokesman Erçakıca said “Russia also prevented the discussion of 28 May 2004 dated report of the UN Secretary General at the UN Security Council. Since this report had not been discussed and settled, the process of holding a referendum for the UN Settlement Plan, which was prepared by the priceless efforts of UN officials, could not have been appraised, the chances of deriving lessons from the said process were eliminated and the efforts of reaching a settlement under the umbrella of the UN have seriously been damaged."

Pointing out that, under the current circumstances, efforts should be spent to question how the Gambari process, which the Turkish Cypriot side is striving to administer in a self sacrificing way, can be efficient Spokesman Erçakıca said “Leaving aside the hindrance of countries such as Russia, it is already quite difficult for the process to lead to concrete results without overcoming the unwillingness problem of the Greek Cypriot side who is one of the parties directly involved in the process. Despite this clear fact, Turkish Cypriot side will carry on working, in a constructive manner, for the negotiation process under the UN umbrella to lead to favorable results."