PRESIDENT TALAT: "CYPRUS PROBLEM CANNOT BE
SETTLED WITHOUT TIME LIMIT AND ARBITRATION "
Yesterday (22 February), President Mehmet Ali Talat
pointed out that the Cyprus problem could not be settled without a time
limit and arbitration. He said the UN's role in the Cyprus issue was not
arbitration but within the framework of its "good offices mission" and for
arbitration the two sides' permission was required and that the authority
given for the Annan Plan was no longer valid.
Evaluating news to the effect that the "UN had given up
being an arbitrator", President Talat said arbitration required the
permission of the two sides and that up until today the UN had not been an
arbitrator, except for the period during the Annan Plan when it was given
this permission by the two sides.
Indicating that unless it was authorized, the UN could
not be an arbitrator, the President said the UN was interested in Cyprus
within the framework of "its good offices mission" and as the leader of
the international community the UN Secretary-General was trying to bring
the two sides closer together and settle the Cyprus problem.
He said in 2004 the two sides had gone to New York and
asked and approved the UN Secretary-General's arbitration, which he had
done so, but the outcome speaks for itself.
The President also said that in the new process the
role of the UN Secretary-General would again be within the framework of
"his good offices mission".
Saying, "If we come together again and want him to be
an arbitrator he will be an arbitrator", President Talat stressed that the
UN Secretary-General didn't always act as an arbitrator.
GREEK CYPRIOT VESSEL IN TURKISH TERRITORIAL
WATERS
A container vessel belonging to the Greek Cypriot side
yesterday (22 February) tried to illegally enter the Turkish port of
Mersin, but was not permitted to do so by the Mersin Ports Authority.
In a statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry
it was stated that a vessel belonging to the Greek Cypriot administration
was not permitted from entering the port of Mersin because it violated
international rules. The statement reminded that according to
international rules and customs, if a vessel is going to enter any port it
must request "permission to approach the port" from the relevant port's
authority via its agency. It was stated that yesterday (22 February)
morning the Greek Cypriot flagged vessel had acted against the normal
procedures and despite its agency's warning it continued to approach the
port of Mersin and after a fait accompli had applied via its agency to
approach the port. The statement said the Mersin Port Authority informed
the Greek Cypriot vessel's agency that their request to approach the port
of Mersin could not be accepted.
