The TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopulos met in the UN-controlled buffer zone in Lefkosa yesterday (3 July 2006) in a reception organized in the honour of Christophe Girod the newly appointed Third Member of Autonomous Missing Persons Committee.

Speaking after the meeting, which lasted one-and-a-half hours, President Talat called the talks as `very good` and `sincere` and said they gave support to the studies of the Missing Person Committee and exchanged ideas on the Cyprus issue.

The President also expressed his readiness to attend negotiations, which would lead to comprehensive and permanent settlement of the Cyprus issue, and reminded the two letters he wrote to the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which he asked Annan to encourage the Greek Cypriot side for the start of the negotiations.

Stating that The Autonomous Missing Persons Committee was carrying out an important duty, President said in the meeting, he and Mr. Papadopoulos reiterated their support to the studies of the committee. President Talat also asked the EU and the international community to make financial contributions to the work of the Missing Persons Committee.

For his part, the Greek Cypriot Leader Mr Papadopulos said the Greek Cypriot side saw “the Paris Agreement” as a base for the start of the negotiations and especially for the establishment of the technical committees, and that they were ready to support their establishment and start of work in line with the agreement.

Responding to a question whether there was a possibility of a trio meeting among him, President Talat and the UN Secretary General’s Undersecretary for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari, who is due in Cyprus on Thursday, Papadopoulos said such a meeting was not scheduled until then.

At the end of yesterday’s meeting, a press release was issued by the Missing Persons Committee announcing that Mr. Christophe Girod has officially taken up his duties as Third Member of the Committee. The statement said that members of the Committee welcomed the two leaders’ presence as a tangible message of support and was gratified by the reaffirmation of their commitment to the progress of the work of the committee.

The Committee noted that it was very pleasing that the two leaders jointly appealed for the international community for urgent and generous contributions to the work of the committee.

The United Nations Secretary General’s Undersecretary for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambar met the Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara yesterday (3 July).

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Gambari reminded that he has embarked on his contacts in Turkey at the start of a round of contacts in the region with the aim of evaluating the current situation and searching for ways of progress for finding a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue. Gambari called his discussions with Turkish Foreign Minister Gul as `very sincere and constructive`.

Pointing out that he will hold contacts in Athens and Lefkosa also, Gambari said he will brief the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on his findings at the end of his tour to the region, adding that Mr Annan himself will decide on what to do next.

According to sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Mr Gul expressed Turkey’s support to Mr Annan’s efforts on the Cyprus issue and reiterated the importance Ankara attaches to the parameters of the Annan Plan, which it says, should not be changed.

Mr Gul also gave the message that Turkey will continue to support all UN initiatives aimed at bringing about a solution to the Cyprus problem.

According to researches, which was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the settlement desire of the Turkish Cypriots continue despite the hopelessness stemming from the their loss of belief towards the lifting of economic and political embargoes.

Kudret Akay the Political Adviser for the Foreign Ministry, in a press conference held yesterday, revealed the results of public opinion polls since February 2004 and the result of Political Tendencies Survey carried out amongst the Turkish Cypriots on February 2006.

Akay pointed out that the ratio of voters, who said “yes” to the question asking whether the Annan Plan should be re-negotiated or not, had raised to 32.6% in February 2006, from 13.8% in June 2004.

Stating that the number of people, who said the negotiations should not be based on Annan plan was 22.6 in June 2004, and 27.4 in February 2006 and the ratio of people in June 2004, thinking that the Greek Cypriots should be given the necessary assurances was 8.4% and decreased to 5.6 in February 2006.

According to the survey the ratio of people, who supported that the Annan Plan was to be implemented one-sidedly decreased to 9.7% in February 2006, from 16.5 % in June 2004.

If a new referendum had been held in February 2006, on the bases of the Annan Plan, only the 55% of the Turkish Cypriots would have said yes.

As a response to the question “What should be done in face of the Greek Cypriots ‘NO’ vote to the Annan Plan”, in June 2004, 70.2% of Turkish Cypriots said “studies should be carried out for the recognition of the TRNC” and now this ratio increased to 72.4%, whereas, in June 2004, 43.2% of the people said “Cyprus Turkish State should be established” and now that ratio increased to 44%.