TRNC PRESIDENCY DIRECT TRADE CANNOT BE RELATED WITH MARAS…

In a written statement issued by the Presidency yesterday (12 June), the Presidential Spokesman Hasan Ercakica said that it was impossible to establish any links between the Direct Trade Regulation and the issue of Maras or any other issues, which were parts of  a  comprehensive settlement. The statement  added that the Turkish Cypriot Side would in no way take such a move into consideration.

Ercakýca  pointed out that President Talat openly conveyed the Turkish Cypriot Side’s view regarding the Direct Trade Regulation to the EU Term President  Finland’s Ambassador to Nicosia Risto Piipponen who visited him yesterday.

Referring to Greek Cypriot press reports that the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo has been trying to link the Direct Trade Regulation with the issue of Maras, Presidential Spokesman Ercakýca said direct trade was the  most natural right of Turkish Cypriots. Stressing that it was a fact also accepted by the European Commission on 26 April  2004 that the direct trade is the right of Turkish Cypriot People, Ercakici said that the European Union should at this point establish guidelines and methods for the implementation of the Direct Trade Regulation.

Hasan Ercakica said that it was impossible to establish any links between the Direct Trade Regulation and the issue of Maras or any other issues, which were parts of  a  comprehensive settlement. He added that the Turkish Cypriot Side would in no way take such a move into consideration.

SOYER AND DENKTASH PARTICIPATED TO BAKU-TIFLIS-CEYHAN PIPE LINE OPENNING CEREMONY

The Baku-Tiflis-Ceyhan Pipeline, which is also known as the project of the century, was formally opened with a ceremony,  where TRNC Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer  and Deputy Prime Minister and  Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas also participated.

Besides Turkish President Ahmet Nejdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, the opening ceremony was attended by leaders and around 700 guests  from many countries around the world.

Addressing the ceremony, the Turkish President Sezer, Ilhan Aliev, Mikhail Saakashvili and Tayip Erdogan    stressed  the importance of Baku-Tiflis-Ceyhan  pipe line  as one of the biggest  energy projects of the world.

ECONOMOC COOPERATION BETWEEN TURKEY AND THE TRNC

Second protocol attached to “Economic and Financial Cooperation Protocol Between Turkey and the TRNC”, which was signed on 30 May 2006    was ratified by the Turkish Council of Ministers  and  the relevant  decision was published in the Official Gezette’s  yesterday’s (12 June) issue.

With the protocol the deadline  of the “Economic and Financial Cooperation Protocol Between Turkey and the TRNC”, signed on 18  April 2003 was  extended until the end of 2006.

In line with the protocol, Turkey  commits to give an extra 135 million US Dollars  credit  to the TRNC in addition to 450 Million US Dollars committed in 18 April 2003, and 100 Million  US Dollars committed in the additional protocol signed later.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTS’ GREENS GROUP MEMBER OZDEMIR: “PAPADOPOULOS’  STANCE WILL LEAD CYPRUS TO TWO SEPARATE STATE”

European Parliament’s Greens Group  and High Contact Group  Member   Cem Ozdemir, stated that the Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos’ stance would lead Cyprus  to two different state.

Ozdemir  said  “What will happen if the island do not unite. The response of the EU and the UN  will be : ‘either a bi-communal, bi-zonal state or  two good  neighbors with friendly relations’.

Speaking at a Seminar  in Brussels  organized  by the European Commission’s Representative Office in Cyprus  for a group of Turkish Cypriot reporters,  Ozdemir said Papadopoulos  would not take the risk of  hindering Turkey’s EU membership process because of problems related with Cyprus. “ Political interest of Greece is in Turkey’s EU Membership, just the  reverse of this will be catastrophe for Greece” he said.

Announcing that the High Contact Group members would visit the island  again in Autumn Ozdemir said the group would prepare a written report  at the end of its contacts in the North  and   the pressures and the discussions on the  issues, which would take place in the report had  already started. Ozdemir stressed the view that Germany and  USA should intervene to the situation in Cyprus.

“Turkey and Greece should say to US and the EU that the time has come for the solution of the  Cyprus issue” he said.

Ozdemir added that the aim  was to put an end to isolations however, they could not bring a solution. “A solution  which is not supported by the Cypriots is not possible. Any type of a solution in Cyprus will be  put for a referendum.” He said.