President Mehmet Ali Talat has met with leaders and representatives of four political parties which have seats in the TRNC Parliament.

No statement was issued at the end of the meeting, where latest developments in the Cyprus issue were evaluated.

The meeting was attended by the Republican Turkish Party Leader, Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer, the party’s General Secretary Omer Kalyoncu, Democrat Party Leader, Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas, the leader of the main opposition National Unity Party Huseyin Ozgurgun, the party’s General Secretary Turgay Avci, and the Peace and Democracy Movement’s General Secretary Mehmet Cakici and Barış Burcu.

Within the framework of his meeting with Political parties, President last met with political leaders on 11July.

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer showed a reaction to Israeli governments attacks on Lebanon and Palestinian people and has called on Israel to stop its attacks on and bombardment of Gaza and Lebanon.

Prime Minister Soyer speaking to TAK correspondence said that the method of solving the problems should not be terror and violence. The Prime Minister stated that the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hizbullah was also unacceptable, but added that the bombardment of Lebanon in a way to destruct all the infrastructure, and the merciless violence towards the Palestinians by Israel in retaliation to this, was incomprehensible counter attack. Noting that this would, in no way, contribute to the Middle East peace process, Soyer pointed to the declaration by the Arab League that Israel’s operations had destroyed the Middle East peace process.

Drawing attention to the fact that the recent events in the Middle East has shown clearly to everyone; and especially to the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots the importance of peace, Prime Minister said that if the Turkish Cypriot people as a secular Islamic society and the Christian Greek Cypriot society agree to come together in a common federal country under the roof of the EU, this would constitute a good model for the whole Middle East. 

The Prime Minister said, the Cyprus issue, which could not be solved from 1963 to 1974 caused to 15 July and 20 July respectively. “having lived that experiences, and saw the dimension violence has reached as the result of non-solution of the problems in Lebanon and Palestine, we understood once again how necessary it is to find a solution to the problems” he added.    

Calling on Israel to immediately stop the bombardment, and to consider the peace process with the support of the international community, the TRNC Prime Minister said it is obvious that the middle east problem could not be solved trough terror, violence and war.

Turkish Cypriot Cultural heritage in South Cyprus are systematically being destroyed by the Greek Cypriots. Very few cultural heritage, which the Turkish Cypriots had to leave in 1974 could preserve their original forms today.

According to information collected by Anatolian News Agency, fountains, baths, schools, mosques, and cemeteries belonging to Turkish Cypriots but left in south Cyprus have turned into ruins. While some cultural heritage in the central places were restored and preserved, Turkish Cypriot cemeteries in the city centers were turned into car parks.

Even the tombstones in some of the Turkish Cypriot cemeteries are missing and some villages were wiped of from the map. Generally, the Turkish houses, which are used by Greek Cypriots are in good condition but the empty ones are due to collapse.

Some of the Turkish Cypriot Cultural heritage, which either collapsed or due to collapse in South Cyprus are the followings:

Turkish Baths in Pafos including Pafos Hasan Aga Tekkesi Bath having characteristics of Ottoman architecture are all in very bad condition.

Only one or two tombstone exists in Pafos-Akarsu Village cemetery which has vanished.

Turkish bath in Limassol, demolished and destroyed in general and some inner parts are being used by Greek Cypriots as store house.

While the work, being carried out by the Missing Persons Committee in Cyprus is continuing intensively, it is also to enter a new phase next month.

According to information provided by the Turkish Cypriot Member of the Autonomous Missing Persons Committee, Gulden Plumer Kucuk, 5 experts from an Argentine Forensic Medicine Anthropology organization EAAF (Equipo Argentino de Antropologia Forense) will start exhumation work next month.

The exhumations will be carried out both in North and South Cyprus to find the remains of around 180-200 Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot missing persons.

Noting that the remains to be found will be tested at the new Anthropological Laboratory, Gulden Plumer Kucuk said that the equipment of the laboratory is to be completed soon with 90-thousand dollars worth of aid from Turkey.

Kucuk said 2 Turkish Cypriots, 2 Greek Cypriots and a foreigner will be employed in the Laboratory, from where, the remains will be taken to the DNA Institution in South Cyprus where 2 Turkish Cypriot and 4 Greek Cypriot experts will work under the direction of Dr. Erol Baysal and Dr. Marios Cariolou.