PRIME MINISTER SOYER: “DE-FACTO POPULATION OF THE TRNC IS
264 THOUSAND 172”
TRNC
Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer in a press conference organized on
Friday (May
5 2006),
announced the initial results of previous weekend’s population and
housing census in the TRNC. Prime Minister said “The population has
risen 31.7%, from 200 thousand 587 in 1996 to 264 thousand 172 in
2006.”
Soyer
pointed out that the highest population rise was in Girne with 58.1%,
where the figures increased to 62 thousand 192 from 38 thousand 715.
Prime
Minister stating that they also noticed a rapid urbanization towards
the cities, said especially Lefkosa and Girne had become places of
attraction.
Prime
Minister stated “the full results will be available in the next six
months”.
GERMAN SOCIAL DEMOCRATS VISIT TRNC
The
members of German Social Democrat Party’s Turkish Coordination Group came
to the TRNC on Friday (5
May 2006)
in order to have contacts ith Turkish Cypriot officials. Former East
Germany’s Foreign Minister Marcus Meckel is also amongst the members
of the delegation, who are mainly consisting of German politicians
and academicians.
The
delegation, was received by Prime Minister Soyer on Friday and on
Saturday by President Mehmet Ali Talat and Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas.
Speaking
during the meeting Prime Minister Soyer said the solution of the Cyprus
issue would not only harmonize relations between the Turkish Cypriots and
the Greek Cypriots but would also restructure the spoiled relations
between Turkey and Greece.
Soyer
pointing that the Greek Cypriot Administrations’ EU membership before a
settlement in Cyprus, had caused lots of trouble for the Turkish
Cypriots, said, however this could not prevent their desire for
settlement and belief in the EU principles.
Greek
Cypriot daily Politis, reported that the CIA had claimed that the Greek
Cypriot administration was using foreign aid for their hidden purposes.
According to the CIA, millions of dollars given to South Cyprus for
American radio station FBIS and for other American communication
infrastructure have not been kept in the government’s budget, but in
secret accounts and spent for uncertain purposes through negotiations
behind the scenes.
The daily
stated that the Greek Cypriot government has been using this money for
“secret missions” and internal politics and the money given by the USA
since 1968 has not been showed in any budget spending.
Pointing
out that the USA and the South Cyprus had signed an agreement in 1968 on
1.4 million dollars to be given to South Cyprus every year, Politis
stressed that under today’s conditions, where per capita income is 300
dollars, this amount was astronomical and with today’s figures it was
equivalent to 20 million dollars.
CTP: PAPADOPOLUOS’ STANCE PREVENTS SETTLEMENT AND NEGOTIATIONS
Republican Turkish Party (CTP), referring to Papadopoulos’ interview with
French journal L’Express, pointed out that Papadopoulos had put forward
opinions overruling the basic parameters for Cyprus settlement and once
more exposed his real attitude, which was to prevent to discuss the Cyprus
issue on the basis of the comprehensive negotiations.
According
to the written statement, Greek Cypriot leader’s stance to the extent that
the solution of the Cyprus problem could not be bi-zonal and bi-communal
was against to the 1977-79 High Level Agreements as well as to UN
resolutions and could affect the Turkish Cypriot side’s stance hereafter.
