President
Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday (20 November) met with the United Nations
Secretary General Kofi Annan in
Geneva,
to discuss the latest developments on the Cyprus issue.
Speaking to reporters after
the meeting, President Talat reiterated that the Cyprus problem would only
be solved under the supervision of the United Nations.
Pointing
out that he had a comprehensive and positive meeting with Annan, President
Mehmet Ali Talat said that Annan’s interest in the Cyprus issue and his
statement to the effect that the Cyprus problem would be solved under the
auspices of the UN was very important.
Stating
that the Cyprus file was completely taken up within the framework of the
UN, President Talat said:
“During
the meeting with Mr. Annan we discussed the UN’s comprehensive settlement
plan in other words the Annan plan. The meeting was extremely positive
both in terms of its atmosphere and the context.”
Explaining that Annan had mentioned his report, which was
submitted to the UN Security Council, Talat said his meeting with Annan
was in a way a kind of warning to the UN Security Council to the effect
that the Cyprus problem should be solved under the UN auspices.
President Talat stating that everyone should benefit from
Annan’s experience and knowledge, said at the meeting he suggested Annan
to continue with his contributions to the Cyprus issue.
Talat saying that his meeting with Annan once more proved that
the Cyprus problem was still in the UN’s platform, said: “Cyprus file
could never be transferred to the EU. First of all, we would not accept
such thing. Second, the EU has no capacity to deal with and settle the
Cyprus issue. The Greek Cypriot side is trying to shift the Cyprus issue
in pieces to the EU.” He said that the Greek Cypriot side was trying to
turn the Cyprus issue in their own favor and the Turkish Cypriot side was
trying to prevent this.
Upon his return from
Geneva,
President Talat held a press conference in Istanbul.
The President stated that Annan had expressed his support to
the Turkish Cypriot side’s efforts towards lifting the isolations. The
president added that they agreed particularly on the issue of ending the
isolations and the comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.
Continuing, President Talat said:
“As it is
well known, while on the one hand the Turkish Cypriot side is trying to
achieve a settlement on the basis of the Annan plan and establish a united
Cyprus, on the other hand it is engaging in efforts to lift the
isolations. The idea of lifting the isolations has been put forward by
Annan himself.
In his
report submitted to the UN Security Council, Mr. Annan stated that;
‘because the Turkish Cypriots gave support to the reunification of the
island, the continuation of their isolation is meaningless’. Although the
report was not taken up and accepted at the Security Council, it was
recorded as a document showing that specific period of the history.
Therefore, Mr. Annan has the responsibility to convey the information both
about the period prior to the comprehensive settlement negotiations, and
the process itself as well as the developments afterwards to the new
Secretary-General.”
Talat pointing out that he requested Annan to clearly put
forward the Turkish Cypriot side’s stance while carrying out this
responsibility, said: “the Secretary-General stated that our stance is the
right stance and that we are rightful in our efforts for the lifting of
the isolations.”
President Talat stated that the intervening of the EU in the
Cyprus issue was not right and said that Annan pointed out that the UN was
also against the EU’s intervention in the issue.
Talat explaining that there wasn’t any new proposals put
forward during the meeting with Annan, said:
“We
haven’t put forward a brand new proposal, but we stressed the following:
First, we are ready for a comprehensive settlement. Second, we will not
give anything to the Greek Cypriot side in return of the lifting of the
isolations. They don’t have the right to demand such a thing from us. Even
if they do so, we would not accept it. Third, the lifting of the
isolations would eliminate the economic difference between the two sides,
thus contribute to the unification and the solution of the Cyprus
problem.”
RUSSIAN COUPLE ARRESTED FOR BUYING PROPERTY IN THE TRNC
Greek Cypriot daily, Simerini reported that a Russian couple
was arrested by the Greek Cypriot police at the Ledra Palace crossing
point, for buying a property in Lapta, which was built on a land belonging
to a Greek Cypriot before 1974.
According to the daily, the Russian couple possessed a
document showing that they purchased a land on which they built a house in
Lapta.
