PRESIDENT TALAT: “OUR RESPONSE TO MOLLER WOULD ALSO SATISFY THE GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE”

            President Mehmet Ali Talat stated that the Turkish Cypriot side responded the proposal of UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative Michael Moller regarding the start of the studies of technical committees and he thought that this response was capable of satisfying the views and position of the Greek Cypriot side.

            Talat stressed that the Turkish Cypriot side did not want to turn the solution process of the Cyprus issue into an academic study, which will continue forever, but they wanted the political negotiations to start as soon as possible for reaching a settlement.

            Responding to a question regarding the news appeared in the Greek Cypriot press, which alleged that the Turkish Cypriot side’s response given to Moller’s proposals was negative and its topic and content was not the same, Talat said: “We gave our response to Moller, not to the Greek Cypriot press. I don’t know from where the Greek Cypriot press found it and immediately interpreted it. Most probably it is a manipulation. As it is well known, the Greek Cypriot press is severely under the influence and control of the Greek Cypriot administration. I think this is a Greek Cypriot administration’s propaganda.

Of course, it is not possible for us to fully accept Moller’s proposal. Moller put forward his own views and we responded to the proposal within the framework of our policies. I think the Turkish Cypriot side’s response was capable of satisfying the views and position of the Greek Cypriot side. I don’t know why they reacted.

There is no such thing as the title and the content in our response. The title is the same as Moller’s. We made some arrangements in its content. Our only intention is the restart of the Cyprus negotiations as soon as possible. In other words, we don’t want to turn the solution process of the Cyprus issue into an academic study, which will continue forever. Academic studies are carried out in the universities. Both sides have there own universities where they can carry out academic studies. We want political negotiations and to reach a solution. Our proposals are in line with this. We don’t have any bad intention; on the contrary we have an extremely good intention. We expect response from Moller, not from the Greek Cypriot press.”

            President Talat pointing out that they had not yet received response from Moller, said while submitting papers to Moller, necessary explanations were made to him and after Moller examined the papers they would meet again to discuss.