FOREIGN MINISTER AVCI: “TRNC WILL NEVER BECOME A SAFE HEAVEN FOR FUGITIVES AND MONEY LAUNDERING”
 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý speaking to the Anatolian News Agency (AA) stated that the Turkish Cypriot side has several times called upon the Greek Cypriot side to establish cooperation on all issues, including the fight against crime, but they did not respond positively to these calls.

Referring to the news appeared in the British press that a UK fugitive involved in a 53 million pound heist, the biggest in UK History were hiding in North Cyprus, Avcý said the official records have proved that members of a gang who were involved in a heist in Britain, have never entered into the TRNC. He added that if the British police had documents showing the contrary then invited them to establish cooperation with the Turkish Cypriot authorities.

Foreign Minister pointing out that recently the British press was trying to show the TRNC as “a safe haven for fugitives or money laundering”, Foreign Minister said the TRNC was very sensitive and would never give concessions on these issues.

Continuing Avcý said:

“The TRNC is not a country which allows fugitives and those who involved in money laundering to hide. We always spend efforts with our security forces, our government and infrastructure to prevent the fugitives to enter in the TRNC and for arresting and extradition of those who have been arrested.”

 

Explaining that there was no extradition agreement between the TRNC and the UK but the TRNC was not responsible for this, Avcý said they were in favor of signing these kinds of protocols or agreements with every country. Avcý added that however, the UK did not sign such an agreement with the TRNC because of political reasons.

Foreign Minister Avcý repeated that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will never be allowed to become a safe heaven for fugitives and money laundering.

 

 

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON HASAN ERCAKICA ON 12 FEBRUARY 2008

Greek Cypriot Elections

The Greek Cypriot elections, the results of the elections and the political approaches presented to the Greek Cypriot people by means of election campaigns are closely related to how the Cyprus problem will evolve during the period ahead.

Making an assessment of everything said during the election campaigns in South Cyprus might have negative effects over the international initiative that is expected in the weeks ahead to the end of reaching a solution for the Cyprus problem. However, we, at the same time, have to take into consideration what the Greek Cypriot leaders say concerning the period ahead and issue our warnings on the matter.

The Greek Cypriot leaders have clearly declared that, taking advantage of Turkey’s EU membership process, they will spend efforts to “create prices to be paid for Turkey” in the period ahead of us.

It is well known that the Greek Cypriot side is after imposing a solution to the Cyprus problem of their own preference by exploiting their unjust EU membership against the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey. It is also known that, for the same reason, they remain indifferent to the negotiations that should be carried out between the leaders within the framework of the good offices mission of the UN and do their best to prove the process futile.

The approaches put forward in the election campaigns contain the message that this position of the Greek Cypriot side will be maintained during the period ahead. Maintaining this position will have negative effects over the international initiative which is expected in the weeks ahead and will aim to reach a solution for the Cyprus problem by resuming negotiations under the supervision of the UN.

Responding to a question Ercakica said the UN is expected to send a special delegation to Cyprus in March for evaluating the situation in the island.

In response to another question regarding the UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe’s possible visit to Cyprus Ercakica said the visit was not certain yet.

Eurobarometer Results

The results of Eurobarometer 68 published last week are to be informative in terms of determining the next steps that should be taken.

The results have indicated that the Turkish Cypriot people’s confidence to the European Union and the United Nations has been shaken. 

However, these results should not be evaluated on their own but together with their reasons. It is clear that the Turkish Cypriots have come to this point as a result of the developments encountered after the referendum in 2004. The Turkish Cypriots are enduring the effects of the unsatisfactory progress of the issue regarding the lifting of the isolations after the 2004 referendum. However, as the confidence to the European Union has declined to 32%, the interest to the EU membership is still maintained at a level of 59% which is quite high.

The difference between these two figures must have attracted the attention of the EU authorities in particular.

72% of the Turkish Cypriots think that their opinions are not being taken into consideration in the EU which might be the primary reason of the lack of confidence.

For the new initiative - that will be launched in the weeks ahead - to be fruitful, this lack of confidence should be eliminated. Unless a serious environment of confidence is engendered to secure the Turkish Cypriots that all the promises made by the international community will be kept, just as it was before the 2004 referenda, it will not be easy for the Turkish Cypriot people to engage in and support the said new initiative in the proper sense.

Therefore, with the introduction of the new process, the ground for the works to be carried out with the purpose of lifting the isolation imposed on Turkish Cypriot people and for the Turkish Cypriot people to make themselves heard in the world and have a say in every platform in order to be able to defend themselves and their own rights, should also be prepared.