DR. FAZIL KUCUK REMEMBERED...

Leader of Freedom Struggle of the Turkish Cypriot People Dr. Fazýl Kucuk was remembered yesterday (15 January) on the 24th anniversary of his death.

Speaking during the official ceremony held at Dr. Fazýl Kucuk’s monument at Anýttepe, President Mehmet Ali Talat stated that Dr. Fazýl Kucuk was not only a leader of freedom struggle of the Turkish Cypriot people, but also a great leader for his people and that his struggle to implement Ataturk’s principles and reforms amongst the Turkish Cypriot people during British colonial years would always be remembered.

Pointing out that Dr. Kucuk’s commitment to secularism had been observed many times and he proved his devotion to Ataturk’s principles, President Talat said Dr. Kucuk had a very important role in creating unity and community consciousness amongst the Turkish Cypriot people during British colonial period.

Explaining that Dr. Kucuk was a leader, who brought the Turkish Cypriot people together during violent years of EOKA and encouraged them to resist and cry out that they would not give a chance for Enosis, President Talat reminded that during years when Dr. Kucuk was the Vice-President of the Cyprus Republic he defended Ataturk’s principles and secularism with determination.

President Talat stressed that today the Turkish Cypriot people were still in a great struggle and as the continuation of Dr. Kucuk’s struggle they were spending efforts to create equality in every field between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot states.

Continuing, President said: “We are sure that there is no possibility for neither the British colonial period nor those dark days which started in 1963 to repeat themselves. We have no doubts about these.”

Emphasizing that the Turkish Cypriot people by voting in favor of the Annan plan in front of the world’s eyes had proven that they were the only entity to speak on behalf of themselves, Talat said nobody except the Turkish Cypriot people could speak on behalf of them.

Pointing out that the world was now aware that the Turkish Cypriot people has the right to determine their own future, Talat said the most important aim of Dr. Kucuk was to make the Turkish Cypriot people to determine its own fate. “Today, friends and enemies as well as the whole world have acknowledged that we will not give any concessions on this.” Talat added.

 

STATEMENT BY PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON HASAN ERCAKICA ON 15 JANUARY 2008

President of Turkey Mr. Abdullah Gül’s visit to the United States of America last week was the most important development of the week. During this visit, Mr. Gül has conveyed, both to the authorities of the USA and the UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban-Ki moon himself, that we demand an early and comprehensive settlement for the Cyprus problem, has asked the UN Secretary-General to take a new initiative to that end while he has also asked for the support of the authorities of the USA for this process.

Unfortunately, it seems that this initiative Turkey and the TRNC have jointly put forward has caused disturbance in the Greek Cypriot side. We were quite surprised by the news items regarding the fact that the Turkish side’s move to start an initiative for the settlement of the Cyprus problem is perceived as “trying to create a climate of mobility”.

The initiatives of the Turkish side are the concrete indications of its intentions to reach a settlement for the problem. The fact that the proposal to start a new initiative is deemed as “trying to create a climate of mobility” raises doubts whether the Greek Cypriot administration is genuinely interested in a serious initiative or not.

While we spend all our efforts and time to reach an urgent, just and comprehensive settlement in Cyprus, the Greek Cypriot side is spending efforts to maintain the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriots. The recent visits of the Greek Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Erato K. Marcoullis to the countries in the region and the Organization of the Islamic Conference member countries are directed towards hindering the establishment of new relations between the world and the Turkish Cypriots.

Carrying out efforts against the Turkish Cypriots and trying to stop the countries from establishing relations with the Turkish Cypriots by blackmailing them with the threat of deterioration of their relations with the EU is a clear indication that both the title of “Republic of Cyprus” and the EU membership are being exploited.

The fact that the Greek Cypriot side spends efforts to maintain the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriots is informative for the international powers who wish a comprehensive settlement to be reached for the Cyprus problem. Provided that the international community wishes the new initiative -which is expected to be taken after February- to be effective and the Greek Cypriot side to participate in this process, they should support the efforts to end the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriots. Even the smallest steps that will be taken to that end will certainly have repercussions in the Greek Cypriot side and will be persuasive in terms of exposing the futility of the tactics to postpone the settlement of the problem.

The fact that the Greek Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs Mrs. Marcoullis has defined the probability that the ferry services between Gazimaðusa and Latakia will be stopped as “a favorable result” is a sign of the nature of the understanding we are faced with.

Unfortunately, every hopeful development for us is displeasing for them whereas every development we feel concerned about is satisfying for them.

As a result of this understanding, the Greek Cypriot side has been exploiting every issue to stop the ferry services from Latakia to the TRNC. The issue of illegal immigrants is also one of these issues.

This is a problem threatening both the north and the south of the island. For example, last week we have all witnessed that a group of sportsmen who have arrived in the TRNC on their own expenses and via legal means have attempted to seek asylum to the EU via South Cyprus, while some of the illegal immigrants living in the south have staged various protests against the possibility of being deported.

Illegal immigration is accepted as one of the most important problems of the world. German police force have announced that of 10 (ten) illegal immigrants only 1 (one) can be captured.

Given the circumstances, as the efforts to prevent illegal immigration can not be a pretext to block the means of transportation of the TRNC, cooperation of the Turkish Cypriot authorities and the Greek Cypriot authorities is inevitable. Turkish Cypriot side is ready to cooperate with the Greek Cypriot authorities and demands the assistance of the UNFICYP on the issue.

We would like to reiterate that human trafficking threatening the island of Cyprus just like all the other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean can only be settled via cooperation and mutual assistance. The Turkish Cypriot side is ready for any kind of cooperation for the prevention of illegal immigration. The Greek Cypriot side has to understand that they can not free themselves of the responsibility by refraining from adopting effective measures along the Green Line and refusing to cooperate with the Turkish Cypriot authorities or by putting the blame of their negligence over the issue of human trafficking on the shoulders of others and making use of it as a means of political exploitation.