FOREIGN MINISTER AVCI
IN ANKARA…
AVCI: “PAPADOPOULOS ADMINISTRATION IS NOT RESPONDING
TO OUR SETLLEMENT EFFORTS”
Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý yesterday
(16 January) went to Ankara in order to attend a
staff training certificate ceremony organized for
young diplomats working at the TRNC Foreign Ministry
and to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister and Chief
Negotiator Ali Babacan.
Speaking on a television program
yesterday, Foreign Minister Avcý stated that the
Turkish Cypriots had approved a comprehensive
settlement by voting in favor of the Annan plan
which was supported by the whole world and was still
ready to sit at the negotiation table, but
Papadopoulos administration was not responding to
settlement efforts.
Pointing out that the Greek
Cypriot side was disturbed by the fact that Turkey
with a population of 72 million was by the side of
the Turkish Cypriots, Avcý said: “However, this
reality will not change”.
Stressing that the Greek Cypriot
side because of being disturbed by Turkey’s support
to Turkish Cypriots was trying to show Turkey as
intransigent through putting obstacles in front of
Turkey in its EU membership process, Avcý said
however the main reason behind the Greek Cypriot
side’s attitude was to force Turkey to decrease its
support to the TRNC.
Responding to questions regarding
oil exploration issue, which could rise with Turkish
President Abdullah Gul’s visit to Egypt, Avcý
stressed that all resources in Cyprus belonged
equally to Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Avcý added
that the Greek Cypriot side’s unilateral initiatives
on this issue could not be accepted and will be
responded by the TRNC authorities.
