STATEMENT BY PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON HASAN ERCAKICA ON 22 JANUARY 2008

Last week we have witnessed the ongoing “obstructive” initiatives by the Greek Cypriot side.

The report of the European Parliament Committee on Petitions concerning Maraþ (Varosha) has been met with disapproval in the Greek Cypriot side and it has been announced that various initiatives have been taken up to avert the report from being adopted as an official document.

The said report, which has been prepared after the EP Committee on Petitions visited Cyprus, is yet a draft report. The facts regarding the Cyprus problem have not completely been reflected in the report. However, even the fact that the draft report has not fully reflected the Greek Cypriot side’s ideas and included some differences from their own opinion has led to a great dispute and a blame game among the Greek Cypriot leaders.

Apart from the content of the report or the question whether it will be adopted as an official document or not, the dispute arising from the fact that some different ideas have been included in the draft report has been informative in terms of indicating how the European Union and the International Community should take action. Even a little impartiality the EU and the other institutions of the international community shall display will serve as a start to overcome the intransigence of the Greek Cypriot side. This is the most important lesson that should be learned from the discussions the said draft report has led to. The steps that might be taken to that end will also increase the likely success of the initiative that is expected after February.

Meanwhile, we have also witnessed another obstructive initiative by the Greek Cypriot side. The Greek Cypriot leader Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos has sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon right before the President of Turkey Mr. Abdullah Gül’s visit to the USA. The aim was to eliminate the consequences of Mr.Gül’s visit to the USA and his meeting with Mr. Ban Ki-moon. Even though the content of the letter is not exactly known, it has personally been announced by the Greek Cypriot authorities that the purpose of the said letter was to diminish the effects of Mr. Gül’s contacts.

As it is known, during Mr.Gül’s contacts in the USA, and particularly during his meeting with the UNSG Mr. Ban Ki-moon, it has been conveyed that the Turkish side is willing for a new international initiative and asked the UNSG for new action to be taken. Considering the fact that the UN authorities have many times reiterated the precondition that it should be the parties who should be willing for a new initiative to be taken, it can easily be said that the Turkish side have fulfilled one of the preconditions for the expected new initiative whereas Mr. Papadopoulos has been spending efforts for its hindrance.

Despite numerous statements regarding the willingness of the Turkish side for the new initiative and the fact that this willingness has personally been conveyed to the UNSG by first President Mr. Talat himself and then by the President of Turkey, we would like to point out that the Greek Cypriot side refrains from displaying a clear stance regarding the issue.

We are aware that the Greek Cypriot side is going through an election period. However, it is significant that this election period does not lead to any encouraging statement or position concerning the expected new initiative whereas it does not stop any “obstructive” initiative.

 

STUDIES ON MISSING PERSONS…
IDENTIFIED 8 GREEK CYPRIOT AND 6 TURKISH CYPRIOT MISSING TO BE HANDED OVER TO THEIR FAMILIES

The Autonomous Missing Persons Committee, which has been continuing its exhumation and identity identification studies in both sides of Cyprus, announced that it will be handing over the remains of positively identified 6 missing Turkish Cypriots and 8 Greek Cypriots to their families in the coming days.

The Turkish Cypriot Member of the Committee Gulden Plumer Kucuk stated that the Committee has started to personally notify the families of the 14 identified missing persons on arrangements concerning the remains. Explaining that it was possible for the relatives of the missing to see their loved ones at the center in the buffer zone before the burial, Kucuk said that identified missing persons will be buried by the respective families in private ceremonies. Adding that for this reason there wasn’t any joint burial date; Kucuk reminded that each family in addition to the remains of their loved ones was given a DNA and pathology report as well as 2.400 USD for burial expenses.

Kucuk also pointed out that the latest process brings the total number of missing persons identified to 71.

Following the handing over of 14 identified missing persons, the Autonomous Missing Persons Committee is planning to hand over the remains of a new group of missing persons to their families.

Meanwhile, the exhumations are continuing across the island uninterrupted.

While two separate exhumations in Girne (Kyrenia) and Haspolat in North Cyprus are being carried out, in South Cyprus the exhumations have been continuing in Yerasa region for 3 months. It has been stated that 30 out of 42 Taskent (Dohni) martyrs were found during the exhumations in Yerasa and the studies were continuing to find the rest.

The number of the remains of both Turkish and Greek Cypriots found has been reached to 370, including the recent 2 missing persons found in Karpas, and following the identity identification, the remains will be handed over to their families.