PRESIDENT TALAT IS TO
ATTEND THE 11TH OIC SUMMIT IN DAKAR
President Mehmet Ali Talat will
attend the 11th OIC (Organization of
Islamic Conference) Summit which will take place on
13-14 March in the capital of Senegal Dakar.
President Talat is expected to
deliver a speech at the summit where the UN
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Turkish President
Abdullah Gul will also be present.
Presidential Spokesperson Hasan
Ercakica in a press briefing held yesterday (11
March) stated that the OIC was expected to express
commitment on its decision towards the lifting of
the TRNC’s isolation.
At the summit entitled “Islam in
the 21st Century” the problems of
Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Somali and Darfur will be
taken up.
President Talat will be
accompanied by his wife Oya Talat and Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay
Avcý.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul,
who will be the Council Member as one of the
deputies of the OIC Term President Senegal’s Head of
State Abdoulaye Wade, will deliver speeches both on
behalf of Turkey and as the President of the OIC
Economic and Commercial Cooperation Permanent
Committee.
FOREIGN MINISTER
AVCI: “WE LOOK AHEAD HOPEFULLY”
Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý has briefed
the delegation of candidate diplomats of the Turkish
Ministry of Foreign Affairs who are currently in the
TRNC with a view to receive information on the
Cyprus issue and the TRNC. Foreign Minister Avcý
stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was of
vital importance for countries such as the TRNC.
Avcý said the countries in the region have set eyes
on the TRNC because of its strategic position and
for this reason the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
bared a great responsibility.
Pointing out that the TRNC’s
future, just like its past, included Motherland
Turkey, Avcý said the TRNC Foreign Ministry and
Turkish Foreign Ministry were walking together on
the same path and that the TRNC and Turkish Cypriots
were national cause for Turkey.
STATEMENT BY
PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON HASAN ERCAKICA ON 11 MARCH
2008
After Mr. Demetris Christofias
was elected as the Greek Cypriot leader, the
expectation for the Cyprus problem to be undertaken
via negotiations in order to reach a solution has
risen.
As a result of the contacts that
have been carried out last week, it is almost
definite that President Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat and the
Greek Cypriot leader Mr. Christofias will meet next
week. In the meantime, Mr. Özdil Nami, Special
Representative of Mr. Talat who will serve as the
negotiator as well and Mr. Georgios Iacovou, the
representative of Mr. Christofias will come together
to work on the agenda of the meeting of the leaders.
Therefore, instead of taking the
speculative news items appearing in the press into
account, relevant circles should wait for these
works to be completed and the meeting between the
two leaders to take place.
It will not be an exaggeration to
state that the future prospects of the Cyprus
problem will be determined in the meeting that will
be held between Mr. Talat and Mr. Christofias.
Our expectations regarding the
said meeting are quite high. Our purpose will be to
determine whether the change in the leadership of
the Greek Cypriot side will also bring a change in
their political position; whether the Greek Cypriot
leadership will undertake the 8 July process as a
“delaying process”; and finally, the kind of search
they envisage for the solution of the Cyprus
problem.
