TRNC NEWS HEADLINES

PRESIDENT TALAT: “ECONOMY ISSUE SHALL BE COMPLETED NEXT WEEK”

President Mehmet Ali Talat and the Greek Cypriot Leader Dimitris Christofias met yesterday within the framework of direct negotiations aimed at finding a solution to the Cyprus problem. While the two leaders held a tete-a-tete meeting which lasted for nearly two hours, their special representatives continue to carry out work on details of the economy chapter.

Speaking to reporters upon his return to the Presidential Palace, President Talat said that the Greek Cypriot Side had presented them a document outlining their general outlook on the economy chapter following his face-to-face meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader.
Talat said that talks will resume with the chapter on territory. Responding to a question as to whether or not the issue of opening a crossing point in Yesilirmak was discussed at the meeting, the President said that the two special representatives will continue to work on the issue. He also said that they had agreed not to talk on the content of the work being carried out.

Asked whether or not the issue of a US company exploring oil off the coast of South Cyprus was discussed, the President said that the Turkish Cypriot Side’s position on this issue was clear. “We have nothing to discuss with the Greek Cypriot leader if this is the situation reached. That is why I did not open the subject” the President replied.

Greek Cypriot Leader Christofias made a statement yesterday and said that the Yesilirmak Gate issue shall be discussed with more details.

DOWNER: “TODAY’S MEETING ACCELERATED THE PROCESS”

In a short statement to reporters after yesterday’s meeting, the UN envoy Downer said that the momentum in talks between the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus for a settlement of the island’s political problem is not spectacular but is not worryingly slow.

Downer added that if the momentum is maintained at a satisfactory rate, a comprehensive agreement can be reached.

Regarding any changes in the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus , Downer said there was no proposal at this stage for the Security Council to change the mandate of UNFICYP, and that in the event of a comprehensive settlement; the Force’s role might go through some sort of change.

ANKARA: GREEK CYPRIOT OIL EXPLORATION PLANS PROVOCATIVE

Turkey has asserted that the Greek Cypriot administration's intransigence on moving ahead with plans for exploring the Cypriot coast for oil and natural gas is a provocative attitude which also harms ongoing reunification talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders.

Earlier this week the Greek Cypriot media reported remarks by the US ambassador to the Greek Cypriot administration in southern Cyprus , who said that an American company is expected to soon start exploring the Cyprus coast for oil and natural gas. The announcement by US Ambassador Frank Urbancic came on Tuesday while speaking at the Cyprus International Fair, Greek Cypriot media reports said on Wednesday. Urbancic revealed that an American company planned to start exploring the island's southwest coast in the near future, without providing the name of the company.

Officials at the US Embassy in Ankara said they had no statement to make on the issue, while officials at the Turkish Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the issue, saying they were still examining the news reports. US Embassy officials, meanwhile, also noted that they didn't have the name of the company mentioned by Urbancic.

The Greek Cypriot policy of unilaterally delineating the sea boundaries between the island's coastal neighbours and the limits of its continental shelf dates back to 2003. It has since been infuriating Ankara, which says that Greek Cypriot actions in the east Mediterranean are “provocative” because, it is assumed, they will harm the equal rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people vis-à-vis the natural resources of the island.

According to international law, the sea boundaries between the countries and the limits of the continental shelf of each country need to be delineated via a consensus among all coastal and neighbouring countries when the issue is a semi-closed sea like the east Mediterranean .

The Greek Cypriot attempts have been considered by Ankara as having a particularly negative impact on ongoing negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive resolution of the Cyprus issue, since Greek Cypriot actions concerning sea zones are essentially an integral part of the comprehensive resolution issues. With such a view, Ankara is firm that it is not possible for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) or Turkey to accept such activities by the Greek Cypriot administration.

As of Thursday, Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat had met for a new round of reunification talks. The two leaders have met over 25 times since fully fledged power-sharing negotiations began last September, focusing on concerns involving the harmonization of federal and constituent state laws, delicate property issues and European Union membership.

Turkish officials state that Greek Cypriot intransigence, over and above everything else, reflects its stance in ignoring the fact that there is not a single authority on the island that legally and de facto represents the Turkish Cypriots and the entire island of Cyprus .

Additionally, the same officials are angered by the fact that the Greek Cypriot administration has been extending its unilateral attempts, which are defined as “irresponsible” by Ankara , into Turkey 's zones of authority in the east Mediterranean, recalling that Turkey also has legitimate rights and authorities in sea basins west of Cyprus starting from longitude 32° 16' 18''. This fact was declared by the Turkish capital back in March 1994 in a letter sent to the UN that was later published as a UN document.

Ankara expects third parties to abandon their support for the Greek Cypriot moves and instead to concentrate their efforts on getting the ongoing negotiation process in Cyprus to succeed.