Minister of Foreign Affairs Özdil Nami attended the Annual Coordination Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 28 September 2013, in New York. In his speech delivered at the meeting, Foreign Minister Nami stressed that the negotiations should be resumed not later than October.
“OIC Member States are important actors of the International Community and we expect them to encourage the Greek Cypriot side to abandon its unacceptable demands and to be more forthcoming towards the solution process”, said Foreign Minister Nami, expressing his expectation from all the member states to take concrete steps towards ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people, until a comprehensive settlement was achieved in the island.
Expressing the Turkish Cypriot side’s gratitude to the OIC member states for their support extended to the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot people through successive OIC resolutions and declarations, Foreign Minister Nami pointed out that: “These resolutions and declarations call upon member states to strengthen effective solidarity with the Turkish Cypriots and to take concrete steps to end the unjust and inhuman isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriots”.
In his speech, Foreign Minister Nami also condemned the use of chemical weapons in clear violation of international norms against civilians in Syria.
In the paragraph on Cyprus, at the final communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the OIC expressed its solidarity with the Turkish Cypriots and its appreciation for their constructive efforts to attain a mutually acceptable settlement. Regretting that the last negotiation process for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue initiated under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General’s Good Offices Mission in 2008 was unable to produce a result despite the dedicated efforts of the Turkish Cypriot side, the final communiqué declared its support for a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement in Cyprus based on the inherent constitutive power of the two peoples, their political equality and co-ownership of the Island’.
Emphasizing that the Cyprus problem, which has been continuing for 50 years, should be solved through result-oriented negotiations, the final communiqué noted the negative developments in the region made it more urgent to turn Cyprus into an island of stability.
The final communiqué also called upon the member states to strengthen effective solidarity with the Turkish Cypriot State.