“EU Member States owe the Turkish Cypriots”

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami assessed the developments pertaining to the negotiation process on BRT’s “Sabah Rotası” program.

Minister Nami made initial remarks regarding UN Secretary-General Ban ki Moon’s biannual report on the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.

Stating that the report is balanced towards both sides, Minister Nami evoked the Report’s clear reference that it was the Greek Cypriot leader who withdrew from the negotiating table.

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami indicated that the Report includes reference to the isolation issue and that this is a positive development, expressing “The isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriots should also be reflected in the report of the Security Council. There is no place for the isolations in a setting where efforts to find peace are ongoing. The member states of the European Union (EU) have a debt to pay to the Turkish Cypriots to lift the isolations.”

Minister Nami also criticized the section of the Report dealing with the Navtex.

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami stated “We wanted the Report to express that Turkey issued the Navtex on behalf of the Turkish Cypriots”.

Minister Nami recalled that following the publication of the Report, Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiadis accused UN Secretary-General Ban ki Moon of acting in a blackmailing manner and stated that the Greek Cypriot leader was not able to find the support he was looking for from external actors.

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami stated “the Greek Cypriot leader’s recent aggressiveness stems from not being able to find the support he was looking for from the outside world”.

Assessing the statements made by Eide following his briefing to the UN Security Council, Minister Nami stated “Eide had made some disconcerting statements. Eide had stated that he considered the last paragraph of the statement made by the Greek Cypriot leader on 5 January as an initiative, and that the ball is in the Turkish Cypriot side’s court. However, we have been informed that Eide did not use such expressions at the Security Council”.

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami stated that Eide displayed a balanced approach during his briefing to the UN Security Council.

Minister Nami expressed that the reason behind Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa ship currently being made to wait at harbour is the result of a joint decision between the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey, and stated “We have come to the decision to make Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa ship wait for a period of time as tangible support of Eide’s work. If the Greek Cypriot side continues its aggressive approach instead of holding our hand of friendship, Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa will commence its seismic research”.

In response to a question on the Maraş issue, which is used at a promise throughout the presidential election campaigns, Minister Nami underlined that the issue of closed Maraş is part of a territorial adjustment and reminded that the Maraş issue has not even been discussed at the Leader’s level at the negotiation table.

Commenting also on the recent victory of Syriza as a result of the elections in Greece, Nami stated that “We should wait and see the outcomes of the new developments in Greece. Tsipras has made big promises.  He needs some serious developments in terms of the economy. Tsipras will improve the commercial relations between Turkey and Greece”.

Foreign Minister Özdil Nami added that Greece is now in an ineffective position on the Cyprus issue due to its internal problems.