Foreign Minister Nami meets with EP President Schulz
Foreign Minister Özdil Nami met this morning with Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, within the framework of his contacts in Brussels.
During the meeting, Foreign Minister Nami emphasized that the current problems pertaining to hydrocarbon reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean stem from the Cyprus problem, that dialogue is essential in order to resolve such problems and that it is unacceptable that the Greek Cypriot side has withdrawn from the negotiating table.
Foreign Minister Özdil Nami expressed that EU institutions and the European Parliament should convey balanced messages through their decisions and statements, and should display effort towards the resumption of the negotiations in a result-oriented manner.
Foreign Minister Nami underlined the need for all parties to remain calm in the instance that these institutions, in which Turkish Cypriots are not represented, produce unilateral positions which may not contribute in any way to the resolution of the Cyprus problem, but rather may raise tensions in the region. Emphasizing that the Turkish Cypriot side will continue to do its utmost to further the negotiation process, Nami stated his expectation of the international community to encourage the Greek Cypriot side towards compromise.
Foreign Minister Özdil Nami made concrete proposals concerning what can be done in order for the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriots to be lifted and for Turkish Cypriots to be represented at the European Parliament, also reminding that all international actors, particularly the European Union, have roles to play in this regard.
Foreign Minister Nami also met today with Volkan Bozkır, Minister of EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator of the Republic of Turkey. At the meeting, the issues pertaining to the hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean and its impact on the , as well as the current impasse in the Cyprus negotiation process were discussed.
Foreign Minister Özdil Nami will return to the Island on Thursday, 13 November, following the completion of his contacts in Brussels.
