Foreign Minister Emine Çolak travelled to Brussels to hold high-level contacts at the European Parliament and European Commission.
Within the framework of her contacts in Brussels, Minister Çolak met with Elmar Brok, German Member of Parliament and President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs at the European Parliament (AFET), where she pointed out the positive contribution that hearing the voice of the Turkish Cypriots directly will have on the negotiation process and also emphasized the continued desire and determination of President Akıncı, the Government and the Turkish Cypriots to reunite the Island under a federal roof.
Furthermore, Minister Çolak met with Corina Cretu, European Commissioner for Regional Policy. At the meeting which lasted nearly an hour, Minister Çolak conveyed information regarding the latest developments of the negotiation process and indicated that the Turkish Cypriots have the will to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. She added that if all the relevant sides also display the same will, the Cyprus problem can be resolved by the month of May. Çolak pointed to the importance of the EU fulfilling its responsibilities in this regard.
At the meeting, Çolak underlined the expectation of the Turkish Cypriots and the importance for the EU to increase its support towards the bi-communal ad hoc committee for the EU preparation established within the scope of the negotiation process. Minister Çolak also gave information on the developments regarding the confidence building measures agreed at the level of the Leaders. Çolak expressed that such measures will have a positive impact on the daily lives of the peoples on the Island and will also contribute to the negotiation process. Indicating that the negotiations have intensified in November, Minister Çolak emphasized that all dimensions of the Cyprus issue are being discussed, that a settlement does not consist of a single text, and that the social and financial aspects of the issue are also very important.
Foreign Minister Çolak stressed that all relevant sides should afford utmost sensitivity to the support and protection of the ongoing negotiation process. At her meeting with Cretu, Minister Çolak underlined thesignificance of obtaining first-hand information from the Turkish Cypriots themselves regarding all aspects of the negotiation process given the foreseen political equality of the Turkish Cypriots in the event of a settlement. In this connection, Minister Çolak stated that her contacts in Brussels were very fruitful and thanked Cretu for providing the opportunity to convey the official views of the Turkish Cypriot side.
During her contacts in Brussels, Minister Çolak was accompanied by Undersecretary Erhan Erçin, Private Secretary Hüseyin Özel and Second Secretary Müjde İnançoğlu.