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Category: Cyprus/TRNC

UN envoy De Soto urges EU to end KKTC’s isolation

Former UN envoy De Soto urges EU to end KKTC’s isolation;

Alvaro de Soto, the UN secretary-general’s former special adviser on Cyprus, has said the European Union should, as promised, end the isolation of Turkish Cypriots to help find a lasting solution to the problems on the long-divided island.
Mr de Soto stated that it would only be fair for the EU live up to its promises to the Turkish inhabitants of northern Cyprus. Noting that he believes that the EU should comply with its commitments to the Turkish Cypriots, he said this would drive Turkey to open its ports to traffic from Greek Cyprus. Turkey refuses to do so as long as theTurkish Cypriots continue to be subjected to isolation, which the EU had promised to end following the Greek Cypriot rejection of the Annan plan in 2004 while the Turkish side overwhelmingly approved it.
The former UN envoy argued that one reason that prompted the Greek Cypriots to reject the Annan plan aimed at reunifying the island six years ago could be that they felt they were in an advantageous position because they were going to join the EU. He added that another reason was that the Greek Cypriots did not study the plan as carefully as the Turkish Cypriots and were therefore not completely aware of what it would have meant for them.
De Soto also assessed the prospects of resolving the issue through the bilateral talks initiated by Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias and former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) President Mehmet Ali Talat on Sept. 3, 2008. Talat was unseated by Dervis Eroglu at the presidential elections held a month ago.
He said both sides have agreed to a bi-communal, bi-zonal federal state solution as a compromise, though it was not either side’s preference. Stating that the parties have agreed to terms of reference for the talks, he said:“There is a new basis. I see that even Mr. Eroglu has agreed to continue on the same basis. They are pursuing a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal solution, the results of which would have to be a state of single international legal personality and sovereignty, and that is in conformity with the Annan plan as far as I can tell.” He added that it is a “good thing” to see Eroglu pledge to continue the talks from where they left off. Christofias and Eroglu are scheduled to hold the 72nd meeting of the reunification talks on May 26.
De Soto lastly discussed the reason for his resignation from his last post at the UN in 2007 as the special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. He said he resigned because the UN refused to talk with Hamas.“In the Quartet, the UN decided not to deal with Hamas even though Hamas had been democratically elected in an election that has been praised by the observers, including the EU observers. Even though this was the case, the UN stopped dealing with the government of the Palestinian authority, and that was a mistake. I tried to get things changed, and when I was not successful, I left the UN,” he said.
17 May 2010, Monday

Topix

May 18, 2010
Turkish and Turkish Cypriot NGOs to unite and form stronger lobby task force

Turkish and Turkish Cypriot NGOs to unite and form stronger lobby task force

A breakfast meeting was held in London’s Sofra Restaurant on Sunday 9^th May 2010 to discuss the subject of the Cyprus Problem. It was organised and hosted jointly by the Association of Turkish Cypriots Abroad, Turkish Forum WTA, Cyprus Turkish Association and the UK Konsey.

The guest and keynote speaker was world renowned historian and author Professor Dr. Sonyel. He highlighted that historically the Turkish Cypriots have been unjustly treated and continue to remain isolated in the World. He concluded by saying that the Greek Cypriot strategy has always been to eradicate the Turkish Cypriots from the island of Cyprus. It is highly unlikely that they will accept any agreement based on equality of power and sovereignty.

The meeting developed into general discussion points on how to be more effective and unitary principally against the Greek, Greek Cypriot and Armenian propaganda.

It was unanimously agreed by all the NGOs present that all groups should put aside their past differences and unite as a stronger and effective lobby force. It was generally agreed that they should use the relevant umbrella organisations such as the UK Turkish Cypriot Konsey and the Turkish Federation. Turkish Forum, World Turkish Alliance which serves Turkish communities worldwide will help co-ordinate efforts with its mass distribution lists, grassroots teams and distinguished advisors in five continents.

Türk ve Kıbrıs Türk Sivil Toplum Örgütleri daha güçlü bir lobi kuvveti oluşturmak için toplandı

Kıbrıs Sorunu’nu tartışmak amacı ile 9 Mayıs 2010 Pazar günü Londra’da Sofra Restorant’ta toplantı yapıldı.Toplantı aynı zamanda daveti veren ATCA (Association of Turkish Cypriots Abroad), Turkish Forum Dünya Türkleri Birliği (Turkısh Forum World Turkish Alliance) ve UK (Birleşik Krallık) Konsey’i tarafından organize edildi.

Toplantıya ana konusmacı olarak misafir olan dünyaca ünlü tarihçi ve yazar Profesör Doktor Selahi Sonyel katıldı. Prof. Dr. Selahi Sonyel konuşmasında geçmişte Kıbrıs Türklerine karşı adil olmayan tavırların sürdüğünü ve Kıbrıs Türklerinin izolasyona uğradığını irdeledi. Sonuç olarak ta Kıbrıslı Rumların Kıbrıslı Türklere uyguladıkları stratejinin her zaman Kıbrıs Türklerini adadan def etmek olduğunu belirtti. Kıbrıslı Rumların, eşit olan iki halk olarak adada hakimiyet paylaşımını kabul ederek antlaşmaya varmalarının çok düşük bir ihtimal olduğunu ifade etti.

Toplantının ana konusu, Yunanlılar, Kıbrıs Rumları ve Ermeni propagandasına karşı çoğunluk olarak nasıl daha etkili birlik oluştururuz şeklinde gelişti.

Toplantıda bulunan tüm sivil toplum örgütleri, geçmişte olan aralarındaki tüm farklılıkları bir kenara bırakmaya, daha güçlü ve etkili bir lobi kuvveti oluşturmaya oy birliği ile karar verdi. Ana hatlarıyla İngiltere Kıbrıs Türk Konseyi (UK Turkish Cypriot Konsey) Türk federasyonu (Turkish Federation) şemsiye organizasyonunun koordinasyonuna karar verildi. Türk toplumuna dünya çapında hizmet eden, Turkish Forum Dünya Türkleri Birliği, kitle dağıtım listeleriyle, halktan oluşan takımlarıyla ve seçkin danışmanlarıyla bu gayretleri beş kıtada koordine edecek.

Cetin Ramadan, ATCA – UK Representative

&

Haluk Demirbag, Turkish Forum WTA

May 12, 2010
Andrew Dismore ousted!

Andrew Dismore was a big burden on the British-Turkish relations.

Türk düşmanı Andrew Dismore’u İngiliz halkı defetti…

—

Andrew Dismore ousted by 106 votes

Labour’s Andrew Dismore has lost his Hendon seat to the Conservative Party candidate, Matthew Offord, by 106 votes following a recount.

Mr Dismore pulled in 19 529 or 42.1% of the overall vote, compared to Mr Offord’s 19 635 votes – 42.3% of the votes.

Mr Dismore had been caught up in the expenses scandal, and was accused of “flipping” his second home designation.

, 07 May 2010

Election result: Hendon

By Marcus Dysch

New Face

Conservative candidate Matthew Offord has ousted Labour’s Andrew Dismore to win the Hendon constituency in one of the country’s closest election battles.

Mr Offord, a former deputy leader of Barnet Council, won by just 106 votes following a recount.

He received 19,635 votes to Mr Dismore’s 19,529.

The result represented a swing of 5.2 per cent to the Tories from Labour.

[…]

Mr Dismore, who had held the seat since 1997, was understandably disappointed by the result. In his farewell speech he accused Mr Offord of a “dirty” campaign.

He had worked tirelessly for Jewish and Israeli causes but was mired by expenses allegations in the past 12 months.

[…]

, May 7, 2010

Ousted Labour MP Andrew Dismore makes vitriolic speech

Alex Hayes

DEFEATED Labour candidate Andrew Dismore accused his Conservative opponent of “mud-slinging” during a vitriolic speech after results were announced.

Mr Dismore lost the key marginal seat by just 106 votes following a recount, with the result announced just after 9am after a mammoth count.

In the address he accused newly elected Matthew Offord of “name calling” and accused him of being disrespectful towards his long-term partner.

He said: “This has not been a clean fight, in my view it’s been a pretty dirty campaign. It’s my eighth public election and I have never seen such a barrage of personal slurs and lies in this campaign.

“I’m humbled by the fact so many of my fellow residents voted for me. The election result was a close one, only by a whisker in a seat the Conservatives thought they would take by a huge margin.

“People voted for me because they appreciated the work I’ve done for them and their communities.”

He warned the other candidates the precarious hung Parliament could see another election called in the next few months.

, May 7, 2010

Andrew Dismore may make legal challenge to Hendon result

Alex Hayes

ANDREW Dismore, who lost his Hendon seat by just 106 votes this morning, has not ruled out the possibility of a legal challenge over the staging of the vote.

The Labour candidate lost after a recount of votes to Conservative Matthew Offord, but accused the Tory man of dirty tricks during the election campaign in his losers speech.

Mr Offord said he was not ruling out legal action over problems with postal votes not arriving, queues at polling stations making people turn away and voters being given wrong information on which station to use.

He said: “I have to speak to lawyers before I make any decisions on this. Yesterday there were problems of lots of people not having their postal votes.

“I also saw a lot of people leaving big queues at polling stations because there were not enough staff on to cope with it, so in these areas those votes could have made all the difference.

“There are also some things he (Mr Offord) was writing on his leaflets I will refer to lawyers as well.”

The former barrister, who took control of the seat in 1997 added: “I don’t think there was anything me or my team could have done. If we had had more support in door knocking I think we could have won.

“The Conservatives had the Ashcroft funded billboards all over the borough and we just couldn’t compete with that sort of money.”

, May 7 2010

May 7, 2010
New Turkish Cypriot president poses ‘serious problems’ for reunification

Turkish Cypriots elected a hardliner for president on Sunday, in a result that could have a major impact on efforts towards reuniting the island and on Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.

Hardliner Dervis Eroglu has won the election for president in the breakaway republic of Northern Cyprus, in an outcome that could stall talks aimed at bringing the Turkish and Greek sides of the island together.

A spokesman for the Greek Cypriot government, Stefanos Stefabou, called Eroglu’s election a “negative development.”

“Taking into account the declared positions of Mr Eroglu against a federation, and for the establishment of two independent states in Cyprus, this could cause very serious problems for the (peace) negotiations,” Stefanou told reporters in Nicosia.

Eroglu, leader of the National Unity Party (UBP), has said he favors a two-state confederation. However, he has also said he would not abandon the reunification talks.

“Talks will continue because I want peace more than those who say that I don’t,” Eroglu told supporters after declaring victory. “I seek a solution based on the realities of the island and a solution that all of us can live with.”

Around 164,000 people out of the 250,000 population of the island were eligible to vote. Turnout was reported to be about 75 percent.

Bildunterschrift: Turkey is the only country to recognize the Turkish Cypriot government

Reunification ‘a steep and uphill push’

Analysts have said the election results would likely delay reunification efforts, and that leaders may have to lower their expectations if they want to find a solution that can be agreed on by both sides.

“Nobody is going to walk away from the table, but this makes reunification a steep and uphill push,” said Hugh Pope, Turkey-Cyprus director for the International Crisis Group. “Everybody will have to think again and find a way forward.”

Cypriot voters on both the Greek and Turkish sides would have to approve any deal between their leaders in a referendum.

Peace talks on hold

With 95 percent of Sunday’s vote counted, Eroglu won slightly more than the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff against incumbent President Mehmet Ali Talat. Talat received 42.8 percent of the vote.

Talat, leader of the left-leaning Republican Turkish Party (CTP), supports reunification of the island, which has been divided into the Greek south and Turkish north since 1974.

Turkey is the only country that recognizes the government of the self-declared Turkish Cypriot state, which it has occupied since 1974. Ankara still keeps some 35,000 troops on the Mediterranean island.

The Greek Cypriot government represents the island in the European Union, and says it will continue to block Turkey’s attempt to join the EU as long as the island remains divided.

The United Nations-led peace talks on the Mediterranean island were on hold during the election campaign.

cb/acb/svs/AFP/AP/Reuters/dpa
Editor: Chuck Penfold

https://www.dw.com/en/new-turkish-cypriot-president-poses-serious-problems-for-reunification/a-5479392

April 19, 2010
Hendon candidate says he is ‘worried’ by intervention in election campaign

Andrew Dismore with Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosser, at Trafalgar Square

By Alex Hayes

THE Labour candidate for the Hendon Parliamentary seat has said the intervention of an anti-Zionist Muslim group in his election campaign is “worrying”.

Andrew Dismore has been attacked by the Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC) for his pro-Zionist views and record in Parliament.

After a hustings at Hendon Mosque the group distributed 2,000 leaflets urging people not to vote for Mr Dismore, who is vice chairman of the Labour Friends of Israel, and instead vote for the Lib Dems or Tories.

Mr Dismore said: “What’s worrying is this intervention in the election runs the risk of creating real divisions in the community.

“We’ve had traditionally good relations between the communities in Hendon and we could do without this interference from outsiders.

“I suspect there’s nothing between us on the politics of Palestine.”

Lib Dem candidate Matthew Harris, a vice chariman of his party’s Friends of Israel, has also rejected the backing of the group.

In a statement on his website he said: “I am pleased and proud to be a friend of Israel, campaigning for a two-state solution that will bring peace, justice and security to Palestinans and Israelis alike.

“I strongly dislike MPAC’s policies and its campaigning methods. But if anyone is thinking of voting for me because MPAC has advised them to vote Lib Dem or Tory as a way of ousting Hendon’s Labour MP, I would advise them to vote for someone else – I reject MPAC’s support.”

However, Tahir Shah, a spokesman for MPAC, said the group were not against Jewish people, but opposed Zionists.

He said: “Whatever faith the candidates are makes no difference politically. We are against Andrew Dismore’s record in Parliament.

“He has shown hostility towards the people of Palestine with his voting record.”

Mr Shah said MPAC’s focus was to get more Muslims involved in politics with the major parties to prevent extremism in the community.

12th April 2010

Andrew with Board of Deputies of British Jews President Henry Grunwald QC

April 19, 2010
The United Ireland Party officially supports Turkish membership of the EU

The United Ireland Party, FINE GAEL, has said it officially supports Turkish membership of the European Union notwithstanding opposition to the move expressed by one of its TDs this week.

The party’s spokesman on foreign affairs, Billy Timmins, yesterday said that views expressed by Lucinda Creighton rejecting Turkish accession to the union did not reflect party policy.

However, Ms Creighton said last night it was time to review party policy.

“Fine Gael policy is that we are in favour of Turkish accession as long as it meets certain requirements,” said Mr Timmins.

“A number are set out in the Ankara Protocol, including the use of ports in Cyprus. It has fulfilled some of them,” he said.

Mr Timmins pointed out that a motion supporting Turkish membership of the EU was approved by the Fine Gael ardfheis in 2004.

In a speech to a party meeting in her Dublin South East constituency earlier this week, Ms Creighton criticised comments by President Mary McAleese during her official visit to Turkey supporting its application for EU membership.

Ms Creighton described the argument for Turkish membership as “fundamentally flawed” and contended that Turkey was not wealthy enough to join the EU.

The union would have difficulty absorbing a country with a population of 72 million, she said, warning of a new wave of immigration to Ireland that would follow its accession.

Ms Creighton also asserted that, geographically, Turkey could not be considered part of Europe.

“By allowing Turkey accede to the European Union, the floodgates would be opened up to countries such as Morocco, who have as legitimate and credible a claim to EU membership as Turkey,” she said.

Fianna Fáil TD Michael Mulcahy also criticised Ms Creighton’s dismissal of Turkish aspiration to EU membership as “scaremongering”. He said Turkey had formalised commercial ties with the European Union.

“Deputy Creighton should remember that it has been long-standing Irish Government policy to support Turkish membership of the European Union, and her attempts to derail this worthwhile inclusion of Turkey by scaremongering on the issue of unemployment, is not appropriate.”

“Of course, there is a disparity in wealth between the European average and Turkey, but the Turkish economy is a very dynamic economy, set to grow by 10 per cent next year, and it is a sheer fallacy to believe that millions of Turkish people would descend on Ireland if Turkey was granted full membership of the European Union.

“There has not been a massive migration of workers from Bulgaria or Romania, both of whom have a much lower GDP per head than Ireland,” he said.

He also called on Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny to clarify if Ms Creighton’s views now represented the party’s official policy on the matter.

Contribution by Mr. Nizam Bulut

April 12, 2010