PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN TRNC

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis congratulated with a written declaration Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu who won, according to unofficial results, the presidential elections in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Bagis said: "I sincerely congratulate and wish success in his new post to Dervis Eroglu who was elected as the president with the elections held yesterday in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus".

In his statement Bagis said:

"The election which was held yesterday in a peaceful atmosphere was the concrete reflection of the Turkish Cypriot nation's free will. This election also shows the maturity level of the democracy culture in TRNC.

I believe after the appointment of Eroglu the Cyprus peace talks, in which a remarkable progress has been achieved in the previous term, will continue without interruption. As Eroglu said Turkish Cypriots have not feared from nobody to negotiate on their legitimate case so far; and they would not step back in that process and the negotiations between two communities would continue."

Implying that he believed the international community would extend a greater support to the negotiation process on the Island in the upcoming period, and eventually, the conflict that continued for nearly half a century would be solved in a peaceful way, Bagis said "I hope that at this point the EU will do its part by applying Direct Trade Regulation concerning EU Council decisions which were taken unanimously on 24 April 2004 and bring an end to the unfair isolations imposed on Turkish Cypriots. In this context, I hope that the European Parliament which will conclude the EU Commission recommendation regarding Direct Trade Regulation today, according to Article 207 of the Lisbon Treaty, will also reach a result in a manner that does not subject the Turkish Cypriots to new grievances."

Bagis indicated that Direct Trade Regulation which could provide the mitigation of hard economic pressure on Turkish Cypriot Community would revive the economic and commercial relations between Turkish Cypriots and EU, and added:

The share of "EU countries' in total sum of TRNC's exports, which had increased by about 80 percent in the period preceding the contrary decision taken by the European Court of Justice in 1994 was decreased by about 20 percent following this decision.

This unstable state in the trade relations will terminate when Direct Trade Regulation is implemented and the negotiations on Island and the relations between Turkey and EU will gain a positive acceleration."

At the end of his congratulation message, Bagis said: "With these sentiments and thoughts, I would like to congratulate again Eroglu for his new post; I wish Cyprus issue will reach a final solution through the efforts of the new government."

Source: AA