BAGIS ATTENDS CONFERENCE AT THE NEAR EAST UNIVERSITY IN TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS
With the peaceful attitude of the Turkish side, the world has been shown that the side that wants peace is Turkey and the side that does not want peace is the Greek side, said Egemen Bagis.
Attending a conference in the Near East University in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also had a series of meetings.
Bagis visited TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat at his Presidential office; TRNC Prime Minister and CTP Chairman Ferdi Sabit Soyer at his Assembly office; Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister and Ozgur Parti Chairman Turgay Avci at his Foreign Ministry office; Ambassador of Turkey to TRNC Turkekul Kurttekin at his office. Bagis also met with Democrat Party Chairman Serdar Denktas and newly elected UBP Chairman Tahsin Ertugruloglu. Latest event on the Cyprus situation was discussed in the meetings.
Bagis also visited Turkish Islamic Cultural Center in Lefkose and was informed of their work.
In the speech he made at the Near East University Bagis noted that as long as EU does not comply with the promises they made to end the isolations, no one should expect Turkey to move forward on opening the ports. "We will open the ports but only when promises are kept" said Bagis. Mentioning the Greek Cypriot Administration's efforts to move the solution platform from UN to EU, hence strengthening their position with their veto right in EU, Bagis noted "They're holding all EU members as hostages". Commenting on the title of the conference "Train accident hasn't happened, but is the train moving" Bagis noted that the train hasn't slowed down, but the tracks are slowing its forward momentum.
Excertps from: Tercuman Daily, 28 December 2006
