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Turkish Cypriot
civil society
demands an urgent
solution to Cyprus
problem
16 Turkish Cypriot
civil society
organisations led by
KTTO sent a letter
to Alexander Downer,
UN Special Adviser
to the Secretary
General on Cyprus,
asking for the
immediate launch of
the reunification
talks from where the
two sides left it in
2012 and demanding
an urgent solution
to the Cyprus
problem by early
2014.
The civil society
organisations
expressed their
disappointment with
the recent
statements made by
the Greek Cypriot
Leader Mr. Nicos
Anastasiades that
any round of
comprehensive
settlement talks on
the Cyprus issue
would not begin from
where the two sides
left it in 2012.
This is seen as a
clear indication of
the Greek Cypriot
Leader's intention
to play for time and
to drag on the
Cyprus problem for
many more years.
Outlining the
benefits of a
comprehensive
solution to the
Cyprus problem to
all parties
involved, the
organisations warned
that Turkish
Cypriots could not
wait any longer for
a solution and they
wanted to start
shaping their future
without any further
delay.
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Intra-island trade
in Cyprus decreases
The ninth annual
report 2012
on the
implementation of
the Green Line
Regulation
has
been adopted by the
European Commission
and will be
presented to the EU
Council for approval
on June 11, 2013.
One of the most
important findings
underlined in the
Report is the
decrease in trade
volume between the
two parts of Cyprus
mainly due to a
number of
obstacles existing
in the
Green Line trade.
The Green Line
Regulation was put
into force by the
European Union
following the
membership of a
divided Cyprus into
the EU which
suspended the
acquis communautaire
in Northern Cyprus
until the
comprehensive
resolution of the
Cyprus problem.
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Turkish Cypriots: EU
citizens without
rights
KTTO organized a
seminar on 9 May
2013 on the occasion
of Europe Day.
Annually celebrated
to highlight peace
and unity in Europe,
Europe Day, since
2004, is a bitter
reminder for Turkish
Cypriots of their
unique and unfair
position as citizens
of the EU without
the political,
economic and social
rights EU
citizenship entails
and of the failure
of the EU to
implement its
promises to end
their isolation.
The seminar featured
a number of speakers
representing
different parts of
the Community who
shared with the
national and
international guests
attending the event
their feelings and
expectations about
living as a "Turkish
Cypriot citizen of
the European Union".
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9 years after the
Annan Plan: Turkish
Cypriots continue to
call on the
international
community to deliver
on their promises
9 years ago on 24
April 2004, Turkish
Cypriots voted in a
referendum in favor
of the "Annan Plan",
the UN plan on the
comprehensive
resolution of the
Cyprus problem and
the unification of
the island, which
would consequently
result in the EU
membership of a new
Cyprus on 1 May
2004.
Despite the 65%
affirmative vote of
the Turkish
Cypriots, the Plan
could not succeed in
its goals due to the
no vote of 75% of
the Greek Cypriots.
Ironically, as the
party who voted
against unification
and joint EU
membership, South
Cyprus unilaterally
acceeded to the EU,
leaving the Turkish
Cypriots out under
isolation.
Following this
anomaly, the EU and
the international
community expressed
their strong will to
end the isolation of
the Turkish Cypriots
who were left out of
the EU due to no
fault of their own.
Yet 9 years on, they
still fail to
deliver on their
promises.
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KTTO disapproves of the
European
Commission's
proposal for an
amendment to the
Green Line
Regulation
On 13 May 2013, the
European Commission
proposed an
amendment
to the Green Line
Regulation to ease
the transit crossing
of Greek Cypriot
goods from one part
of South Cyprus to
another, through
North Cyprus.
According to the
explanatory
memorandum: "The
amendment aims in
particular to ease
the lives of Greek
Cypriot farmers
living in the Kato
Pyrgos area of
Cyprus."
KTTO President
Çerkez sent a letter
to EU Enlargement
Commissioner Stefan
Füle expressing his
disapproval of the
EU Commission's
proposal. Çerkez
said: "Instead of
delivering on your
promises and dealing
with all the pending
issues that would
ease the isolation
of Turkish Cypriots,
you give priority to
improve the lives of
Greek Cypriot
citizens, who unlike
Turkish Cypriots,
already fully enjoy
the benefits of
being in the
European Union."
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