Cyprus-Forum.com

[zan]

Greek Cypriot President Demetris Christofias said on Tuesday he was prepared to open ports and airports to commercial activities run by Turkish Cyprus from the northern half of the divided island.

"The Republic of Greek Cyprus offers our compatriot Cypriot Turks who wish to export and import goods, to trade through the free ports and airports of the Republic of Greek Cyprus," he told a meeting of the Council of Europe.

Reuters reported him as saying "this is a full official declaration I am making before you."

The offer comes as the Turkish and Greek sides have been working on a deal to reunify Cyprus, which was split after a brief Greek-inspired coup, triggering a Turkish intervention in 1974.

In 2004, EU accepted Greek Cyprus as a member despite the division of the island.

Turkey has 30,000 troops in northern Cyprus to prevent any conflicts on the island.

[eracles]

Zan, you really have lost your marbles recently...

World Bulletin is a news site based in Turkey featuring Turkey-centric news!
http://www.worldbulletin.net/identity.php
All you are highlighting in your post is a blatant distortion of the truth, which I'm sure you wouldn't approve of. Adding extra words to quotes is extremely unprofessional, probably illegal.

[zan]

Zan, you really have lost your marbles recently...

World Bulletin is a news site based in Turkey featuring Turkey-centric news!
http://www.worldbulletin.net/identity.php
All you are highlighting in your post is a blatant distortion of the truth, which I'm sure you wouldn't approve of. Adding extra words to quotes is extremely unprofessional, probably illegal.

I know where it comes from..... Now what about the ports????

[eracles]

Zan, you really have lost your marbles recently...

World Bulletin is a news site based in Turkey featuring Turkey-centric news!
http://www.worldbulletin.net/identity.php
All you are highlighting in your post is a blatant distortion of the truth, which I'm sure you wouldn't approve of. Adding extra words to quotes is extremely unprofessional, probably illegal.

I know where it comes from..... Now what about the ports????

Hi Zan, the world bulletin report states in the quote that he offers trade through the Greek Cyprus free ports, not in the occupied areas, but earlier in the article it says otherwise, very bad reporting...

[eracles]

here's a better report in the Turkish press...

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/worl ... 7&sz=79743

[Nikitas]

In addition to the ports the Cyprus authorities have committed themselves to accepting the certification of goods produced in the north. So certificates of the TC chamber of commerce are regarded as official and sufficient for goods exported via Limassol and Larnaca. Some TC potatoes made their way to Greece at good prices for the producers.

This ports issue is a non issue in the end. Famagusta harbor is not able to handle container traffic and its general cargo capacity is limited. There is no space to expand the facilities because they are surrounded by the castle walls which are a valuable monument and tourist asset. Whether anyone likes it or not, LImassol is the main port of the island and one which will always have the most movement. It is also a first rate container terminal. If you cannot containerise goods you cannot sell them in today's markets.

[zan]

Zan, you really have lost your marbles recently...

World Bulletin is a news site based in Turkey featuring Turkey-centric news!
http://www.worldbulletin.net/identity.php
All you are highlighting in your post is a blatant distortion of the truth, which I'm sure you wouldn't approve of. Adding extra words to quotes is extremely unprofessional, probably illegal.

I know where it comes from..... Now what about the ports????

Hi Zan, the world bulletin report states in the quote that he offers trade through the Greek Cyprus free ports, not in the occupied areas, but earlier in the article it says otherwise, very bad reporting...

Again, I know......That is the point I am making.....We have beedn offered nothing new!!!

[Viewpoint]

In addition to the ports the Cyprus authorities have committed themselves to accepting the certification of goods produced in the north. So certificates of the TC chamber of commerce are regarded as official and sufficient for goods exported via Limassol and Larnaca. Some TC potatoes made their way to Greece at good prices for the producers.

This ports issue is a non issue in the end. Famagusta harbor is not able to handle container traffic and its general cargo capacity is limited. There is no space to expand the facilities because they are surrounded by the castle walls which are a valuable monument and tourist asset. Whether anyone likes it or not, LImassol is the main port of the island and one which will always have the most movement. It is also a first rate container terminal. If you cannot containerise goods you cannot sell them in today's markets.

What can the Limasol port handle which the Famagusta port cannot?

[Oracle]

I would not trust any agricultural produce grown in the occupied parts. Most of the TC farmers are probably unaware of current regulations about the use of pesticides .. and we may well have an incident like the Spanish tomatoes ... where many people will meet their end through consuming incorrectly sprayed produce ...

I would not buy anything grown / raised in the "trnc" ... and their produce should not be distributed without a health warning!

[Nikitas]

"What can the Limasol port handle which the Famagusta port cannot?"

Several container ships and RO-RO ships simultaneously using modern gantries and reversible drive tow trucks. Limassol is huge compared to Famagusta. The port in Famagusta is hemmed in by the walls of the city, it always was. It is naturally deep, but that advantage counted in the days before large capacity dredgers. Limasson is now as deep as Famagusta and able to handle vessels of equal draught.

I watched a ship which took 12 hours to be loaded with trucks in Piraeus unload in two hours in Cyprus because of more modern equipment.