Cyprus-Forum.com

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Ruling Republican Turkish Party (CTP) met with officials from the Greek Cypriot United Democrats EDI.

As the Cyprus negotiations process continues, political parties across the divide are meeting and exchanging views in an attempt to contribute to the talks.
The leaders of the two parties held a joint press conference at the end of the meeting.

The CTP delegation headed by party’s Secretary General Ömer Kalyoncu visited the United Democrats Party Headquarters in South Cyprus this morning.

Speaking at the joint press conference at the end of the meeting, EDI leader Praxula Kiriaku said that their common goal with the CTP was to reunify the island and to encourage the two leaders to move forward more effectively towards achieving a bi-communal, bi-zonal solution to the Cyprus Problem on the basis of UN parameters.

Underlining the importance of using time effectively, she repeated the need to reach a settlement on the island before the European Parliament’s elections next year.

“We hope that the next elections will be elections in a federal Cyprus in which will stand side by side with our Turkish Cypriot counterparts” she said.

For his part, the CTP Secretary General said that his party supported the common principles agreed by the two leaders, expressing his belief that a solution will be shaped within that framework.

Expressing his party’s desire for a solution to be found in Cyprus until elections at the European Parliament next year, Kalyoncu said that negotiations process should speed up within this context.

Pointing out that people, in addition to political parties, on both sides of the divide should contribute to a solution, Kalyoncu said that the CTP will do all it can for an immediate, just and lasting solution to the Cyprus Problem.

Asked to comment on Barak Obama’s election as the new US President, the CTP Secretary General said that they welcomed the election of the first black president.

He said that Obama’s election as President was an important victory in the war against racism.

TDP PAYS CURTOUSEY VISIT TO EDEK IN SOUTH CYPRUS

Officials from the Communal Democracy Party also held contacts in south Cyprus today.

They visited the Movement of Social Democrats EDEK.

Both party leaders expressed support to the leaders of the island.

The Communal Democracy Party isn’t pleased with the pace the talks are moving at and hope to speed up the process by paying visits to political parties in the South.

The Cyprus issue was the only subject on the agenda.

Speaking after the visit the leader of the Communal Democracy party Mehmet Cakici said that by paying visits to political parties they hoped to speed up the process.

Referring to the outcome of the election in America, Mr. Cakica expressed the belief that the election results will have a positive effect on the Cyprus issue.

EDEK President Yiannakis Omirou expressed support to the current negotiations process in Cyprus.

He said that he also supported a solution based on the United Nations Security Councils rules and regulations.

‘We do not support a ‘virgin birth’ but instead the rearrangement of the 1960 Republic of Cyprus’, he added.

Close to a fortnight ago, the main opposition National Unity Party in a historic move held its first official contact in South Cyprus.

A delegation from the UBP visited the Greek Cypriot Democratic Rally Party-DISI.

It was the first time the UBP leader Tahsin Ertugruloglu crossed into South Cyprus in 36 years.

The meeting was a courtesy visit to DISI as it had previously paid a visit to the UBP headquarters in Nicosia.