Cyprus-Forum.com

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The Presidential spokesman Hasan Ercakica has said that the Turkish Side expects the negotiations to continue and in line with this expectation has launched the necessary initiatives.
He said that they were waiting for a reply from the United Nations.

Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Ercakica said that President Mehmet Ali Talat was seriously considering running in the upcoming elections and as a result had launched a series of visits to the different political parties.
He said that the President will decide whether or not to contest in the elections at the end of his visits to the political parties.

The Presidential Spokesman Hasan Ercakica told reporters today that the Turkish side desired the continuation of the talks during the period leading to the TRNC Presidential elections in April.
He reminded that the President had conveyed this desire during the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s visit to the island.
Explaining that an initiative had been launched with the UN for the continuation of the talks, the spokesman however pointed out that the dates for the talks had yet to be determined.

Pointing out that the crisis in government on the Greek Cypriot Side had played part in the stalling of the talks, Ercakica said that they expected the negotiations to resume in the coming days.
Evaluating the recent domestic political developments in South Cyprus, the Presidential Spokesman described EDEK’s decision to withdraw from the coalition government as the intolerance of circles opposed to a settlement towards the progress reached in the talks.
Stating that the negotiation process had reached a stage where critical decisions will be taken, he said that circles opposed to the idea of a settlement and which desired the continuation of the status quo were disturbed by the stage reached in the talks.
Ercakica said that the Turkish Side was seeking for a stable collocutor in the talks.
He also said that Turkey’s support to the negotiations process continued.
Responding to a question on EDEK’s decision to withdraw from the government coalition in South Cyprus, the Presidential Spokesman expressed the view that it will be easier for Christofias’s government to decide on various issues now that EDEK is no longer in office.

Asked whether or not President Mehmet Ali Talat was considering running in the upcoming elections, Ercakica said that the President has launched a series of visits to political parties as he was considering running for a second term.
He said that the President will decide whether or not to contest in the elections according to the feedback he will receive from the political parties.

TALAT VISITS TDP
As the presidential elections approach, President Mehmet Ali Talat, has launched visits to political parties with the aim of getting their backings.
Today, the President visited the Social Democracy Party. Speaking during the visit, President Mehmet Ali Talat said he will run as an independent candidate in the elections but he will officially announce his candidacy at a future date.
He said that he launched visits to political parties with the aim of seeking whether they will provide him support in the elections or not.
He also said he will also make evaluations with political parties on the negotiations process during the visits.
Pointing to the importance of acting in unity for the solution of legal and political problems, he said he asked TDP’s support if it will not nominate any candidate for the presidency.
For his part, the Leader of the TDP Mehmet Cakici stated that his party is in favor of an agreement which will be based on bi-zonal and bi-communal federation and political equality of the two sides and expressed the belief that the result of the elections will have an effect on the solution process.
He also said his party wants the election of a pro-solution president.