Eroglu says that the leaders discussed issues such as international agreements, internal security, fishery and search and rescue at sea, Under the title “Christofias is also annoyed”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (06.05.11) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu said yesterday that he discussed with President Christofias the prevention of Turkish Cypriot commercial vehicles from crossing over to the government-controlled area of Cyprus.

In statements after the meeting of the leaders within the framework of the Cyprus talks, Eroglu noted that President Christofias expressed his sorrow about the incident which happened recently when the police of the Republic of Cyprus reportedly prevented a Turkish Cypriot bus driver and seized some of his documents. Eroglu said that President Christofias is also annoyed about this incident and that he had given instructions to the relevant Minister to conduct an investigation on the issue.

Eroglu said the special representatives of the leaders had exerted great efforts during their last meetings on the details of issues related to the international agreements and the internal security. He added that during their meeting yesterday, the two leaders accepted that the rules of the international agreements are also an agreement and added that a committee of experts will discuss the issue within the forthcoming days.

Eroglu noted that during their meeting yesterday the leaders continued the discussion on the internal security issue. He said that at a previous meeting they accepted that the federal police will be formed by equal number of police officers from both sides and added that the number of the police officers of the constituent states has not been clarified yet, but both the constituent states and the federal police should be determined in a manner that the 60:40 ratio is not changed.

Moreover, Eroglu said they discussed the issue of fishery and search and rescue at sea. He noted that the Turkish Cypriot side insisted that the constituent states should be responsible for the search and rescue operations at sea of their own area and added that efforts for reaching convergences on this matter will be exerted during their next meetings.

Eroglu said the meeting of the leaders with the UN Secretary-General in New York will be held after 20 June, on a date which is convenient for Ban Ki-moon.

Responding to a question, Eroglu noted that today he would meet with Martin Schultz, President of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, who is visiting the island. Eroglu said they would discuss all issues with Schultz, including the EU’s “direct trade regulation” with the Turkish Cypriots.

Asked to comment on Archbishop Chrysostomos II statement that the Republic of Cyprus deceived the EU to become its member, Eroglu argued that the Archbishop said the truth and that “the Greek Cypriots had been accepted into the EU with the pretext that they would say ‘yes’ to the Annan Plan”. Eroglu alleged that similar views exist in former President Clerides’ book. He claimed: “Unfortunately, the Greek Cypriot side deceived the EU. In any case, [former EU Commissioner responsible for the Enlargement] Verheugen has also said they had been deceived”.

(I/Ts.)