Ozgurgun says 100 thousand Turkish Cypriots have Cyprus passports
Under the title “Ozgurgun’s discomfort for the ‘passports'”, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen (07.10.11) reports that the Turkish press referred yesterday to the passports of the Republic of Cyprus which Turkish Cypriots are granted. The paper writes that the self-styled minister of foreign affairs Huseyin Ozgurgun stated at the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s (TBMM) committee on foreign affairs, that 100 thousand Turkish Cypriots are holders of passports of the Republic of Cyprus. Yeni Duzen reports that this was assessed as “dangerous development” in the Turkish press.
Citing information published in Turkish Milliyet, Yeni Duzen reports that Ozgurgun “noted that the number of those who have taken Greek Cypriot passport [Tr. Note: as the passport of the Republic of Cyprus is described] is around 100 thousands in the TRNC, the population of which is close to 400 thousands, and expressed his concern saying: ‘the Greek Cypriots deceive our young people, the Turkish Cypriots with the passport'”.
Ozgurgun alleged also that the Republic of Cyprus launched exploration for oil and natural gas in Eastern Mediterranean in order for President Christofias to obtain political benefits in the Greek Cypriot community. Ozgurgun briefed the committee on the “agreement” between Turkey and the breakaway regime regarding the delimitation of their “continental shelf”, the Cyprus negotiations and the explorations for oil and natural gas in the Mediterranean. Ozgurgun said that the Republic of Cyprus signed agreements with Egypt and Lebanon in the past and with Israel now because of the tense relations between this country and Turkey. He claimed that the Greek Cypriots approached this issue with “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” mentality. He alleged that President Christofias uses the issue of oil as a political manoeuvre and claimed that Turkish Cypriots have equal rights and Turkey has more rights than any other country on the issue of oil and natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Asked whether the interest of the young people for the Cyprus problem has decreased, Ozgurgun alleged that the Greek Cypriots, as he described the Republic of Cyprus, use the advantage of being member of the European Union to attract especially young Turkish Cypriots and make them “Greek Cypriot citizens”. Claiming that the Turkish Cypriots are deceived in this manner, Ozgurgun noted that especially young Turkish Cypriot students and unemployed persons use the passport of the Republic of Cyprus to go to Europe for studying or finding a job.
Meanwhile, Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (06.10.11, online) reports that Ozgurgun expressed pessimism that any breakthrough in the Cyprus negotiations will occur in time to hold a referendum on unification before the Republic of Cyprus assumes the EU term presidency next year.
In statements to reporters on Thursday during a visit to Ankara, Ozgurgun alleged that President Christofias, under pressure at home to quit over a devastating munitions blast, “has only one objective: to take over the EU presidency to salvage his career”. Ozgurgun argued that President Christofias “is looking for pretexts not to attend” the tripartite meeting in New York that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is planning this month.
Meanwhile, writing in Turkish Cypriot daily Haberdar (07.10.11), columnist Rasih Resat wonders why it was necessary for Ozgurgun to say at TBBM’s foreign affairs committee that 100 thousand Turkish Cypriots have passports of the Republic of Cyprus. Noting that perhaps more than 100 thousand Turkish Cypriots have taken this passport which is not a Greek Cypriot passport, but passport of the Republic of Cyprus, Resat writes, inter alia, the following:
“?They have taken it as an existing advantage and they use it as such. Moreover, those who do not have passport of the Republic of Cyprus should ask one from those who have and take a look at it. Three languages are used in it: English, Greek and Turkish.
It should not be forgotten that the Turkish Cypriots have rights in the republic called Republic of Cyprus. It should not be forgotten because it is thanks to the rights in this republic called the Republic of Cyprus that Turkey and the TRNC are right in exploring for oil and natural gas in the south of Cyprus through TPAO with Piri Reis vessel. Let me state that my reaction on this issue should not be misinterpreted. I do not have such passport”.
