Turkish Cypriot daily Bakis (27.12.11) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu has alleged that the discussion of all the chapters at the Cyprus talks has been concluded, that the negotiations have come to a point of give and take and that they expect to be able to see the end of the process during the forthcoming meeting at Greentree in New York next month.

Addressing a conference at Gaziantep’s Zirve University under the title “The past and the present of the Cyprus negotiations”, Eroglu alleged: “There is nothing which has not been discussed, which has not been negotiated. The sides know by heart what each of them says. The time has come now for the solution of the Cyprus problem. Of course, this solution will be a just and lasting agreement. It will have the quality of protecting the rights of the Turkish Cypriots and the Republic of Turkey. The solution will come with a new partnership state. To this end we as Turkish side negotiate with good will”.

Eroglu argued that the Republic of Cyprus should not overtake the EU term presidency in July 2012 and claimed that if this happens, the [Cyprus] problem will further enter into a deadlock and the relations of Turkey with the EU will be influenced negatively.

Meanwhile, according to Turkish Cypriot daily Volkan (27.12.11), speaking during a reception at Sato Restaurant in Gaziantep, Eroglu argued, inter alia, the following: “We have lived the trauma of a partnership state, we established the 1960 Republic, we were excluded from this Republic after three years and three months, we struggled for 11 years not to fall in the traps laid by the Greek Cypriots, we sacrificed many lives and we were saved with the peace operation [Tr. Note: As he described the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus]”.

Eroglu argued that the Turkish Cypriots have given a similar struggle for freedom with the one of the inhabitants of Gaziantep.

Eroglu alleged that while the Turks in Cyprus were dying the world was watching and added: “The EU is implementing embargo today on the TRNC. What is our crime? We have established the Republic of Cyprus together, but we are under embargo. Therefore, we have to trust ourselves, we have to trust motherland. I say this often to the young people: the TRNC cannot exist if there is no motherland?”