Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris (31.12.11) runs a New Year’s message from Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, which was broadcast on the Australian State Radio’s Turkish-language service for Turkish Cypriots living there.

In his message, Eroglu said that the aim of the Turkish Cypriots is to sign a Cyprus agreement in the first quarter of 2012 and to be approved in a referendum by July 2012, so that they can assume the EU presidency together with the Greek Cypriots. He also said: “We believe that such an agreement will be an example for the Middle East and will provide serious benefits for the region, the two motherlands Turkey and Greece, the EU and the world.”

Eroglu claimed: “We don’t want our future to be uncertain and to be subject to such unfair embargoes. The existence of two separate people, two separate areas, two separate religions and two separate sovereign states in Cyprus is a fact.”