Turkish Cypriots are citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state, internationally recognized, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, explained on Friday shortly after the announcement of the 14-measure package for Turkish Cypriots.

In statements in Nicosia, before attending an event organized by the Office of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus and asked about the message the Government wants to send to the Turkish Cypriots with the announcement of the measures, President Christodoulides emphasized that the Turkish Cypriots are citizens of the Republic of Cyprus and that the Government shows in practice that the Republic of Cyprus is an EU member state, internationally recognized and not a pseudo-state.

Asked to clarify the point concerning the processing of pending applications for Cypriot citizenship, the President of the Republic explained that in 2007 during the presidency of Tassos Papadopoulos, the Council of Ministers set 5 criteria for examining applications and then at some point the process was halted. And added that as part of the measures announced today, processing of applications will resume.

“We will examine the applications and decide on the basis of legitimacy, laws, regulations of the RoC and the acquis communautaire”, he stressed.

To a journalist’s remark that business and trade unions are reacting to the measure to expand the list of products under the Green Line Regulation, President Christodoulides said that “there is absolutely no reaction”, indicating that he is in contact with both Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB).

“They know prior the announcement, I had contacts with them and what was announced is in consultation with them,” he noted.

In response to a journalist’s remark that Cyprus Worker’s Confederation (SEK) stated today that the Green Line Regulation causes unfair competition, President commented that although the list of the specific six products to be added to the catalogue under Green Line Regulation has not yet been published, unfair competition is being created in some cases. “Unfair competition is created in some of the cases, yes, with the Regulation that was agreed by the RoC in 2004,” he said.