Hellim producers in the TRNC and the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry in order to impede Greek Cypriot attempt to register hellim as “hallumi” and to assign the Greek Cypriot Ministry of Agriculture as the authorized organisation on the issue, alongside to annunciate Turkish Cypriot objection made before the EU to the European countries and to the South Cyprus, a Hellim festival with a press conference was organised at the buffer zone on March 13 th .

Minister of Agriculture, Önder Sennaroğlu attended to the activity, which was held near the Ledra Palace at the buffer zone organised in cooperation of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry, Union of the Diary Producers and of the Cooperative for Producing and Marketing Diary and Cooking Oil products Ltd. (Koop Süt).

Both the TRNC and South Cyprus 's press showed great interest in the activity.

Speeches delivered at the activity where participants were offered charcoal-grilled hellim and folklore dances were presented, it was stressed that it was unacceptable that the institution to inspect and approve the hellim's exportation, was to be within the Greek Cypriot administration.

Minister of Agriculture Önder Sennaroğlu in his brief statement during the activity said that demanding that the authorised resource related with controlling and approving the hellim should be the Greek Cypriot Ministry of Agriculture was the most important aspect of Greek Cypriot side's application to the European Commission.

Saying that “This is an unacceptable attitude for us, because Greek Cypriot Ministry of Agriculture has no authority within the borders of the TRNC”, added that the TRNC has demanded that a similar authority to be given to the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry.

Tunar: “The necessary objection was made before the EU”

President of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry Salih Tunar giving information before the press statement said that Greek Union of Cheese Producers' application before the European Commission for regional registration for hellim was a two-years process and that a month long period for objection was submitted and that the Cyprus Chamber of Industry and the Union of Cyprus Turkish Diary Products Producers have filed the necessary objection within that duration before the EU.

Pointing out that the in 2006, TRNC has exported hellim worth 20 million dollars worth of hellim mainly to Arab countries, and this was equal to one third of TRNC's total exportation, Mr. Tunar said that the Greek Cypriot administration could even interfere with the exportation to the Arab countries in case they succeed with their attempt.

As for the his opening speech of the activity Salih Tunar also said that hellim was a common product of Turkish and Greek Cypriots, however the Union of Greek Cypriot Cheese Producers demanded with their application to the EU that hellim should be registered as “hallumi” and the mechanism of control should be given to the Greek Cypriot Ministry of Agriculture.

Tunar, said that the name of the product in question was not only “hallumi” and “hellim” also and that the South Cyprus cannot have control over the North Cyprus .

Meanwhile during the activity where press statements both in Turkish and English were issued the statement in Turkish was read by Director of the Koop-Süt Salih Yücesoylu, while the English version was read by President of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry Salih Tunar.

The joint press release of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry, the Union of Cyprus Turkish Milk and Diary Products Producers, and Cooperative for Producing and Marketing Diary and Cooking Oil products Ltd reminded that the Greek Cypriot side have staged a unilateral attempt before the EU to register the traditional hellim and said, “As the Turkish Cypriot side, we would like to state that we will stake out a claim on hellim to the bitter end."

Expressing that the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry and hellim producers had some concerns about the application for registering hellim, the statement said that because Cyprus have two official languages, registration of hellim should be made as hellim and hallumi.

The statement underlining that having the authority for ratifying exportation and inspection for hellim in South Cyprus meant that there could be no hellim exportation to any country from the TRNC, underlined that because the Greek Cypriot administration had no control in the north, the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry should be given authority inspection and ratification transactions.

The statement dragging attraction to the fact that one of the major specifications of the traditional product of both Turkish and Greek Cypriots was that it was made of goat or sheep milk, said, “not specifying the percentage of sheep's or goat's milk by saying that ‘hellim is made with cow's sheep's or goat's milk' would be wrong and this commercial concern is unjust act for our traditional product and culture.”

The statement also said that “fresh or dried mint is added to hellim” expression was also wrong and this should be optional.

The statement stressing that the major issue was specifying the authority for inspection and ratification for hellim, said that having the authorised office in the South meant that the stock-breeding sector in the TRNC will have a great blow.

”We believe that the authorised organs of the EU will find measures to open Turkish Cypriot's way to export hellim until a solution is reached concerning the issue.

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