Addressing members of the visiting O.I.C. delegation, Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer said the lifting, or, – at least - easing of the Turkish Cypriot People’s international isolation will result in pressure being brought to bear on the Greek Cypriot political leadership to consider sitting at the negotiating table.

Reiterating the Turkish Cypriot People’s political will and readiness to work for a peace settlement and a solution to the Cyprus problem based on the political equality of the two sides; the Prime Minister said the Turkish Cypriot People wishes to contribute to a solution to the Cyprus problem with its religious, cultural and language identities.

“Turkish Cypriots are a People that respect all the others’ cultures and religions; and they want others to respect theirs’” he said.

“What we are up to, is to help bring the Muslim Turkish Cypriot community together in a new order with the Christian Greek Cypriot community within a federal settlement to the Cyprus problem” he said, expressing the view that “this may constitute a good example to the rest of the international community at a time when there’s much talk about the so-called “conflict of civilizations”.

Mr Soyer also criticized the Greek Cypriot side for trying to manipulate its EU membership which took place despite having rejected the Annan Plan.

He said the Greek Cypriot administration is using its advantageous position of EU membership to strengthen its strangle-hold on the Turkish Cypriot side and widen its international isolation.

The O.I.C.’s Assistant Secretary General Atta Avmannan, who leads the delegation, for his part, said the visit to the TRNC is being realized in accordance with the decisions adopted by the O.I.C. foreign ministers.
Stressing the great importance attached by the organization to helping ease the Turkish Cypriot People’s international isolation, Mr Avmannan said the discussions in Lefkosa will center on ways of improving the already existing relations in many fields, with the aim of bringing down the Turkish Cypriots’ isolation, and helping promote the political equality of the two sides in Cyprus.

The O.I.C. delegation was then received by Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktash who also holds the Foreign Ministry Portfolio.

The delegation’s contacts will also include separate meetings with the Cyprus Turkish Chambers of Commerce and Industry this afternoon, and other non-governmental organizations.

The O.I.C. delegation is made up of the organization’s Assistant Secretary General, Atta Avmannan, the deputy Head of the Islamic Development Bank Said Abbas, and the Director of the Islamic Solidarity Fund Gazi Bakis, and officials.

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