Cyprus: “Our elections are as legal as the Greek elections”

Talat: “Our elections are as legal as the Greek Cypriot elections” Talat had a meeting with a group of German Parliamentarians from CDU, Social Democrats and the Greens.

Speaking as head of the visiting Cyprus-German Parliamentary group Siegfried Hans said they were in Cyprus on a fact-finding mission. “Coming from a country which experienced division and unification we wanted to see the situation in Cyprus closely because of the similarities” he said.

Helias said that Cyprus was passing thorough difficult phase at the moment and that they were here to extend help for the country’s EU membership and a solution based on the Annan Plan. He said that they had numerous contacts with the Greek and Turkish Cypriot politician. They wanted to hear that views of Talat regarding a solution based on the Annan Plan and the forthcoming Turkish Cypriot elections.
The Turkish Cypriot people will express its will.

Talat welcomed the visiting parliamentarians and thanked them for asking his views on the December election, the Cyprus Solution and the Annan Plan. He expressed his pleasure for the timing of visit by the group “the Turkish Cypriot people will express its will and determine its future in the December Elections” said Talat. “The people has already made up its mind to get integrated with Europe and the world” added Talat. “The Turkish Cypriot people wish to take its place in Europe” said Talat. “They expressed this wish most decisively in huge open air meetings some short while ago. Now they are going to repeat that at the polling stations” Talat said.
“Please, tell the Greeks not to”

Talat said the December elections will in a way mean the materialization of the use of the right of self-determination denied to the Turkish Cypriot people. He criticized the Greek Cypriots for describing the elections as illegal. “The Turkish Cypriot elections are as legal as the Greek Cypriot elections. To describe them as ‘illegal’ is nothing but an attempt to hurt insults at the people and a sign of disrespect. This is unacceptable” said Talat.
He asked the German parliamentarian to tell the Greeks to avoid such behavior, as it is likely that such attitude would harm the good relation between the two peoples. “The Greek Cypriot Administration does not represent the Turkish Cypriot people. The Turks are going to elect their own representatives” said Talat.

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Source: Vatan