Özersay: ‘We are insisting on our Maraş policy’

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kudret Özersay issued a written statement and stated that the policy of the government for opening the closed Maraş is continuing decisively.

Minister Özersay pointed out that the Inventory Commission on the Closed Maraş came together once again and evaluated the data obtained from previous fieldworks by the experts from the different institutions. Özersay also underlined that as a reply to Greek Cypriot initiatives to avoid Turkish Cypriot Goverenment’s Maraş policy via United Nations, they explained their policy to all interlocutors by a proactive diplomacy.

Özersay stressed that the experts from the different institutions started to complete their reports on the latest situation of the antiquities, churches, movable properties, power lines and buildings in Maraş and some points of these issues will be evaluated next week in the Council of Ministers.

Özersay also stated that they had taken diplomatic initiatives against the initiatives of the Greek Cypriot side in the presence of the UN Security Council and they sent a letter to the United Nations in response to the Greek Cypriot side’s Maraş letter.

Özersay continued his statement as follows:

“We sent a letter to the United Nations in response to the Greek Cypriot side’s letter, and we mentioned about the steps we have taken and will take about Maraş in many diplomatic meetings we held in New York in September. On the other hand, the ongoing lawsuit on this matter was concluded and a decision was announced. In fact, all these developments have confirmed the proper position of the government policy towards the opening of closed city Maraş. Our following a policy that does not usurp the property rights of both the former inhabitants and the Vakıf, and also putting an attitude based on human rights and maintaining this balance is the most important factor that will enable the implementation of Maraş initiative”.