Negotiations continue as leaders meet today
20 April, 2017Bob Geldof and his group The Boomtown Rats to play at EMU
21 April, 2017Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu has travelled to Qatar within the framework of his meeting programme in Gulf countries.
Ertuğruloğlu, who began his meetings in Qatar’s capital Doha yesterday, met with Vice Chairman of Qatar Chamber, Muhammad Bin Ahmed Bin Towar Al Kuwari.
During the meeting, Kuwari and his delegation were briefed by Ertuğruloğlu on tourism, trade and higher education in the TRNC.
Ertuğruloğlu stressed that Qatar businesses will be able to cooperate and develop trade relationships with businesses in the TRNC.
Speaking about the Cyprus issue and the ongoing negotiation process, Ertuğruloğlu warned that the Greek Cypriot side is not making efforts to establish an equal partnership with the Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus, rather to tie the Turkish Cypriot people to lengthy negotiations and enforce heavy embargoes on them.
Ertuğruloğlu also pointed out that the Greek Cypriot Administration has recently prevented children who came to the island via South Cyprus from attending the Children’s Festival celebrations to be held in the TRNC on 23rd April.
Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu also attended the opening of the “Expo Turkey by Qatar” fair in Doha. Ertuğruloğlu, who participated in the fair as the guest of honour, in order to develop commercial relations between Turkey and Qatar and to enable joint investments, inaugurated the opening ceremony at the fair.
Additionally, Ertuğruloğlu met with President of the Tourism Commission of Qatar Hasan Al-Abraham.
Responding to questions, Ertuğruloğlu gave a briefing to Al-İbrahim about the Cyprus problem, the negotiation process and the latest developments with regards to the Cyprus issue. He also addressed the recent developments around Cyprus’ natural resources.
Pointing out that there are very strict trade and political relations between Qatar and Turkey, Ertuğruloğlu said that he was surprised that a Qatari company will cooperate with the Greek Cypriot side on natural gas in Cyprus.
Ertuğruloğlu emphasized that Turkish Cypriots share the rights of natural resources in Cyprus and that this should be taken into account. He also noted that Turkey would not allow a unilateral step in the name of natural gas.