All TRNC citizens will become citizens of the Federal Republic of Cyprus in the event of a Cyprus settlement, Baris Burcu, spokesman for President Mustafa Akinci has said.
In a written statement issued on Monday, Burcu said that the issues of population and citizenship have been distorted and “various unrealistic speculative news reports have been published regarding the proportion of population”.
Burcu said:
“The truth is the following: All citizenships granted to date by both sides will automatically become citizenships of the united federal Cyprus. It is out of the question for any citizen to be deprived of this common right in any manner. All TRNC citizens will become citizens of the Federal Republic of Cyprus“.
Noting that the issue of citizenship has been settled between the two community leaders, Burcu added:
“Both sides shared information and numbers in front of the UN regarding the citizenships they granted until today. These numbers have been registered in the minutes. The picture which has come up is that the existing 220 thousand TRNC citizens and 802 thousand citizens of the south Cyprus Greek administration will automatically become citizens of the Federal Republic of Cyprus without taking into consideration any other criterion. Consensus has been reached on this issue. Efforts are being made to drag the issue elsewhere by discussing proportions”.
Burcu added that “this is the best stage ever reached in the negotiations on the citizenship issue for the Turkish side” and recalled a statement made by Akinci before his election, that he would make no discrimination among TRNC citizens and that all existing citizens will become citizens of the federal state.
Referring to the four freedoms, Burcu argued that the bases of these issues are the UN parameters which came out of the negotiations carried out until today including the 1977-79 High Level Agreements and the 11 February document. He added that this basis is also included in the UN Security Council’s Resolutions for Cyprus. He said:
“The four freedoms issue will not be contrary to the UN parameters. Attempts are being made to create the distorted impression that the issue of the four freedoms will be implemented in a way that the parameters of the UN, which are carrying out the process, will be abolished. These are freedoms which the EU also values, but the basic thing is the UN parameters”.
Arguing that bi-zonality and bi-communality constitute the basis of these parameters, Burcu said:
“The relation between bi-zonality and bi-communality and the four freedoms in the solution to be reached, will be adjusted in a manner which protects bi-zonality and bi-communality. The founding state will have the power to regulate the freedom of obtaining property in its own area. This power will belong to the founding state. This and all the adjustments regarding the other freedoms will be under the responsibility of the founding state in a manner which will not constitute a threat to bi-zonality and bi-communality. We will of course be open to the freedoms within the framework which will protect the clear majority of population and property”.
Ortam
