Day: April 8, 2024

NICOSIA: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar said Sunday that he personally informed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that there is no common ground between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides in Cyprus. Speaking at a press conference at Ercan Airport on his return from a visit to the US, Tatar said the Greek Cypriot side creates the perception that "there will be a new negotiation process on Cyprus." He said they put an end to this perception with their contacts in the US. He noted that the UN Secretary-General's Personal Representative Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar is working to investigate whether there is a common ground between the parties in Cyprus. Tatar also emphasized that he explained his policy of confirming the sovereign equality and equal international status of the TRNC to all the officials he met. "If they think that they will press us and force us to the negotiation table at a time when embargoes and isolations continue, this would be wrong. We will not ac cept it. We are pursuing a new policy, and this policy is also quite clear and explicit," he said. He also said that Guterres respects the attitude of the Turkish Cypriot side, noting that no process can start with coercion. Tatar pointed out that he conveyed to his interlocutors that only with the acceptance of the acquired rights of the Turkish Cypriots could progress be made in the negotiations. He emphasized that if there is to be an agreement in Cyprus now, it will be through the recognition of the TRNC. Tatar said they will never compromise on their rights and will not step back from the policy of "sovereign equality and equal international status" that they advocate. President Tatar held meetings with Guterres, US State Department officials, representatives of think tanks and executives of non-governmental organizations during his visit to the US, which began on April 5. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, discussing bilateral relations. According to a statement issued by the Directorate of Communications, Erdogan and bin Salman also discussed global and regional issues. During the discussion, Erdogan said: "The Islamic world needs to demonstrate unity in a productive way by making more efforts to end Israel's attacks on Palestine as soon as possible and to implement the cease-fire decision of the UN Security Council." During the talks, he also extended his greetings to the crown prince for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr, the most important Muslim festival around the world. Source: Anadolu Agency

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said there is a defined date that is set for the Israeli army to invade Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, the last remaining area in the enclave where Tel Aviv has not yet formally announced the entry of its troops to continue the onslaught against Palestinians. In a video message aired by Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Netanyahu said Israel would not be able to defeat Hamas unless it entered Rafah and defeated its remaining brigades. "We are working to achieve our goals all the time," he said, before going on to say, "Primarily releasing all our hostages and achieving total victory over Hamas." While public pressure grows in Israel for Netanyahu to reach a hostage swap deal with Hamas, ultra-Orthodox members of his coalition government are pressuring him not to do so. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday threatened to topple the government if Netanyahu ends the war on Gaza without attacking Rafah. Several countries, includin g the US, have urged Israel to abandon plans for a military offensive against Rafah, which is home to nearly 1.4 million displaced Palestinians. Earlier on Monday, following extensive meetings, both the Israeli and Hamas delegations left Cairo after being engaged in indirect talks through the Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Tel Aviv believes 134 Israelis are being held in Gaza, while Israel is holding not less than 9,100 Palestinians in its jails. Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas are taking place in Cairo and Doha, intending to reach a deal that includes a hostage/prisoner swap in which Israeli captives are released in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Palestinian territory since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas which killed nearly 1,200 people. Over 33,200 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 76,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. The Israeli war, now in its 181st day, has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. On March 25, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. While Hamas welcomed the resolution, Israel rejected the cease-fire call and vowed to continue its war on the Palestinian enclave. Israel stands accused of genocide at the ICJ, which in January issued an interim ruling that ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday discussed with visiting Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa exerted efforts to reach a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian prime minister met with Egypt's president in Cairo on his first visit to the country since taking office last month, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Presidency. During the meeting, al-Sisi reaffirmed his country's strong support for the Palestinian cause until Palestinian rights are restored, which would entail establishing a Palestinian state based on territories it governed in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The meeting focused on the latest developments and ongoing efforts for a cease-fire in Gaza, as well as the flow of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the besieged exclave. The newly appointed premier also met separately with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly to discuss the latest developments in Israel's war on Gaza, according to Egyptian media. Israel has waged a d eadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack early last October by the Palestinian group Hamas which killed around 1,200 people. More than 33,200 Palestinians have since been killed and almost 76,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation. The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which recently asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

RAMALLAH: A Palestinian official said on Monday that Trkiye has the largest share in total annual exports to Palestinian markets. Rashad Yousef, director of policies and planning at the Ministry of National Economy, told Anadolu that trade with Trkiye has grown significantly over the last five years regarding exports and imports. Over the last five years, he said Trkiye has become the second source of goods in Palestinian markets after Israel. "If we exclude Israel, Trkiye is the largest source of goods and products in the Palestinian market," the Palestinian official said. He noted that the Palestinian-Turkish trade volume in 2022 exceeded $900 million, representing a 12% increase over 2021 levels. "Trkiye doesn't only take the lead of the exports share to Palestine, but Ankara contributed to increasing the share of Palestinian products in the Turkish market," Yousef explained. He noted that the main Turkish exports to Palestine are iron, wood, vegetable oil, tobacco, food products, and items from plas tic industries. Border crossings On the issue of border crossings, the Palestinian official said there is no Palestinian control over them, stressing that all imported goods into Palestine must pass through Israel. "Israel has complete control over the border crossings as Palestinian imports arrive at Haifa or Ashdod (Israeli) seaports, and the goods are then transported to Palestinian territories via trucks," Yousef said. He said Trkiye is a multi-industry country that Palestine needs, but 'Israeli restrictions and economic agreements restrict partnerships in the trade exchange between Palestine and Trkiye." Source: Anadolu Agency