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INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR NORTHERN CYPRUS (ICNC)
By Keith Lloyd
Former Under Secretary to TRNC [Northern Cyprus] ex President Rauf Denktaş and
now Chairman of the provisional board of the International Council for Northern
Cyprus, Mr Ergün Olgun recently granted Property NC [of Northern Cyprus] an
exclusive interview at his office in Lefkoşa during which he explained the aims
and objectives of the recently launched lobby group.
When asked how the ICNC [International Council for Northern Cyprus] differed
from other similar organisations such as Eupro and Embargoed! Mr Olgun
explained, "We are pleased to work with both of the organisations you mention,
working together we can achieve great things for the people of Northern Cyprus,
but although our roles are complementary, our functions are different. Eupro
are doing very well at countering the Greek Cypriots propaganda campaign
against Northern Cyprus [property market] and they are mounting strong
opposition to legal moves from the other side regarding property [apartments,
land etc] issues; they are also at the forefront of the legal challenge to
London's Mayor Ken Livingstone who has forced Transport for London to remove
TRNC [Northern Cyprus] tourist advertising from hoardings and the sides of
London Buses. The Embargoed! people in London are effectively calling the
world's attention to the unfair embargoes being applied to the people of
Northern Cyprus, especially with regard to human rights and their international
isolation.
Mr Olgun went on to explain that ICNC [International Council for Northern
Cyprus] has a broader set of objectives; as a non-governmental organisation, it
plans to protect and promote the political, economic and social/cultural
interests of the Turkish Cypriot people [of Northern Cyprus]. "We aim to put
pressure on the international community to respect the political equality of
the Turkish Cypriot People [of Northern Cyprus], its separate right to
determine its own future, and, in exercise of these rights and in the face of
the Greek Cypriot refusal to go into partnership based on absolute political
equality, its right to statehood" he told Property Northern Cyprus. There are
four levels were ICNC [International Council for Northern Cyprus] aims to have
influence, according to Mr Olgun:
At the Political Level
ICNC [International Council for Northern Cyprus] will support by all means the
political endeavours of the TRNC Government to achieve a negotiated settlement
of the Cyprus issue that will be based on political equality and equal
legitimacy of the Turkish Cypriot side [Northern Cyprus] based on the agreed
principle of territorial separation (bi-zonality) and the continuation of the
1960 guarantee system.
At the Economic Level
To protect, promote, support and encourage by all lawful means the economic and
cultural well-being and welfare of all the people of the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus [Northern Cyprus].
To seek and require the international community and in particular the European
Union, the United States of America, and the United Nations to meet their
commitments and fulfil their obligations to end the economic isolation of
Northern Cyprus, including but not limited to the lifting of the ban on direct
flights and the ending of all embargoes imposed upon trade, sports, travel and
tourism between Northern Cyprus and the rest of the world.
To protect and promote the economic interests of the people of the TRNC
[Northern Cyprus] in their relations with the international community through
their political institutions and the press.
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At the Legal Level
To resist by all lawful means any action by any person, court, institution,
agency or government authority within or without the jurisdiction of the Greek
Cypriot Administration which, directly or indirectly, is calculated to be
prejudicial to the interests of the economy of Northern Cyprus.
To require the international community to recognise and promote the fulfilment
of the inalienable rights of the people of the TRNC [Northern Cyprus].
To require the international community to require Greece and the Greek Cypriot
side to compensate the Turkish Cypriot people [of Northern Cyprus] and its
institutions who have suffered non- material and material loss as a result of
the breach of their rights under the 1959-1960 International Treaties and 1960
Constitution of Cyprus, as well as the discrimination they have been subjected
to.
At the Organisational Level
To develop an effective organisational structure for the ICNC: register it as a
non-governmental organisation the basis of TRNC [Northern Cyprus] laws and to
employ every means including litigation, lobbying and Public & Press
Relations in order to realise the objectives of the Council.
To work in partnership with any other organisation which in the opinion of the
ICNC [International Council for Northern Cyprus] shares its aims and can
promote, defend or advance its specific interests and those of Northern Cyprus
in general.
Mr Olgun, explained that the organisation has already submitted its Articles of
Association and completed all the necessary formalities to become a recognised
lobby group within the legal framework of the TRNC [Northern Cyprus]. "Although
we are still in a slightly embryonic form, we have already begun our campaign
by holding the 'Day of Shame' Rally in Nicosia on
15th July, the 31st anniversary of the failed attempt by Greece to invade
Cyprus and to annexe it, by force to Greece. Our press release drew
international media cover as did our letter to the United Nations Secretary
General H.E. Mr Kofi Annan, which pointed out amongst other injustices that,
'Whilst the direct responsibility for the present position of the Turkish
Cypriot people [of Northern Cyprus] lies with the repeated Greek Cypriot /
Greek attempts to marginalise and subordinate us, the United Nations, and the
Security Council in particular are guilty of supporting the wrongful actions of
both Greece and Greek Cypriots.'
"We shall also be active later this month (July 25th & 26th 2005)" Mr Olgun
said, "We shall be delivering a letter to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair on the
day he receives the Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopolous at Downing Street,
pointing out that although in office in the South, as a former active EOKA
member he has no mandate to represent the people of Northern Cyprus within the
European Union, we have our own democratically elected representative here in
the Northern [Cyprus]; also we will remind Mr Blair that he is about to cohort
with somebody who is alleged to have registered, through his law office in
South Cyprus, several of the offshore companies named in the investigations of
the International War Crimes Tribunal looking into the case of the former
Yugoslav President Milosovic.
"It is illogical for the South side [Cyprus] to be granted full membership
status of the EU, whilst the Northern [Cyprus] remains isolated by the
international community" said Mr Olgun, "After all our people [of Northern
Cyprus] voted by a clear majority for the Annan partnership plan in the 2004
referenda, whilst the South [Cyprus] side voted by a huge majority against it,
yet they get the reward of EU membership and all its attendant benefits, whilst
we in the TRNC [Northern Cyprus] continue to be deprived of our rights as a
politically equal party, penalised, isolated and continue to have dur human
rights violated. ICNC [of Northern Cyprus] will work hard on all fronts to
right this wrong committed against all of our people." Ergün Olgun concluded.
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