Near East University and Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung, which is political foundation in Germany, jointly held a meeting in Italy regarding the opportunities and risks involving Cyprus...
Near East University-Near East Institute; and Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung foundation jointly held a meeting in Italy where the vision of Turkish Cypriots regarding the future of Cyprus and their relative thoughts, priorities and concerns were evaluated and discussed by relative authorities from European Union, Germany, Greece, Israel and Turkey.
According to the press info release by the Directorate of Press and Public Relations of Near East University, Near East University and Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung jointly held a meeting at Villa La Collina- Cadenabbia, Italy. At the meeting, latest developments regarding the Cyprus issue, possible risks and opportunities were comprehensively discussed by specialists from European Union, Germany, Greece, Israel and Turkey. It was pointed out that the Former Undersecretary and Former Negotiator of the Cyprus Issue Ergün Olgun; Chairman of Near East Institute Assoc. Prof. Dr. Umut Koldaş; Vice Chairman of the Near East Institute Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nur Köprülü; and Head of NEU Department of International Relations, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeliha Kashman had attended the meeting in Italy.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. İrfan S. Günsel: “We will continue to make the Turkish Cypriots’ voice heard in the world!”
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Near East University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. İrfan S. Günsel, stated that they had been working for some time to realize this meeting and as a result of hard work, the meeting was accomplished with great success. Moreover, Günsel added that the meeting was rather meaningful as the vision of the Turkish Cypriots, their thoughts and concerns of the future were explicitly stated at the meeting.
In this regard, Assoc. Prof. Dr. İrfan S. Günsel expressed gratitude to everyone involved in realizing the meeting and emphasised that there was a significant need for further international platforms where the concerns, thoughts and expectations of the Turkish Cypriots could be clearly explicated by policy makers and all other relative authorities; as up until now, the Greek Cypriots took the opportunity of stressing their own biased views without taking the views of the Turkish Cypriots into account.
In addition to the above, Assoc. Prof. Dr. İrfan Günsel said:
“Representatives from the Greek Cypriots are finding and creating opportunities to represent their ‘sided stance’ and biased ideas and imposing these as if representing the island as a whole; without including the Turkish Cypriots’ views. Therefore, increasing participation at international platforms, both academic and political, where the views and ideas of the Turkish Cypriots can be expressed clearly is rather important. Thus, there is a strong need for the inclusion of the Turkish Cypriots’ views regarding all issues concerning Cyprus, such as energy, economy, health, education and tourism. Those who are criticizing the specialists and bureaucrats from Turkey, who have been putting efforts to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriots at international platforms, must not ignore the fact that the Turkish Cypriots were not given any chance to represent themselves with their own identities at these international platforms. In this respect and against all odds of being internationally isolated, universities of the island must act as gateways to the world and they should embrace their duty to represent the Turkish Cypriots at international platforms concerning science and all other fields in the best possible way; to gradually make the mark of Turkish Cypriots on the continents of the world!”