"‘TRNC’ does not rule out reunification - Talat speaks out on anniversary
By Simon Bahceli
THE EXISTENCE of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ does not preclude a reunification of the island, Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat told reporters on the eve of the breakaway state’s 22nd anniversary yesterday.
His statement, marking the start of a one-day ‘national’ holiday, military parades and cocktail receptions, may come as somewhat surprising to those who see the breakaway state as an expression of Turkish Cypriot separatist objectives. But Talat was insistent yesterday that unification of the island along bizonal, bicommunal, federal lines was still his only objective.
“The TRNC is an expression of the Turkish Cypriot peoples’ wish for self-determination,” he said, but added that its existence should be seen as “transitional” and a means for aiding eventual reunification.
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