Secretary-General's press encounter with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan [unofficial transcript]

And we discussed Cyprus. As you know, I have sent Sir Kieran Prendergast, the Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Political Affairs, to the region, where he visited Cyprus –both the Greek Cypriot side and also the North, Turkish Cypriot side. Then he went on to Turkey and to Greece, and we were able to discuss the prospects for future peace in the region.

We also discussed the important question of Iraq and the need for the international community to work together to stabilize Iraq, and the need for the process going on in Iraq to be as inclusive as possible to embrace all elements in Iraq. And of course, Turkey as a neighbour, along with the other neighbours, has an important role to play.

Mr. Prime Minister, maybe you will say a few words.

PM Erdogan [through interpreter]: Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. I am very happy that you had this working lunch with us today. It was also very meaningful for us that we were able to meet after a visit by Mr. Prendergast to Cyprus. As a guarantor country on the issue of Cyprus, we had an opportunity to evaluate the situation.

As you know, there is a process that we had initiated together with the Secretary-General in Davos. With regard to the settlement of the Cyprus issue at the time, we had said that we would always be one step ahead of the Greek Cypriots, and we have fulfilled that promise. Mr. Annan prepared his plan and the Turks said “yes” to the plan. But the Greek Cypriots said “no”. But despite this “no” vote, the Greek Cypriots were accepted as an EU member. But the isolation on the other hand for the Turkish Cypriots is still ongoing.

Mr. Annan prepared the report on May 28th last year, and that report is still pending before the UN Security Council. We are indeed disappointed that the United Nations Security Council has not yet endorsed this report. We believe that a decision has to be reached, an endorsement has to happen, and we are looking for a positive outcome in this respect. Our expectation in Cyprus is to have a comprehensive, long-lasting and just peace and settlement.

We have also had an opportunity to discuss the situation in Iraq, which is our neighbour. We will continue to provide active support to the process in Iraq. This includes help for the preparation of the Constitution in Iraq. And we will continue to carry out our work in parallel with the UN initiatives.

I believe that it will be very important for all of us –Turkey as a neighbouring country, the coalition forces and everybody else –that Iraq becomes a democratic country. And we believe that this is very important for stability in the region. This will also mean that success will have been achieved in the fight against terrorism. And in this respect, we also send our best wishes to the Jaafari Government in Iraq, and wishes for success. Thank you.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General –your man, Sir Kieran, went to the eastern Mediterranean and tested the water. And I am sure that he has informed you. Since your famous report carrying your name has been taken on the shelf now, are you going to try to re-hash it? Or you are going to have a new initiative after meeting the Turkish Prime Minister? Or can you see any possibility that your plan might be rejuvenated again?

SG: I am happy that Mr. Prendergast was able to go to the region. He has just come back and submitted his report to me, which I am going to study very carefully to decide what the next steps should be. With regard to the report that we submitted last year, you'll heard the Prime Minister express his disappointment. This is an issue I will take up with the Council again when I brief them on the status of my good offices, and hope that they will take action on it.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, regarding easing the isolation on Turkish Cypriots, Mr. Secretary-General, what kind of concrete possibilities did you discuss with Prime Minister Erdogan? What kind of steps do you think can be approved by the United Nations?

SG: I think there were proposals in the plan I put forward about easing the isolation. And also in fact, the European Union and others indicated that they will want to give assistance and support to Northern Cyprus, and I hope they will find a way of doing that. And other Governments were thinking of certain initiatives. But I think that the first hurdle will be to work with the Council on that report, and get their endorsement of the report.

Q: Anything has changed, Mr. Secretary-General, since last year in Cyprus? You tell us that you're going to discuss the issue with the Security Council. But your assessment is that, is there any change that will make you de-freeze your good offices mission?

SG: My good offices have always been available. It was a question of the environment, the appropriateness and the readiness of the parties to engage, and engage meaningfully, so that we can make progress. As far as what has happened last year –since last year, of course, the Greek Cypriots are now in the European Union. I have sent Mr. Prendergast to the region, as I said, to make an assessment and come back and report to me, and I will decide what the next steps should be.

And I couldn't rush ahead last year, at the end of the referendum, when the Turkish Cypriots voted for it, and the Greek Cypriots voted “no”. We needed to have a pause, and get people to reflect, and let the situation calm down and make an assessment, and this is what we have done.