Eastern Mediterranean University - E-Haber Bülteni

EMU Newsletter

CYPRUS POLICY CENTER (CPC) ESTABLISHED WITH THE COLLABORATION OF EMU AND ARI MOVEMENT CELEBRATES ITS FIRST YEAR

Lefkosa, 27 May 05 (T.A.K.):- Eastern Mediterranean University and the ARI Movement's collaboration ended with the establishment of the Cyprus Policy Center a year ago today. A press conference was held at Saray Hotel on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Center to give information on the aims of the center, the projects and activities carried out within this one year period.

At the joint press conference organized by EMU and ARI Movement, those present were the Rector of EMU Prof. Dr. Halil Güven, the Director of CPC Assist .Prof. Dr.Ahmet Sözen, Secretary General of CPC Kaya Aslan and the Director of ARI Movement Haluk Önen as well as the founding director of ARI Movement Kemal Köprülü.

EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Halil Güven pointed out that the CPC was established as a think-tank group in November with the aim of performing the activities at an institutional level and under one roof, as a result of the protocol signed between the ARI Movement and EMU in March. Prof. Dr. Güven added that the Center will continue performing its tasks in the new period that emerged after the referendum and specifically on matters related to EU relations and the Cyprus issue.

Prof. Güven said, on the occasion of this first anniversary of the center, that they were ready to provide human resources for all projects the TRNC undertakes, and that informative activities will continue to be organized so as to brief the public on the current issues.

The Director of the Center, Assist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sözen, on the other hand, said that their objective was to show the path to the politicians by raising awareness in the Turkish Cypriot society about the “think-tank” concept which plays a significant role in generating ideas.

While making significant openings in the EU relations and trying to find a permanent solution to the Cyprus problem, the Center is also intending to carry out work that will lead to lifting of the isolations imposed on the TRNC. Sözen also added that their main mission was to conduct their work in a manner fitting the concept of generating policies based participatory democracy and knowledge. Sözen listed their main principles as “participatory democracy, superiority of law, transparency, respect to human rights and accountability.”

Upon a question directed to him on his views concerning the pre- October 3 rd period, Sözen responded by saying he was not expecting much improvement on the Cyprus issue, that the visit to be paid next week by Sir Prendergast, the Aid to UN Secretary General, would be a kind of “sounding operation” and that the real dynamism would begin as of October.

Kaya Aslan, the secretary general of the Center, summarized the objectives and activities of the Center in his speech, and added the center aimed at bringing together the NGOs, the academia and all sectors involved or interested in the matter. He also said the center would continue to carry out its activities based on knowledge within the concept of participatory democracy.

On the other hand, Haluk Önen, the Director of the ARI Movement which was founded in 1994 with the aim of being a communal movement, said politics should not be limited to political parties, but that it should be practiced by civil-political bodies, non-governmental organizations and added that they were working to make such applications possible by administrative bodies.

Önen also claimed that Cyprus carried strategic value and significance for them and hence it was highly important to collaborate with a university in the country. He concluded by stating that they would continue generating knowledge with the help they receive from EMU that would eventually enable the TRNC to be an integral part of the world community once the isolations imposed on the TRNC are lifted.