Turkey-TRNC Joint Advisory Committee to Be Established The Turkey-EU Joint Advisory Committee met in the TRNC under the presidency of TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu. Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they will make efforts to institutionalize the cooperation with civil society institutions in the TRNC.

NICOSIA - The Turkey-EU Joint Advisory Committee met in  the TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 under the presidency of TOBB (Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu. Assessing the visit to  the TRNC, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they plan to institutionalize cooperation with the civil society funds on the island and declared, "We have decided to establish a Turkey-TRNC Joint Advisory Committee."

Hisarcıklıoğlu maintained that they had come to the TRNC as the Turkey branch of the Turkey-EU Joint Advisory Committee to hold a branch meeting. Expressing that the group involved the presidents and representatives of the TOBB, Türk-İş (Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions), TESK (Confederation of Turkish Artisans and Craftsmen), TİSK (Confederation of Turkish Employer's Unions) and Kamu-Sen (Confederation of Turkish Public Employee Trade Unions), he stated that the group represented employees, employers, artisans, craftsmen and public employees. He touched upon the importance of the TRNC for all of these sections and said: "Cyprus is the apple of our eye."

"We wanted to learn the process from those who were involved"

Maintaining that they sensed discomfort on the island among the Turkish Cypriots which also was felt by the Turkish people, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that they wanted to talk with people who were involved directly in the process in order to learn about the recent developments in the TRNC. He stated that in the context of the trip to the island, they had visited the new ambassador of Turkey, met with the President, Prime Minister and political party leaders and talked with civil society representatives.

"The relationship between us goes back to 1995. We have studied EU relations together. We have negotiated the toughest and most complicated problems. Of course, each of us is obliged to protect the rights and voice the opinions of the sectors we represent. We are not on the same page most of the time. However, we always discuss the issues at hand and learn each other's sensitivities. We maintain the dialogue and learn how to debate issues without fighting. Working together helped us a great deal in overcoming the 2001 crisis."

"We all made sacrifices to keep the ship sailing"

Pointing out that Turkey had witnessed the "biggest" economic crises of its history in 2001, he added: "We launched a complex economic program during the complex process of getting out of the crisis. In the implementation process, we assessed the programs keeping the sectors we represent in mind, but taking note of the future. We evaluated the problems. We identified the problematic areas and communicated them to the government in cooperation. We know that we are sailing on the same ship. We managed to keep the ship sailing after the 2001 crisis. We made the economic program become Turkey's program. We all made sacrifices, but we kept the ship sailing. Closed factories opened again. Those who lost their jobs started to be employed. We all won in the end. We shared with the Turkish Cypriots how the relations with the EU have contributed to Turkey with respect to dialogue and to overcoming the 2001 crisis. We decided to institutionalize this cooperation and establish the Turkey-TRNC Joint Advisory Committee."

Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the Turkey-TRNC Joint Advisory Committee will meet in every three months.

TEPAV Director Sak will be the moderator...

The working dinner held at the TRNC Merit Hotel was attended by the president and representatives of TOBB, TEPAV, TESK, Türk-İş, TİSK, Hak İş and Kamu-Sen from Turkey and the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Commerce, the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry, the Cyprus Turkish Association of Hotels, the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors, the  Association of Young Businesspeople, the TRNC Association of Businesspeople, the Cyprus Union of Turkish Artisans and Craftsmen, the Cyprus Union of Turkish Employers, the Cyprus Trade Union of Turkish Public Employees, the Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions, the Cyprus Turkish Public Workers' Trade Union, the Hür-İş Federation of Worker's Trade Union, the Health Workers' Trade Union, the Cyprus Trade Union of Midwives and Nurses, the Bayrak Radio and Television Workers' Trade Union and the Cyprus Turkish Municipality Workers' Trade Union.

Speaking at the meeting moderated by TEPAV Director Prof. Güven Sak, presidents and representatives of the professional organizations and trade unions in the TRNC stated that the labor and capital were shareholders. Speakers maintained their discomfort with the economic program and declared their willingness to participate. Calling on Turkish business people to invest in the TRNC, they stressed that the investment climate in the TRNC must be improved.

Taking the floor after the speeches, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that they would convey the problems stemming from the economic challenges to the administrators in the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and thanked the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Commerce, the host of the meeting.