TRNC’s Dr Sibel Siber addresses international conference in Iran

NEWS/TRNC

The TRNC took part in the 9^th OIC Parliamentary Union Conference, held in Tehran from 14-19 February 2014. The annual event brings together the political representatives of Islamic countries to discuss and disseminate the core principles relating to the faith and humanism based on the Islamic civilization. It also provides an important framework for “comprehensive and fruitful cooperation and coordination among parliaments of OIC members in a range of international fora and organisations”.

The TRNC has Observer Status at the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference) and this year’s delegation to the PU Conference in Iran was led by Dr Sibel Siber, the Speaker of the Turkish Cypriot Parliament. She was accompanied by three MPs: DP-UG MP Fikri Ataoğlu, CTP-BG MP Dr.Hüseyin Erçal and UBP MP İzlem Gürçağ.

In her speech to the general assembly, Dr Siber reminded delegates about the ongoing international isolation of Turkish Cypriots and the great importance they therefore put on the OIC, which gave them an opportunity to have an international voice. She explained that even though they faced a number of injustices, the Turkish Cypriot people had created a full democratic structure to govern themselves, and were keen to develop and deepen relations with OIC member states. She ended her speech by highlighting that a new round of Cyprus talks has commenced recently, and that she hoped it would result in a permanent peace so the two sides can live harmoniously together.

 North Cyprus' Dr Sibel Siber named as 'one of Europe's eight most influential women'

Dr Siber was acknowledged at the conference as one of eight women holding the most senior political roles in Europe. In a news site on the Care 2 website, which is regularly read widely by some 24 million people in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, Dr Siber was named alongside Angela Merkel, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Helle Thorning-Schmidt as one of the most influential women in Europe. The Care 2 article can be read here.