Statement by the Press Office of the Prime Ministry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Although the report prepared and submitted to the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament by the European Parliament High-Level Contact Group for the Relations with the Turkish Cypriots formed to enhance the relations between the Turkish Cypriot people and the European Parliament contains some positive elements, it is considered as unacceptable since it connects the continuation of isolation to the non-recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Linking the removal of substantial part of the isolation with the solution to be reached in Cyprus in the draft report can only conceal the fact that the policies of the Greek Cypriot side are the main reasons of the inhuman isolation being imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people.

Making the Turkish language an official language of EU, granting observer status to two Turkish Cypriot parliamentarians in the European Parliament and providing opportunities to the Turkish Cypriot students to benefit programs like Erasmus and Socrates are the positive recommendations in the report. The important point at this juncture is to put the recommendations of the Contact Group into action and to remove the restrictions applied on the Turkish Cypriot people through new openings.

In spite of the fact that it contains positive elements, the draft report does not fully meet the expectations of the Turkish Cypriot people. It should be taken into consideration that the adoption of the draft report will further encourage the intransigent attitude of the Greek Cypriot side owing to the negative elements it contains.

16 February 2007, Lefkoşa.