PRESIDENT TALAT TO GO TO HAGUE AND BRUSSELS
President Mehmet Ali Talat went to Netherlands upon the
invitation of Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot.
According to the statement issued by the TRNC
Presidency, President Talat has flied to Belgium capital Brussels this
morning (6 December). Tomorrow, the President will go to Hague and meet
with Bot. On Friday, Talat will meet with European Commissioner For
Enlargement Olli Rehn in Brussels.
ERÇAKICA: " CYPRUS PROBLEM IS POISONING ALL
RELATIONS"
TRNC Presidency has stated that, the fact that Cyprus
issue is being exploited as part of Turkey’s EU membership course has been
observed with despair and concern.
At the weekly press conference held by the Presidential
Spokesman Hasan Erçakıca, it has been pointed out that the recommendation
of the EU Commission to the EU Council, has not been deemed as
satisfactory by, in particular, the Greek Cypriot side and Greece and also
some other EU member countries; and that efforts are being spent to attach
Turkey’s EU membership course to the condition of settling the Cyprus
issue on its own.
Stating that this struggle has turned into a
competition between the European leaders who approve or do not approve
Turkey’s EU membership, Spokesman Erçakıca said “We are both disappointed
and concerned about observing the fact that Cyprus issue is being
exploited as part of this competition."
Stressing that the efforts to undertake the Cyprus
issue under the umbrella of the EU and in connection with the membership
negotiations of Turkey must be ended, Spokesman Erçakıca said; “The Cyprus
issue is not only a problem that eliminates all the prospects of positive
development in our region but it is also a problem that poisons all the
relations. The only way to eliminate this problem is to promote and
conclude all the efforts under the umbrella of the UN, in a way to reach a
comprehensive settlement as soon as possible. What all the relevant
parties should do is to develop positions that will contribute to this
process."
A GROUP OF HOUSE OF LORDS PUBLISHED AN
ANNOUNCEMENT SUPPORTING TURKEY
A group of British House of Lords sent a joint
statement to British Daily "The Daily Telegraph", strongly criticizing the
EU and stated that the partial suspension of Turkey's accession to
membership of the European Union was insulting to the Turkish people.
The statement, which was published in yesterday’s Daily
Telegraph, was issued by Lord Ahmed, Lord Harrison, Lord Kilclooney, Lady
Knight of Collingtree, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass, Lord Monson, Lord Rogan
and Lady Butterworth.
The statement is as follows:
"Turkey, a secular state and significant member of Nato, is now being
driven away from Europe and towards Islamic fundamentalism.
This EU decision will be seen to have been a monumental error. The pretext
of Cyprus is unacceptable. The EU failed to honour its promises to the
Turkish Cypriots that their isolation would end if they voted for the UN
proposals for a settlement in Cyprus. In contrast, the EU rewarded the
Greek Cypriots with full membership of the EU after they voted against the
UN plans.
As a member of the EU, Greek Cyprus (encouraged by Austria and France,
which makes freedom of speech on the Armenian issue a criminal offence)
now exercises a veto against Turkish membership of the EU. Of course
Turkey, if it were to become an EU member, will have to recognize Cyprus:
not the present Greek Cypriot state in southern Cyprus, but an agreed
Cyprus by Greek and Turkish Cypriots for the whole island. It is unfair
and unreasonable for the EU to demand access to Turkish ports for Greek
Cypriots and at the same time to continue to deny access to EU ports for
Turkish Cypriots.
The Government must now unilaterally agree to direct access to Britain for
transport to northern Cyprus.
