President Talat yesterday (25 January) met with UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

A large number of Turkish Cypriot, Greek Cypriot and Turkish journalists, as well as many international press institutions observed the meeting.

Following the meeting in a press conference organized at the Ledra Palace Hotel, Straw said the UK's relation with Cyprus was based on a long history and the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan supported his visit and contacts on the island. He stressed that the Cyprus issue was one of the primary issues in 2006.

Indicating that a settlement could not be imposed on the island and the UK never saw itself as a mediator, Straw said progress had to be achieved on lifting the Turkish Cypriot side's isolation and it was in everybody's interests to bring the Turkish Cypriots closer to the EU.

The British Foreign Secretary said the UK wanted to assist in ending the island's division because the current situation in Cyprus was bad for Cyprus, bad for the eastern Mediterranean and bad for the EU and the current deadlock served nobody's interests and that the longer a settlement was delayed the longer it would be to achieve.

Citing the example of 'Cypriots who had been displaced from their homes and land", Straw said this alone constituted the need for an early settlement. He said these people couldn't be kept waiting much longer and the property issue was one of the most important factors in the Cyprus problem and could only be resolved with a comprehensive settlement. He added that the missing persons issue was another important issue.

Pointing out that the UK never saw itself as a mediator but was concerned by the lack of dialogue between the two sides since the 2004 referendum, Straw said the UN had made it clear that the gap between the two sides was wide.

During his press conference, Straw said he would be going to Turkey later on yesterday (25 January) afternoon and commenting on the statement made by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday (25 January), said, "Gul's statement is very important and deserves to be taken seriously".

He said his visit was an official visit and articles in the Greek Cypriot press alleging that this was an unofficial visit were incorrect. Straw said: "This was a planned visit and all preparations were made in advance".

Meanwhile, in a press conference organized at the TRNC Presidency immediately after Straw's press conference, President Talat, said despite the Greek Cypriot administration's objections his meeting with Straw still took place at the Presidency and this was a sign of the UK's respect for the Turkish Cypriot people.

He said his meeting with Straw was very constructive and during the meeting he had expressed the Turkish Cypriot side's commitment to peace and settlement and within the framework of the latest developments in 2006 had conveyed to the British Foreign Secretary the Turkish Cypriot side's desire to achieve a settlement in 2006. Indicating that Straw had said the UK would work in this direction, President Talat said: "The UK's approach towards achieving a settlement in Cyprus is continuing in a constructive manner".

Reminding that as a guarantor power of Cyprus and being fully knowledgeable about the Cyprus issue, the UK's responsibilities towards Cyprus were different from those of other EU countries, the President said during the meeting the Turkish Cypriot side had also expressed its full support for the Cyprus action plan that was announced by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

President Talat said the criticisms made by the Greek Cypriot administration on Turkey's new Cyprus action plan were made in haste and incorrect and expressed the hope that with pressure from the international community this action plan would pave the way for restarting the negotiations that would lead to a Cyprus settlement.

The President said, today, international relations was based on the principle of justice and that what was envisaged in the Turkish action plan was the Turkish Cypriot peoples basic right and called upon the international community to treat the Turkish Cypriot people equally.