President Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday (20 March) got together with Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas at his home in Kyrenia and discussed the issue of the EU's Financial Aid Regulation for the Turkish Cypriots.

Following the 24 April 2004 referendum the EU had prepared an aid package of 259 million Euro for the Turkish Cypriot side, but due to the delay in getting it approved by the end of December 2005 the Financial Aid Package decreased to 139 million Euro.

Reacting to statements made by the Greek Cypriot administration alleging that it has say in the implementation of the Financial Aid Regulation, Prime Minister Soyer said this was nothing but provocation. He said a side who said 'no' to a settlement could not be the approving side of the aid, which would be given to the side that supported a settlement.

Indicating that allegations made by the Greek Cypriot Foreign Ministry's Director General, Sotos Zakheos, to the effect that an EU office would be opened in the South and that the financial aid to be given to the Turkish Cypriots would be upon the approval and sovereignty of the Greek Cypriot side, Prime Minister Soyer said no Turkish Cypriot would fall for these kinds of provocation.

He said the Turkish Cypriot people were just as equal as the Greek Cypriot people and did not need the guardianship and approval of the Greek Cypriot administration in its relations with the EU. He said the Turkish Cypriot side would never accept this.

Emphasizing that first of all Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopoulos should prove his willingness for a settlement to the world and his own people and then to the Turkish Cypriot people, the Prime Minister said: "We will continue in our path without falling for these kind of provocations. We will enter into negotiations with the EU. The main point is that our political relationship should continue on the basis of equality and our existence. We will discuss this altogether and achieve progress on this issue".

For his part, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas said discussions would determine whether or not the regulation would be implemented.