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| President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) warned that EU institutions had further complicated efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus issue by being involved in the process without having a detailed information about the issue. Speaking at a meeting at the think-tank organization, the European Policy Center, in Brussels, President Talat reacted strongly to the European Parliament's draft about Turkey in which the European Parliament called on Turkey to start withdrawing its soldiers from the island, open Maras region to the Greek Cypriots and to resolve the issue of Turkish citizens who settled in northern Cyprus. "The EU institutions have failed to keep their promise to lift isolations on Turkish Cypriot people who voted in favor of the Annan Plan in the twin referendum on the island. EU institutions have complicated efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus issue by being involved in the process without having a detailed information about the issue. Foreign interventions must be unbiased and they should encourage the parties to find a solution. But the EU is not constructive about the Cyprus issue. The EU accepted the Greek Cypriot administration as a full member before the Cyprus issue was resolved. Therefore, it does not have the right to play a political role in the Cyprus issue now. If it really wants a solution, it should urge Greek Cypriots to contribute to a solution and lift isolations on the TRNC." "More than 90 percent of Turkish Cypriots expressed their confidence in the EU in a public survey in 2002. This rate, today, dropped sharply since the EU failed to keep its promises. Also, Greek Cypriots occupied two seats allocated by the European Parliament for Turkish Cypriots," he said. "It was not the Turkish army which led to the Cyprus issue. Turkish army dispatched troops to the island because there was a problem. If we reach a solution, Turkey will withdraw its troops from the island," he said. President Talat also gave the message they were not planning to halt the process of intensified talks because of the upcoming presidential election in the TRNC in April. |