Turkey urges EU to help UN to resolve Cyprus problem

According to the Cihan news agency, speaking at the EU Partnership Council on Monday, Gul said that the EU should help the UN Secretary General to resolve the problem within a UN framework.

Turkey favors a resolution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the UN peace plan, while EU member Greek Cyprus is trying to include the EU in the process.

Peace hopes in the divided Mediterranean island vanished in 2004 when Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly voted against the Annan peace plan which was approved by the Turkish Cypriot side in a simultaneous referendum.

The southern Greek side of Cyprus joined the EU as the representative of the whole of the island on 1 May 2004. The KKTC which is isolated internationally is only recognized by Turkey, and neither Turkey nor the KKTC recognize the Greek Cypriot Administration.

Gul said that Turkey could open its airports and harbors to the Greek Cypriots only if the sanctions imposed on the Turkish Cypriots were removed.

"Turkey and the EU approach the (Cyprus) problem from different perspectives. Turkey is showing every good will for a constructive solution. Things would be easier if all sanctions are removed simultaneously," Gul said.

Last year Turkey had signed the additional protocol of the Ankara Treaty which extended Turkey's custom union agreement to include the 10 new members of the European Union including Greek Cyprus. The signing of the additional protocol had been a condition imposed by the EU prior to the opening of accession talks with Turkey on October of last year. At the time Turkey specified that its signing of the protocol did not imply recognition of Greek Cyprus.

Turkey has since then declined to implement the EU protocol and open its ports to Greek Cyprus due to the lack of a settled solution to the division of the island between the Turkish north and Greek south.

/www.zaman.com/