Brussels, 21/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - We reported in EUROPE (of 20 June, p.3) the reply by Jacques Poos, European Parliament rapporteur on Cyprus, to the criticisms leveled by Turkey's ambassador to the EU, Nihat Akyol regarding the tone of his draft report. Here are some elements of the letter the Turkish Ambassador sent to Euro-MPs, stating that "As proposed, Mr. Poos' resolution will not facilitate the search for a just and lasting peace in Cyprus". Mr. Akyol states in particular that the Poos Report:
- offers "Cyprus" "automatic entry into the Union, instead of contributing to seeking a solution to the Cyprus issue", and does not take on board all the conclusions on Cyprus adopted by the European Council of Helsinki, which "confirmed that the final decision would be taken taking account of "all aspects of the issue", for which the European Commission has not ceased stressing the complexity and delicate nature". The Helsinki Summit had the merit of "legally disassociating the Cyprus issue and Turkey's accession process", Ambassador Akyol emphasizes.
- "endlessly" demands for Cyprus "a solution compatible with the acquis communautaire", whereas "the two parts of Cyprus have more than once been urged to negotiate without preconditions".
- makes "allegations" of "occupation", whereas Turkey "has not occupied Cyprus", and its intervention stemmed "from treaties of gurantee concluded in full compliance with the rules of international law".
- mentions "neither the events of 1963, nor the reason why the United Nations Peacekeeping force arrived on the island, nor the movement of ethnic cleansing implemented by the Greek Cypriots against the Turkish Cypriot people from 1964 to 1974".
- criticizes the withdrawal of Mr. Denktash from proximity negotiations under UN auspices, but does not mention that it was the decision to open accession negotiations with Cyprus taken by the Union, which "believed in this way encouraging a settlement to the issues", which in fact radicalized the position of the party that was going to negotiate with Mr. Denktash."
- refers to a poll in the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" by which 90% of Turkish Cypriots are said to be in favour of Cyprus joining the EU, but "omits to say that 50% of this 90% are in favour of accession after a solution to the Cyprus question has been found and that, moreover, 50% of those questioned spoke in favour of a simultaneous accession for Cyprus and Turkey.