Brussels, 27/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - The political leader of the Turkish Cypriots, the President of the Turkish Cypriot Republican Party, Mehmet Ali Talat, met the EU High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, and then the Luxembourg deputy foreign minister, Nicolas Schmit, in Brussels, where he had come to argue the case for the reunification of Cyprus and an end to the isolation of the Northern part of the island. Discussions focussed on EU initiatives for reunification, like the two draft regulations on financial aid and trade for developing Northern Cyprus economically and socially to put an end to its isolation.
During a political briefing organised by the European Policy Centre (EPC, set up by Stanley Crossick), Talat expressed discontent with the isolation the Turkish Cypriots were greatly suffering from, despite the fact they are now prepared to negotiate a reunification of Cyprus. He urged the European Union and the entire international community to encourage the Greek Cypriot government to act positively and constructively to find a solution to the division of the island and put an end to the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community. He said: 'We want to reunify and we are ready to discuss this, but the Greek Cypriot Administration doesn't want to and remains the legal government of Cyprus. This can'4t go on,' lamented Talat. 'I don't accuse the Greek Cypriot population, but its government. But one community cannot eternally isolate another community. The United Nations Secretary General (Kofi Annan) himself said that isolation is not logical because the Turkish Cypriots have left divisionnist attitudes behind,' he added. 'Our main goal is political - to share power with the Greek Cypriots. We want to reunite Cyprus. We want to reunite Cyprus and join the EU with the Greek Cypriots on a united island. The issue of economic development is secondary,' explained Talat.
The Turkish Cypriot leader said that the social and economic development of Cyprus was, nonetheless, closely connected with the end to Northern Cyprus' isolation, which would be made possible by the Council of the EU's adoption of two draft Commission regulations on financial aid and trade. 'The Commission was asked by the Council to prepare a resolution to end the isolation of Northern Cyprus,' said Jean-Christophe Filori, a member of Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn's Cabinet. He added that in July 2004, the Commission had unveiled two draft regulations with tangible measures but they are blocked at Council level because a compromise has not yet been found. The Commission has put on the negotiating table planned financial aid of EUR 259 mil to boost the economic development of Northern Cyprus and a direct trade link to enable Northern Cyprus to emerge from isolation in terms of trade. Trade in Northern Cyprus totalled EUR 475,000 in 2004, in other words 'peanuts', said Filori, adding that Member States had to strike agreement to end a situation that would be hard to unsustainable. The first Commission proposal had not come up against any obstacles at the Council, but the second is blocked by resistance from Cyprus and Greece. 'The blame lies with the Greek Cypriot government,' said Fraser Cameron, Director of Studies at the EPC, 'The way they behave is negative and totally irresponsible,' he added. The Greek Cypriot authorities oppose the adoption of a regulation that they describe as amounting to political recognition of Northern Cyprus. Cameron accused the EU of acing in too soft a manner to find a solution the Cypriot question. 'Some Member States have an interest in not doing everything possible to reach an agreement in the Council because of their own concerns with the Turkish question,' he said.